Due Diligence
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Decreased uncertainty, improved decisions
Global Advisors is a leader in defining quantified strategies, decreasing uncertainty, improving decisions and achieving measureable results.
We specialise in providing highly-analytical data-driven recommendations in the face of significant uncertainty.
We utilise advanced predictive analytics to build robust strategies and enable our clients to make calculated decisions.
We support implementation of adaptive capability and capacity.
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Thoughts
Global Advisors’ Thoughts: Empathy and understanding – why they are the qualities that help us achieve our own happiness and success
By Marc Wilson
Our team had just finished a book review presentation on Dale Carnegie’s “Making Friends and Influencing People”. Jane (*name changed) looked troubled: “Isn’t this stuff about manipulating people?”
Therein lies a paradox in showing empathy: without empathy for others, you face less influence, friendship, love and success. But if those are your goal rather than the sincere care for others, then your empathy is not really empathy at all.
Many people might react to empathy as “soft.” But empathy is a mark of incredible strength. It dares us to care. It requires us to put ourselves to one side. It requires us to be vulnerable – otherwise all we are doing is showing sympathy. Empathy requires self-awareness and skill.
Sympathy is easy. Sympathy does not go as far as empathy – it keeps us distant from the situation someone else is experiencing. It places us in danger of being condescending. Empathy requires us to put our self into their situation as them – not us.
Empathy gets the best out of those around us – and opens us up to be a better version of ourselves.
I find it incredibly difficult to manage a balance. A balance of being sufficiently confident and willing to share my own experience in an unbiased and helpful way – while removing enough of myself to allow someone else to find their own path and live their own experience. To be an empathetic leader, I believe I need to care about my team being at their best at work and in life.
Skills such as active listening are important to remove ourselves from the coaching we give others. But I think empathy requires us to be authentically present and involved in a way that facilitating someone else’s own solution does not.
Empathetic leadership challenges me to use my own experience and position in a way that is open to the challenges and experiences of others. And most critically demonstrates that I act out of care and acknowledgement of them.
Empathy requires that we know our self well enough that we are able to remove our projections of our own biases and feelings from the situation, appreciate the other person’s view of the world and how that impacts the situation for them.
Think about how you respond to others. How often do you respond to their experience, feelings and fears based on your own fears? Do your responses contain the word “I?” Do you fear genuinely experiencing the world as them? Do you seek to affirm your own view and experience through your response? Are you scared as being seen as similar to the other person in their own “deficiencies” and “imperfections”? How many of these imperfections are merely your own biases and fears?
Read more by clicking here: http://www.globaladvisors.biz/thoughts/20170627/empathy-and-understanding-why-they-are-the-qualities-that-help-us-achieve-our-own-happiness-and-success
Strategy Tools
PODCAST: Strategy Tools: Growth, Profit or Returns?
Our Spotify podcast explores the relationship between Return on Net Assets (RONA) and growth, arguing that both are essential for shareholder value creation. The hosts contend that focusing solely on one metric can be detrimental, and propose a framework for evaluating business portfolios based on their RONA and growth profiles. This approach involves plotting business units on a “market-cap curve” to identify value-accretive and value-destructive segments.
The podcast also addresses the impact of economic downturns on portfolio management, suggesting strategies for both offensive and defensive approaches. The core argument is that companies should aim to achieve a balance between RONA and growth, acknowledging that both are essential for long-term shareholder value creation.
Read more from the original article – https://globaladvisors.biz/2020/08/04/strategy-tools-growth-profit-or-returns/
Fast Facts
Modern portfolio theory (MPT) can be applied to business portfolio decision-making
- Shareholders seek to maximise company profits while minimising risk
- However, lower risk businesses are usually accompanied with lower returns and high risk businesses with higher returns
- Comparisons between various risk and return profiles can be measured using the Sharpe ratio – return per unit of risk
- Combinations (degree of balance sheet investment) in individual portfolios could realise higher returns per unit of risk than what is achievable in an individual business unit – some combinations are not always obvious
- By exiting a higher risk-return portfolio BU J, ABC would be able to increase its return per unit of risk from 4,3 to 4,5
- It is often psychologically difficult for businesses to exit high return portfolios
- Emotional decision-making can be muted by applying the logic of modern portfolio theory in the board room
Selected News
Quote: Rich Roll, ultra-endurance athlete, bestselling author
“Pursue what’s in your heart, and the universe will conspire to support you.” – Rich Roll,
Ultra-endurance athlete, bestselling author
Rich Roll is a transformative figure known for his journey from a corporate lawyer and former alcoholic to an ultra-endurance athlete and wellness advocate. His memoir Finding Ultra (2012) chronicles his dramatic shift: overcoming addiction, embracing plant-based nutrition, and competing in grueling events like the Ultraman triathlon (a 320km race combining swimming, cycling, and running). The quote reflects his philosophy of aligning actions with inner purpose, a theme central to his life story.
Context from Finding Ultra:
The quote appears in Roll’s reflections on pursuing ultra-endurance sports as a path to self-discovery. He argues that when one commits wholeheartedly to their passions—despite fear or uncertainty—the universe responds by aligning opportunities and support. This idea is rooted in his own experience: after years of self-destructive habits, he found clarity through rigorous training and mindfulness, which led to unexpected mentors, community, and success.
Motivation Behind the Quote:
Roll’s life was marked by a “dark period” of addiction and existential despair before he turned to fitness and spirituality. The quote encapsulates his belief that authentic pursuit of one’s purpose—not just goals but heartfelt missions—creates momentum. He emphasizes action over passive hope: discipline in training, honesty with oneself, and resilience through challenges are the “conspiracy” that opens doors.
Similar Themes in Other Works:
- Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich: Stresses focused intent and persistence as catalysts for success.
- Law of Attraction: Popularized by The Secret, though Roll’s version emphasizes effort over passive “manifesting.”
- David Goggins’ “Mastery”: Highlights suffering and relentless action to unlock potential, akin to Roll’s endurance ethos.
Why It Resonates:
Roll’s message is universal but grounded in grit: the universe doesn’t “magically” solve problems, but alignment with one’s values attracts resources, courage, and community. His story—transforming pain into purpose—shows that dedication to authenticity can rewrite trajectories, even after setbacks.
Final Note:
The quote isn’t about luck; it’s a call to earn support through relentless pursuit of what matters. As Roll writes: “Faith in the journey itself is the foundation.” His legacy lies in proving that reinvention is possible when heart and action align.
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