Laurence Knott (2026)

27/09/2024

This week, I joined the board of the Chorlton Community Land Trust. I’m looking forward to contributing to this grassroots organisation's cause. Over the Summer, I became crystal clear on my mission in life and how I am and want to be of service to the world. Being involved in Chorlton CLT's work is part of my personal mission:

To make the world a better place through:

· Creating transformation and life-changing impact through coaching
· Causing leadership in future leaders and business owners
· Catalysing the entrepreneurial journey of founders and innovators
· Facilitating meaningful connections and joy through bringing people together
· Contributing to the creation of cohesive and vibrant communities
· Connecting people to spirit and soul

Being part of Chorlton CLT aligns with the fifth element of my mission, playing my part in making my neighbourhood a better place to live, work and enjoy,

In reflecting on my professional journey, a pivotal moment came to mind. When exploring alternatives to studying architecture at University, I came across a section of a prospectus that explained town planning. The example showed a dilapidated set of buildings that had been brought back into use. In an instant, I knew this was for me, and I became a town planner working in inner city regeneration in my first career.

The images below show one of the key projects that Chorlton CLT is involved in. This community asset, in the heart of Chorlton district centre, has not been in use for several years. Its last use was funeral care, and before that, it was a cinema. The building is most famous for hosting the first public performance of local heroes, The Bee Gees, in 1957.

The vision is to bring the building back into use as a viable mix of commercial and community offerings facilitated by the construction of a residential development within the site's footprint.

There are many moving parts and stakeholder interests involved in the project, and I am excited to have been given the opportunity to play my part. A fundamental part of placemaking is the role communities play in shaping and influencing the change that is created, not just leaving what happens to market forces. Imagine, in a few years from now, wouldn’t it be fantastic to see this project come to fruition-let’s make it happen!

If you live locally and want to get involved or are interested in Chorlton CLT's work, please contact me.

02/09/2024

THAT BACK TO SCHOOL FEELING.

Waking up to the Manchester mizzle of old today, I’ve got that real back-to-school feeling, which I am readily embracing.

Forty years ago, it would have been a fresh pencil case, new protractor and gleaming exercise books packed into my Midland Bank Griffin duffle bag…

It was gently admonished yesterday by a friend for suggesting Autumn is here, with supposed three months of ‘Summer’ remaining. Well, for me a foraged apple and blackberry crumble IS early Autumn (yesterday’s dessert)

I think I get a bigger burst of energy at the start of the academic year than at New Year.

A fresh learning cycle is engrained in me from my years of schooling. Those small but noticeable changes in the seasons every day reminding me of the cycle of change, from harvesting, dying away, hibernation and the rebirth of Spring.

And like many, that sense of work to be done before the end of the year to:

· Make progress on goals and commitments made earlier in the year
· Clarifying what is truly most important and that which will move the needle in the different facts of my life
· Review what is working and what needs to be let go of
· Creating space for new opportunities
· Doubling down on what I know helps me perform at my best whilst feeling healthy, whole and complete.

Indeed, I’m already enjoying an up-levelling in commitment by being part of a small peer group as part of a Landmark Forum webinar series on Integrity.

I’ve just set a bunch of process-orientated commitments and shared them in our WhatsApp group – there is something so powerful in sharing what we are committed too. As the saying goes, we have a perfect system for the results we get in life and for me the next 3-4 months are all about using systems to make meaningful progress whilst creating a high level of accountability.

And what might happen if I don’t honour my commitments to myself and those around me? I clean up the mess, make good, recommit and go again. It’s not that we fall off the horse (because we always do); it’s how quickly we dust ourselves down and go again, restoring integrity as soon as we fall out of it.

And my final question:

What would make for a remarkable end of 2024?

For me, the secret sauce is in winning the inner game, which makes progress in the outer game become not only more likely but inevitable.

Pic: our homemade Apple & Blackberry Crumble – ice cream last night, perhaps custard with the remains tonight...

12/08/2024

CUSTOMER ASTONISHMENT

I remember my very first visit to a Hawksmoor restaurant in 2010, where I was struck not only by the quality of the food but the whole customer experience. I’ve been a loyal customer ever since.

This weekend, whilst visiting the Manchester restaurant, I again had an experience that reminded me of what makes The Hawksmoor special:

They always go above and beyond in pursuit of excellence.

We are having lunch and unfortunately they brought the wrong main dish for my Mother. They offered to cook everything fresh. This we declined and I started and eight minutes later a beautiful piece of trout appeared with fresh chips (the best I’ve ever tasted).

