When it all seems too much, pick up a book
A Friday Flurry dedicated to the stories that move us
Think for yourself.
Live on your own terms.
Weekly essays that help you think more clearly, make better decisions, and understand the hidden forces shaping your life and work.
Latest
What chronic uncertainty is doing to our lives and careers
A Friday Flurry on the state of work and what it might do to us
How to conquer apathy
The unequivocal solution I would die in a ditch for.
You have everything you need
But you'll have to listen carefully for it
Let 'em cook: the looming crisis of human judgment
Stop before you Google that recipe
Being a thought leader rotted my brain
A Friday Flurry on escaping performative expertise and avoiding the internet
Events
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Strategic Public Leaders Training, Sydney
Join us for two days of strategic leadership training with Alicia McKay - in partnership with LGPro NSW.
How to lead in the Subjective Era
The Subjective Era will reward leaders and organisations who optimise for two things: trust and human agency.
Are you busy - or burdened?
If you're collapsing under the weight of things, this one is for you.
Strategy
34 posts
Strategy
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Why strategy is a survival skill this year
Winging it is a death wish. If you don’t know what you want, the next 10 months are going to swallow you whole. Never fear: strategy will save you.
Strategy
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How to be more strategic
Strategists make their decisions with intention. Goal-oriented choices, made consistently, even under pressure, will deliver you almost anything you want.
Change
61 posts
Change
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For when it feels like you can't change anything
Everything is connected. Once you see it, you can shift it.
Decisions
8 posts
When decisions SUC(k)
When the stakes are high and messy, building a good process is the only way through.
Make the minimum viable decision
All good decision processes include action.
Push out your payoff
Learn to shift your focus to longer-term outcomes for greater impact.
Leadership
160 posts
How to lead in the Subjective Era
The Subjective Era will reward leaders and organisations who optimise for two things: trust and human agency.
Are you busy - or burdened?
If you're collapsing under the weight of things, this one is for you.
Power
5 posts
Sneak peek! Power literacy WIP
An inside look at creative incubation - and an emerging framework for power literacy.
WTF do you want? Desire is suspicious; productivity a scam.
First Friday Flurry of 2026 goes hard.
Systems
19 posts
Ask a Strategist 28 April 2026
Systems analysis for leadership challenges around work, speed, and delivery.
Identity
95 posts
How to conquer apathy
The unequivocal solution I would die in a ditch for.
Being a thought leader rotted my brain
A Friday Flurry on escaping performative expertise and avoiding the internet
Society
58 posts
How to lead in the Subjective Era
The Subjective Era will reward leaders and organisations who optimise for two things: trust and human agency.
Technology
19 posts
Politics
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Why people still protest Jacinda Ardern
What happens when our lives are shaped by systems we can't vote out
Work
73 posts
What chronic uncertainty is doing to our lives and careers
A Friday Flurry on the state of work and what it might do to us
Being a thought leader rotted my brain
A Friday Flurry on escaping performative expertise and avoiding the internet
Public leadership
23 posts
Identity
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The tension is the engine
Why unresolved conflict may be the thing that keeps a life alive.
Stop trying to agree with everyone
What Councils have taught me about making decisions under pressure.
NSW local government professionals become Strategic Public Leaders in Sydney
Local government managers from across NSW came together for two days of strategic leadership training with Alicia McKay - in partnership with LGPro NSW.