A Handbook for New Company Directors

Ever wanted to be a company director? Want to find out exactly what company directors do? This is a handbook for new board directors. It gives a thorough grounding in what a new board director (private, government and not-for-profit) needs to know to become and operate as a functioning, professional company board director. It is also a useful handbook and instruction manual for the experienced director to refer to for those complex and difficult decisions.

A Journey into Sales

-Know and believe in what you are doing or selling.

-You serve the needs of others.

-Sales is serving the unserved.

-Sales is selling whatever is lacking.

-In selling, different is good.

-It requires a lot of faith, self-confidence, willingness and preparation in accordance with the competitive products you are about to present.

-See things objectively.

-Be open-minded and always have the facts.

-Your products or services should make a difference over the competitor’s.

-Be disciplined and detailed, put the customer first, meet the customer on their turf.

-Be inspiring and exceptional in your product knowledge.

-Travel as necessary to perform the sales target.

-Sales is truly a matter of numbers.

Applied Economics: Public Financial Management and Development

Applied Economics: Public Financial Management and Development is focused on economics applied to public financial management and development. It charts over 50 years of the author’s practical experience of economics and public policy in 60 countries on five continents, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
The book’s main focal point is on central and local government budgeting, tracing the progress of revenue aspects and expenditure allocation over time from inputs alone to matching these inputs to achieving and measuring service delivery in programmes. It also presents the assessment instruments that measure public financial management strength and weakness, with real-life illustrations of their application.
All of these instruments use examples from the countries that the author has worked in, demonstrating the conditions faced – mostly stable economic environments, but at times during periods of conflict and insecurity, as well as neighbouring geopolitical tension.These experiences have been gained from the author’s resident assignments and short-term visits (mainly multiple over many years) as a consultant for the IMF, World Bank, and bilateral development programmes as well as academic research.

Be Your Own Boss

Building Resilient Futures

Whether a community struggling to keep its members buoyant, a business trying to stay solvent, or a nation fighting to protect its citizens, adversity and crisis impact us all. The resilient are able to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and not only bounce back but also bounce forward.

This book looks at what resilience means at times of crises as well as the in-between periods. It examines the various types of resilience, such as emotional, organisational and societal, and offers valuable insights on how to manage the consequences of upheaval and trauma.

The author brings together contributors to deliver a real mix of theory, case-study evidence and anecdote in a way that is both approachable and thought provoking. It is a timely and necessary addition to a crucial topic. Very simply, professionals, practitioners, students, government ministers, and business leaders should read this now. It might be a safer, better world if people read the book and acted on it.  

Burnout and the Mobilisation of Energy

Burnout and the Mobilisation of Energy is a radical new book. Its main objective is to help working individuals or organisations to get out of burnout and keep out of it. Further, it helps them to activate or mobilise energy.

If you are burnt out or on the slippery slope to burnout, this book will transform you. If your organisation is blocked in terms of energy, this book can transform your organisation.

It is based on research, theory and practice. It clearly describes what burnout is and what it is not. It is not depression, stress, depersonalisation or anxiety. It is, however, based on a key symptom: an extreme form of energy depletion.

Two concepts explain the core findings: a Gestalt concept called an ‘introject’, and another that Carl Jung called ‘enantiodromia’. These elaborate terms help us identify what burnout is, what causes it and how to get out of it.

The book also focuses on mobilisation of energy in the organisation. Using a psychological framework, it illustrates what happens when organisations get psychologically mixed up. This leads to a feeling of spinning wheels and crossed wires.

Collaboration versus Competition

Are you a manager who struggles to motivate your team? 

Are you looking for ways to enhance your staff engagement and interest? 

We know that working collaboratively improves our engagement and increases our enjoyment of our work. We also know that staff who are happy in their work are much more loyal, hardworking and productive.

This book offers techniques to get the best from your team and offers ways to get them working collaboratively. There are also anecdotes to illustrate how failure to collaborate can leave your staff members feeling dejected and uninspired.

Communicating Internally for Maximum Impact: A Middle Eastern Perspective

In Middle East region, ineffective communication in the workplace is one of the reasons why many companies lose their clients, in addition to excellent employees. A lot of the employees resign due to the miscommunication inside the organisations in the gulf region. Good communication skills help to reduce the barriers erected because of language and cultural differences. Internal communication should be understood and practised by all levels, including managers, supervisors and beginners.

This book offers practical and adaptive tools and techniques for upward communication—as well as across and downward communication—to inform and influence others no matter where they fit in the organisational chart. The book will recognise the impact of stress on communications and in return it will tell how to adjust for it, develop and demonstrate better listening skills, allow yourself to understand the importance of perceptions, and explore the communication style differences and learn to flex your own style.