At the end the manager came over and greeted me like a long lost friend. He acknowledged me as a longstanding customer and said that we should have eaten together. He duly presented a bill for:

£0

We were not angling for this at all. Whilst the situation wasn’t ideal, we had taken it with good grace. This was not the first time the team has gone above and beyond: a few years ago I had nipped into the restaurant whilst filling some time whilst nervously waiting for someone close to me who had to go to hospital in an emergency. Having got chatting with the manager, I explained why I was there alone. At the end he brought a £50 voucher so that I could bring this person back when they were out of hospital.

Hawksmoor has an outstanding reputation as a certified B Corp, excellent staff conditions and an unrivalled commitment to quality. I’m also aware that their staff training is among the best in the business.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

This experience got me thinking about my own approach to customer astonishment. Whilst what I offer is very different, for me, at the heart of any thriving business is the commitment to excellence. I am always looking for ways to serve my clients. It’s not just about a 60-minute conversation. In helping my clients make progress in their businesses or careers, this can look like:

· Audio summaries of conversations and further observations
· Check-ins after important meetings or presentations or where our conversation touched on something important that evoked emotion
· Curated reading, videos and audios to support their journey
· Connecting them to people and opportunities
· Bringing them together at my Inspire Dining Club to connect and share over good food

All businesses are about relationships, it’s as simple as that.

Continuous improvement, having an eye for what clients most value and going above and beyond are some of my core company values. And excellence is a bar that can always be raised. And like Hawksmoor, I have an awareness of where I could improve.

Which companies do you value and admire for their approach to client astonishment and commitment to excellence?
Where could you go (further) above and beyond in your business or leadership?

Pic: the private dining room

16/07/2024

COACHING FOR DIFFERENT AREAS OF LIFE: JUST PLAY!

I have my own coaches, one of whom I recruited to support me with the musical dimension of my life. I recently renewed with Elin Henriksen for the rest of the year because I’ve seen huge benefits and so much more potential.

One of my passions is playing guitar and singing in my Manchester covers band, 10 Gallon Trilby.

While I also have excellent guitar and singing lessons, I was not feeling as confident in myself as I could and was not developing technically as much as I wanted.

All great coaching works at the level of identity, and that’s where I’ve seen the biggest shifts.

Our work together quickly exposed that I didn’t really see myself as a proper musician. Yes, this might only be a hobby, but it’s an important part of my life and one of the ways I express myself. As I joked with my coach, we got paid 200 quid for our last gig, which makes me a pro!

It’s easy to compare oneself to musicians who make a living from music and who either studied music at college or developed their art through their own steam. But that’s not remotely helpful. The only reason to look outside is for inspiration.

It might seem simple, but the shift that has made a massive difference is being able to say, with integrity and actually believing it:

I AM a musician.

Our work together has also connected me to my why:

⁃ Playing for the sheer joy of it
⁃ Collaborating with Tim Spottiswood, my partner in crime and the technical wizard
⁃ Love of learning and steady improvement.
⁃ Creating joyous and memorable experiences for people at our gigs

Again, it might seem obvious, but I realised that I love practising; it’s not something I find to be a chore. And, of course, smart practice: whether it’s scales, a particular technique or taking on a difficult guitar solo one note at a time.

Indeed, when taking on something technically challenging now, I have a completely different mindset: previously, I would sometimes say, ‘I can’t do that’ or ‘that’s too hard for me’. Now, I simply embrace the challenge and put in the time whilst breaking it down into small chunks. Yes, some pieces may take months to learn, but what’s the rush?

I now have a lighter and more joyful relationship with my music. I’m also finding I listen more deeply to the songs I’m learning and really get into the poetry of the words. Indeed, I’m learning some Happy Mondays songs at the moment, and I agree with the late Tony Wilson, who compared Sean Ryder to W.B. Yeats!

Many of my clients have hobbies and interests, such as music, and I am always delighted when our work covers the other dimensions of their lives beyond their professional persona.

As an excellent coach and thought leader, Nick Bottini says in his book of the same title: Just Play.

And the same goes for anything we want to be better at. Just Play. Practice. And stay connected to Joy, the ultimate lever for progress.

Pic: me and my newly acquired 2006 Stratocaster Deluxe - a thing of beauty!

14/07/2024

PLEASANTLY SURPRISED…

I am probably not alone in being pleasantly surprised by England’s progress to the Final against Spain tonight, considering how we were playing a few weeks ago.

