Blog

As the world teeters on economic chaos, business leaders need to plan ahead to weather the storm. Leon Gettler reports. The new hyper unpredictability of uncertain times and a shaky global economy has been reflected in the Australian stock market. It defied the predictions of market commentators, who at the beginning of 2011 predicted the Australian stock market would put in a strong performance.

In today's fast-paced world, everyone seems time-poor. But there are ways to make the most of our hours to achieve our goals, writes Hannah Flannery. Force yourself to spend the next five minutes on a task you have been putting off. "It's incredibly energising," says Glenda May, executive coach, organisational psychologist and author. The five-minute secret is just one of May's 52 tips for making the best use of precious time.

Duncan Lewis has been on many important missions, but the new head of the Department of Defence may be facing his toughest to date.

People hate failing, but Siimon Reynolds says there is much to be learnt when things don't work out, as Gerard McManus discovers. In the vast industry that comprises self and organisational improvement, there are literally tens of thousands of book titles on the art and science of success, but very few on the subject of failure. Perhaps it is human nature to want to emulate the success stories, to follow the exploits of achievers and the brilliant, rather than pick over the carcasses of that most unwanted cohort in modern society - losers. Indeed, failures are the

From a one-man band almost 22 years ago, Bell Shakespeare has grown into a national icon, writes Amy Birchall. John Bell, artistic director and founder of Australia's only national touring theatre company, Bell Shakespeare, says: "It takes a certain stubbornness to not give up. "In the first six or seven years of this company it was a real struggle. Every one or two weeks the board would say 'Can we afford to go on, can we find the money, can we pay the wages', and I would say 'Oh yes, we must go on.

Can you really be the person people can't live without? Gerard McManus inspects some of the best thinking on indispensability. First, let's clear up a few fallacies.

The boss of Qantas copped flak when he took on the unions, but his mission was clear: win the bigger battle. By Tom Skotnicki. Last October Alan Joyce alienated himself from large sections of his staff, customers and the community by deciding to ground the network. It was a radical decision that damaged one of Australia's most valued brands. But will he be proved right and emerge as the airline's saviour? The lockout turned the Qantas chief executive into a virtual pariah.

Research suggests we make wiser judgements before lunch, before we tire. Too late? Just sleep on it. By Amy Birchall.

Managers and executives spend their day making critical decisions - what markets should we enter? What should our strategy be? What product lines or services should we be focusing on? How do we make our organisation different from our competitors?

Thanks to the likes of Facebook and LinkedIn, the recruitment industry is rebooting. Leon Gettler ponders the future of the résumé as we know it.

Nick Greiner is charged with fixing NSW's infrastructure mess. He describes his plans to Tom Skotnicki.