From New York to New Thinking: Conversations That Sparked Change
To you, my thinking partner
May was a fun month for me, filled with interesting assignments, new clients, catching up with friends and family as well as lovely piece of travel. I find that travel always sparks new insights — whether it's the sights, sounds, and smells of a new place or the unexpected conversations with the person sitting next to you on the plane. In this months newsletter, I’ve shared some of the reflections and inspirations I’ve gathered recently. If any of it resonates with you, feel free to share your own insights or drop me a note — I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thought for today
Do you have a friend or colleague who challenges your thinking, asks tough questions, or introduces ideas that give you pause? For me, that’s Seamus — a friend from college. We catch up occasionally, and I always leave our conversations with fresh perspectives.
He’s the one who recently introduced me to Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman. Bregman challenges us to redefine ambition, not by wealth or power, but by the impact we have on creating a more compassionate and fair society. This idea of “moral ambition” — where our goals are focused on justice, equality, and collective well-being — is something I’ve been reflecting on since listening to the book.
Bregman encourages us to believe in the power on one and particularly the multiplier effect through our natural networks. He provides lots of inspirational examples from Rosa Parks to Rob Mather’s swim against Malaria.
This summer, I’m challenging myself to think about how I can weave more moral ambition into my 2026 goals. How can my aspirations contribute to a more just and compassionate world? If this resonates with you, I’d love for you to join me in this challenge. Let’s compare notes in September and see how we’ve all grown — I’d be excited to hear your thoughts and actions!
Insights & Inspiration
Weekend in New York
My last trip to New York was in September 2019. Returning this year, I was reminded of what makes the city so vibrant and full of possibility. Though my trip was primarily for a client board meeting, I had the chance to spend the weekend with a school friend who now lives in Georgia. It’s always fascinating to observe the small differences when traveling, and New York gave me plenty to reflect on. Here are a few things that stood out to me:
New Yorkers, or the ones I met, communicate so clearly. While we speak the same language, I found they spend a little more time asking questions for understanding, answering succinctly, providing more context and clarity to the conversation.
You can walk everywhere in New York and it’s easy to navigate your way about. I don’t have a great sense of direction so I loved the grid system, the main arteries and cross street all looked similar but were well signposted so it gave me a sense of safety and security. We went to a great show on Broadway and were comfortable to walk 30 minutes back to our hotel after the show.
They know how to serve their customers. My friends daughter really wanted a PARKE sweatshirt from their NYC pop up store. After an hour queue we arrived into a busy store with lots of people and stock everywhere. When we finally got to the till, the young girl, who must have been tired, as this was now after 6pm, chatted to us as if we were the first people in that morning. Friendly, kind, helpful service reflecting PARKE’s brand positioning
Many of us will probably travel over the summer, let me know in the comments what you notice from your travels.
The Importance of Networking
Networking often feels like a nice-to-have—hard to juggle and not always immediately productive. But in my experience, it rarely disappoints.
Last Thursday, I attended an insights session at the Timoney Leadership Institute on “The Power of Creativity in Overcoming Chaos”—brilliantly led by Dr. Kandarp Mehta, Senior Lecturer at IESE Barcelona.
Timoney supports leaders in Ireland and the UK who want to lead with purpose and create lasting positive impact—a mission aligned with Rutger Bregman’s Moral Ambition.
Key Insights were
1. Rethink how you invite problem-solving We often say to our teams: “Bring solutions, not problems.” But this can unintentionally shut down innovation, because people may only present what they think you’ll approve.
Instead, try: “Bring your problems—and let’s co-create solutions.” This encourages openness, curiosity, and true collaboration.
2. Consider which innovation path you’re on Dr. Kandarp challenged us to reflect on two innovation mindsets:
· John goes “all in,” leaving his job to launch a business. With high personal risk, he focuses on execution and speed—often using familiar models.
· Jack keeps his job while experimenting with his idea on the side. Less pressure allows for more risk-taking, creativity, and testing.
Research shows Jack’s “test and learn” approach leads to more innovation—while John’s “all in” path is more likely to replicate existing business models.
Lesson: Keep those side hustles alive. Creativity thrives when risk is balanced.
Takeaways
Innovation doesn’t always come from urgency. It comes from curiosity, psychological safety, and space to explore.
Some actions to try
This week, ask a team member: “What’s a problem you’re stuck on?” and co-create solutions together.
Or reflect: Where am I rushing execution instead of allowing space for iteration?
Communion Party
… and now for a really Irish occasion – My daughter Grace’s First Holy Communion.
We had a great day, house full of friends and family from 2 in the afternoon till 10 in the evening. It is lovely to host these occasions and watch everyone mingle, chat, make connections, swap stories and laugh lots.
The party reminded me of the value of relationships and connections in all parts of life – family, friendships and business
Let’s Work Together
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Critical thinking
High-performance culture
Accountability & ownership
Decision-making confidence
If any of this resonates, I’d love to chat.