Steady improvement, grit and tactical strokes of genius with substitutions have made all the difference. And a few ounces of good fortune...And just as I see in high-performing cultures at work, there is a real togetherness in the squad; every player is fully bought into the vision and ready to do what it takes to serve the mission. They have great trust in the leadership of the, at times, under-estimated Gareth Southgate. Indeed, it looks like the negative commentary over the last few weeks has galvanised the team and strengthened their resolve.

As a lifelong fan, the final has brought back memories of seeing England play Spain in the European Championship in June 1980. The picture below is of me at the Stadia San Paolo match in Naples, where England won 2-1. I don’t remember much about the match, but I remember my first taste of proper Neapolitan pizza when we arrived in the city tired and hungry. I was so lucky to go to the championships at such a young age; little did I realise that I’d still be waiting for England to win a major trophy in my lifetime!

I’d take 2-1 tonight. I love Spanish culture and have loved the way they have played this tournament. So, I’m whipping up a selection of tapas dishes for friends, honouring our great opponents as I play host and hopefully celebrating a night to remember!

13/06/2024

My day started at a business event. An hour in I’d met a bunch of people and got the information I wanted. Then I thought, ‘I must tend the garden’.

A few more hours on our new plot and it’s taking shape nicely, we may even be planting in a few weeks. And The clearing of w**ds has revealed a nice blueberry bush.

And what I love about working away in our wee bit of nature is that I can be immersed
in the moment, with no thoughts beyond now and the next sheer, shovel and rake.

Or as I did today, let my thoughts turn to start shaping my new men’s group coaching programme starting on 23rd September

A double win!

04/06/2024

CLEARING OUT THE WEEDS

After a long and patient wait, we finally secured a plot at our local allotment. One of the conditions is that we clear the ground and have it planted out within a few months. Indeed we were told that overgrown allotments are not popular with neighbours, as w**ds spread into adjacent plots.

The task seems more daunting than it is: a few sessions should see most of it cleared, and with some quick planting, we will have some lovely homegrown produce by early Autumn.

This got me thinking about the psychological w**ds that can invade our minds and, if left unattended, not only grow but take over. And to take the analogy further, the longer you leave it, the w**ds grow and take hold with even deeper roots. Indeed we cannot just get a strimmer to these w**ds; we have to dig out the roots. Otherwise, they’ll grow back even stronger. And even one tiny piece of mare’s tail (a most insidious w**d), if left, will soon take hold and come back.

For me cultivating a healthy mind is everything. Without a healthy internal environment, everything in life becomes more difficult, and we miss out on the opportunity to truly live.

By clearing out the w**ds, we also have a chance to see the quality of the soil we are working with. Yes, it will likely need some fertiliser and nourishment, but in essence, we will have created a blank slate.

So, what to grow?

In simple terms, if you plant a carrot seed, you can only grow a carrot. It cannot grow into something else.

And so, with the mind, you reap what you sow.

Planting healthy seeds in our mind creates the possibility of growing something healthy. And, of course, if we plant the seeds of negativity, fear or limitation, these too will grow and, at worst, crowd out what is healthy and whole. And therein lies an opportunity: the w**ds in our minds are also there to draw our attention to something that needs to be changed or something to be subtracted that is not serving us.

Do you want more joy in your life? Plant the seed of joy. Do you want less fear and insecurity? W**d out the roots of your fear and insecurity. This isn’t about positive thinking for the sake of it. This is about how you create yourself at the level of your Being. Because from all our Being comes our doing. Our Being and the seeds we plant not only create our inner worlds but shape our outer reality. But as with cultivating a garden, every day, our mind needs tending with love and care.

Yes, it can take work to clear out the w**ds, but the benefits are huge and create the possibility of growing what you really want in your life.

What w**ds could you benefit from clearing out?
What could you grow from a clear and fertile soil?

15/05/2024

THE POWER OF INSIGHT

Recently, I went for one of my regular walks in nature, where I went out with the intention of finding inspiration for my writing.

At any one time, I usually have half a dozen ideas floating around, some of which gestate in my mind, whilst others turn into half-written articles for revisiting another time.

As I immersed in the sunshine and birdsong, it struck me:

‘It’s ten years to the month since I happened upon an understanding of the mind that changed everything for me. Why not write about what I’ve learned?’

Where did that insight come from? It came from beyond my thinking, before my thinking even. Grasping for insight is like trying to grab smoke into your hands. A deeper intelligence is at play when something occurs to us.

In the Summer of 2014, I found what I felt I already knew, but my intellect could not grasp. What followed were several epiphanies that live with me to this day, and my whole way of seeing myself and the world transformed. The result was a freer and kinder relationship to myself and life. I found peace of mind.

