My Writing Philosophy

I don’t write the posts in this Blook to persuade or instruct. I write them to explore ideas, raise questions, and contribute to an ongoing conversation.

I intend this blook to be read more like a conversation than a conventional book.

The ideas have developed over many years through conversations, workshops, writing, reading, and reflection. They continue to evolve. Rather than presenting a finished body of work, this blook captures my ongoing exploration of Conversational Leadership.

I try to write in a way that reflects the same principles that underpin Conversational Leadership.

As my thinking develops, so does the writing. I regularly revisit older posts, refining and updating them as the ideas evolve.

The Blook and the Blog

This website contains both a blook and a blog.

I use the blook to develop ideas that I hope will remain useful over time. I revise and update posts as my thinking develops, so they are best read as living essays rather than historical records.

The blog, by contrast, is more personal. It contains reflections on recent events, conferences, books, conversations, and ideas that have caught my attention. There, writing in the first person is both natural and appropriate.

Why I Rarely Use “I”

Although these ideas have grown out of my own experience, I deliberately keep the focus away from myself.

My purpose is not to tell my story or persuade readers to adopt my views. It is to explore ideas that others can question, challenge, build on, or adapt to their own circumstances.

For that reason, I generally avoid using the first person singular throughout the blook.

Why I Use “We”

The word we, however, appears throughout the blook.

That is a deliberate choice.

Some readers dislike the word because it can assume a togetherness that has not been chosen. Used carelessly, it can suggest that everyone shares the same beliefs, experiences, or conclusions.

That is not how I intend it.

When I write we, I am including myself in the conversation. I am not standing outside it and telling others what they should do.

There is an important difference between saying:

You need to rethink change.

and

We need to rethink change.

The first can sound like an instruction. The second acknowledges that I am still learning too.

In this blook, we is not a claim that agreement already exists. It is an invitation to think together.

Plain Language

I try to write in clear, straightforward English.

Wherever possible, I avoid unnecessary jargon, fashionable management language, and words that sound impressive but say very little. Complex ideas do not require complicated language.

If I cannot explain a concept simply, it probably needs more thought.

Invitation Rather Than Instruction

I do not see this blook as a manual telling people what they should do.

Where possible, I explore ideas rather than prescribe answers, ask questions rather than claim certainty, and invite reflection rather than demand agreement.

If the writing occasionally challenges an assumption, the intention is to open a conversation rather than close one.

Avoiding Hype and Preachiness

I deliberately avoid hype, exaggerated claims, and promises of easy answers.

I do not present Conversational Leadership as a formula, a method that will work everywhere, or a solution to every organizational or social problem. I see it as an evolving way of thinking about leadership, conversation, responsibility, and working together.

My aim is to make the ideas useful without overstating them.

Short, Standalone Essays

Most posts are designed to stand on their own and can usually be read in five to ten minutes.

Although there is a natural flow between topics, there is no need to read the blook from beginning to end. Follow your curiosity. Read what interests you. Return later if another idea catches your attention.

Short Sentences and Readable Paragraphs

I generally keep sentences short and straightforward. Paragraphs are also kept reasonably brief to make the pages easier to browse and read online.

My intention is not to oversimplify the ideas, but to present them in a form that does not make the reader work harder than necessary.

Ideas, Not Final Answers

Many of the posts explore questions for which there may be no single or final answer.

I do not expect to settle every issue. My hope is to offer ideas, distinctions, questions, and perspectives that may help readers think more deeply and converse more thoughtfully.

Readers are free to disagree. Disagreement can be be part of the inquiry.

An Evolving Conversation

Like conversation itself, this blook is never really finished.

As my understanding develops, I refine ideas, update examples, and sometimes change my mind.

If something here prompts a question, challenges an assumption, or encourages a worthwhile conversation, then it has served its purpose.

CC BY 4.0