Compliance Rules for Barristers

Compliance Rules for Barristers provides a clear and detailed account of the core duties of a barrister, mandatory rules, and additional rules for certain Direct Public Access Work. It sets out the steps that a sole practitioner must adopt to comply with the new transparency rules of the Bar Standard Board. This book is primarily meant for sole practising barristers in England and Wales, but the information could be of help to other lawyers, as well as to Law students.

The book deals with:

i. Prohibition on handling clients’ money, regulatory returns and the information needed to be included in a regulatory return.
ii. Consequences of failing to comply with compliance rules.
iii. Guidance on dealing with necessary steps to comply with the current health crisis (the global pandemic), the new risks due to the pandemic as well as the new opportunities.
iv. Money laundering regulations, governance arrangements and risk management.

The book includes discussion of the relevant sections of the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Information Commissioner’s Guidance which may be of interest to lawyers as well as to other professionals such as pharmacists, dentists, and doctors.

It sets out guidance and deals with the necessary modifications to a barrister’s practice considering the novel problems, and the new working order to serve the clients and to assist the courts. The book includes draft models of documents which could be adopted to be used in the legal practice. There are also references to the relevant decided cases and penalties pursuant to the Data Protection Act 2018.

First, Lead Yourself

Are you frustrated with how some people ascend the organizational ladder at lightning speed and you can’t seem to get on that first rung? Have you ever wondered what are the core skills you need to successfully become an authentic leader?

First, Lead Yourself not only tackles the biggest problem in leadership development that holds millions of people back from achieving their full potential, it weaves together the essential ingredients required for your own success as a leader. This book is full of practical tools, exercises and insightful stories that will accelerate you along the path towards achieving your leadership goals.

Backed by research into personal change, high performance, resilience, and advanced communication skills, First, Lead Yourself is the perfect guide for anyone looking to step up and lead.

This book is amazing. I had so many ‘aha’ moments. Although not really a self-help book, I’ve learnt so much about myself from Cillín, I’m now more comfortable being me and more aware of my personal rules, I didn’t realise I had so many! The wisdom Cillín shares has enabled me to become more resilient, a better leader, and most importantly, a better parent.
Luke Johnstone. Director, Double-O Consulting


Working with Cillín as my coach over the last few years, he has taught me many tips, tricks, technique, and strategies to inspect and learn about myself so that I can grow in my own leadership journey. This book is an amazing toolkit collection of those teachings and I, for one, am extremely grateful to have it all put together in one place. I can see that my own copy of this book is going to be well-thumbed through and dog-eared before too long. Cillín’s storytelling and real life examples make this book memorable and, most of all, enjoyable to read.
June McClintcok. Manager Products, FMG

Our team has been fortunate to experience transformational work with Cillín. Now, with First, Lead Yourself, his self-led development approach, mixing stories and exercises, is available to everyone.
Stevo O’Rourke. Director, Ocular

Going Nowhere? Lead Yourself!

Are you taking personal responsibility of your own life?

If not, then you are not taking charge of your life.

You are not taking care of yourself.

Are you giving your life a proper direction and guidance?

If not, then you are not making the most of all opportunities.

You are not inspiring yourself from numerous vital sources.

Are you properly managing the changes in your life?

If not, then you are not mastering the art of leading a balanced life.

You are not celebrating life and delighting yourself.

This book, Lead Yourself, comes at the right time for you. It explains how to apply the three pillars of self-leadership:
Self-responsibility
Self-direction
Self-change

Being a ‘valued leader’ can be both daunting and simple.

Lead Yourself exposes why every person needs to lead himself or herself well and thereby extend to other leadership roles in business or society.

Heartful Business

Heartful Business: Leading with the World in Mind is a provocation to everyone who’s a leader – to step up and join the battle to create a better world for all.And a battle it is. Governments and their leaders throw resources at problems for which they don’t have solutions, problems that keep growing and shapeshifting.The pressing need for a new leadership operating system for the world to survive, let alone thrive, is clear. We must solve the monumental problems facing our planet and humanity, for future generations to thrive. To do so will need a shift in how leaders lead as massive as the one we’re facing in our climate. The future isn’t just down to politicians. The challenge is too big. Business can lead the way - by fundamentally committing to help create a better world for all. A handful of leaders get this but not enough. The thing is business leaders are ill-equipped to do what’s needed. What’s needed is Conscious Leadership and practical actions that set a ‘greater good’ at the heart of the organisation’s purpose, vision, culture and day-in, day-out operations. It’s about a new form of leadership based on five essential principles of human life expressed through five core qualities. From heartfulness, to greater reflection, to intentionality, to presence, to leading with more feminine qualities (irrespective of gender), Heartful Business: Leading with the World in Mind, sets out the standard and practices for the new era of leadership that’s fit for our times – describing why a new form of leadership is needed, what form it needs to take and, crucially, how to develop the capability to lead in this way.At whatever level you lead, Heartful Business will help you become the legacy-building leader you want to be and, more important, the world needs.