In short, my insights into the three guiding and foundation principles we use to experience life came alive. As Michael Neill describes in The Inside Out Revolution:

“Our experience of life is created from the inside out via the principles of Mind, Consciousness and Thought. We’re living in the feeling of our thinking, not the feeling of the world.”

There is no fourth principle. As elegantly articulated by the Scottish mystic Sydney Banks, this trinity of universal powers are the building blocks of human experience.

The fun part? While we can see The Principles as a concept, the gold lies in our insights into the living truth of what they imply. And the challenge? Well, attempting to describe the principles with words is like pointing to fire with ice: the closer you get, the more elusive they seem, which the intellect detests. But there is a deeper part of us that knows.

In a conversation with my coach, Dave Kibby, yesterday, I shared my intention to write throughout June, sharing all my favourite ideas, metaphors and stories. As ever, he cut to the chase and asked:

Why not start today?

And, of course, he was right.

A fresh insight comes fully loaded with everything we need. A single insight is like the acorn of an oak; it just needs to be allowed to grow.

But when something fresh appears, our intellect often comes charging into the party, attempting to take control. This can lead to second-guessing, overthinking, and a preoccupation with the ‘how to’, which blocks up our natural flow.

The solution?

Just start, take action, and allow what wants to be birthed to take on a life of its own. What have we got to lose?

What I do know for sure is that by sharing what I have learned, in six weeks’ time, fresh insights will have occurred, I will be a different person, and my understanding will have deepened. I’ll see you on the other side.

22/03/2024

One of my favourite kind of days, running module 2 of the Future of Greater Manchester Future Leaders programme.

And some new props to use in our exploration of how we can overcome self sabotage.

Here’s to a fantastic insight fueled group conversation.

And a chilled relax in the spa after…

20/03/2024

I love the work of Rupert Fawcett and the ultimate motivational guru: Clarence the dog.

Seeing this every day reminds me we can create ourselves as we wish to be, being intentional and being commitment itself.

So today I AM going to BE magnificent.

Creating myself this way can only create a better version of me.

In how I train, in how I cook, in how I coach, in how I create, in how I listen and how connect with people.

What does being magnificent look like for you today?

Ps. I hear Rupert is poorly at the moment, so I’m sending magnificence to him and his recovery.

Thank you Claire Al for placing this pride of place by the front door x

28/10/2023

SACRED OBJECTS

As I start packing up and sorting through my stuff for a house move soon, I’ve been taking a Marie Kondo approach to being with my individual possessions and reflecting on their providence and meaning to me.

This is one such object, my cherished Gibson Advanced Jumbo, made in 1997, which I've owned from new for 25 years now.

In response to the classic question of what I’d rescue in a fire if it could only be one thing, this guitar is high on the list. For others, it might be a special gift, a wedding outfit, or a jewellery box full of heirlooms.

For me, this guitar holds many stories. I can still see the dint from my bandmate’s Stratocaster on stage at The Dublin Castle in London in the late 1990s, evoking that special time in my mid-twenties of living the dream. I wrote many special songs on this guitar and recorded an album with it. Songs of love, loss and hope. It's travelled around with me, home to home, country to country.

Yes, I could replace it with an identical model if it didn’t survive a fire, but that misses the point. This is my guitar, a part of me, and something I hope to own and play for the rest of my life.

Top of my Christmas list is Marr’s Guitars, a sumptuous coffee table book of stunning photographs of Johnny Marr’s 132 guitars in his collection, each having a story attached to it, representing his life and career. The songs written on it, the albums made, the gifts from fellow musicians, the ones stolen or sold and then found again. I anticipate it to be a vivid autobiography, capturing so much of the man he is.

Yes, it’s ‘just’ a guitar, but it holds symbolism and meaning to me. It's part of my identity on one level. Oh, and it has a name given by my Spanish teacher Ramon in Seville in 2005:

Lola (or Lo**ta)

Thanks for the memories Lola, and here’s to many more to come.

What sacred objects do you hold dear? What do they represent or mean to you?

18/09/2023

MEET POPS

Most days I meet this wee fella who lives on our street.

He’s tiny. I don’t know his story, how he lost his eye and his tail.

Pops is gregarious, curious and, for me, the definition of resilience.

In Pops mind, I like to think he thinks he is a Panther, nothing scares him, he’s proud of his Pops-ness.

So the mantra today is:

BE MORE POPS

Laurence Knott