90% of Business Leaders Are Coming from Chaotic Families
Spend enough time with founders, CEOs, and senior leaders and there’s a pattern that just starts to show up. Many weren’t raised in tranquil, predictable homes. Emotionally volatile parents. Financial instability. Inconsistent caregiving. Early responsibility. Unspoken rules. Unreliable safety. It is common to believe that nine out of ten people who build and run businesses are descended from family chaos of some sort. That is not a criticism. It is an observation with serious implications. Research in the fields of developmental psychology and leadership has consistently found that early environments shape adaptive strategies. Children raised in such unpredictable systems
Aging Well by George E. Vaillant.
Aging Well by George E. Vaillant. The Author. George E. Vaillant is a psychiatrist, professor and one of the world’s leading researchers on adult development and mental health. He’s most famous for leading the Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the longest-running studies of human life ever, following participants for over 70 years. Vaillant’s research is focused on what really predicts happiness, health and resilience over the whole life course. His findings are based on decades of actual data about humans, not any theory or trends. He is revered for debunking myths about success, aging
What Every Therapist Ought to Know By Stan Tatkin
What Every Therapist Ought to Know By Stan Tatkin The Author. Stan Tatkin, who specializes in relationships, attachment and the brain and has served as a clinical psychologist, teacher and researcher. To this day, he is the creator of the PACT Method (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy), a combination of neuroscience, attachment theory & physiology. Tatkin has taught thousands of therapists around the world, and is well-known for translating brain science into something accessible to therapists and used in therapy. His expertise is in helping therapists make sense of the nervous system’s driving force in behaviour,
When Love Turns to Hate: Why Justice Must Stay in the Courtroom and Not Online
Working with couples and individuals whose marriage is on the brink of dissolution, a therapist by name, I have personally witnessed the full emotional journey of love, from intimacy and connection to disappointment, betrayal, and sometimes, rage. It is at these points of rupture that some serious allegations form: domestic violence, sexual harassment, parental alienation, coercive control. These are not abstract terms — these are actual, lived experiences — but the ways we act on them as a society are very important. In recent years, public platforms — TikTok, podcasts, Instagram — have emerged as the new courtrooms. Abuse
Rumours, Noise and Real Growth: Learning to Keep My Eyes on the Road
Matthew is a closeted gay.” “Matthew jumps from woman to woman.” “He’s money-minded.” “I’ve heard he sees women for free if they ‘offer favours’.” . “I’ve heard he’s manipulative.” “He chose sex therapy because he must be a pervert.” “All talk, no sex.” “Matthew abuses his psychology assistants—slave-driver, really.” “He’s definitely a narcissist on TV all the time.”. This is simply an account of the rumours spread about me over the years. Some is unintentionally funny, most is hurtful, and none is true. But for a long period, I responded to every whisper as an emergency. I wrote clarifications
Lessons Learned from Being Malta’s First Sex Therapist
When I first entered the world of sex therapy, I wasn’t merely starting a clinic, I was coming into the midst of issues around sex in Malta. I was starting a conversation that others simply didn’t want to have, confronting silence with honesty and discomfort with truth. So I knew that it wouldn’t be easy. Resistance was expected. What I didn’t expect was the level of pushback, not just from the public but also from institutions, educators and my professional circles. Some experience has been beautiful, some painful, and others priceless, but not all lessons are easy. Not a
How I Work Hard and Live Well: Staying Productive Without Burning Out
People ask me all the time how do I stay motivated and prevent burnout from working long hours and having multiple projects coming together for a period. And I have devised this system over the years that works for me and allows me to lead productive and successful lives at the same time. Here’s an inside look at how I solve the problem when it seems too easy. I realise most people think 4:30 am is absurdly early, but it’s been life-changing for me. I used to get rushed when I woke up, behind on emails, and as though
Building Bridges in Mental Health: The Journey and Vision Behind Willingness
Looking back on the road since establishing Willingness in 2011, I am filled with gratitude and a tremendous sense of accomplishment. The journey has been filled with challenges, lessons, and unexpected moments of growth. As a student, I noticed that mental health treatments in Malta were sometimes disconnected, particularly in the private sector, with limited coordination and inconsistent client experiences. At that time, clients faced a fragmented system with isolated experts. This made comprehensive care hard to access, navigate, and trust fully. That experience led me to imagine a more unified care model. I envisioned teamwork, open communication, and
Escaping the Perfection Trap: How Letting Go Boosted My Success and Happiness
Getting Out of the Perfection Trap: When I Couldn’t Let It Go, Letting Go And That Happened Helped My Success And Happiness. I was so rigid for years about wanting to get it all perfect that no task, relationship or project I did was ever as good as an American. I just had that insatiable desire to be successful. Far from it, it brought exhaustion, irritation and unhappiness. The more I focused that perfectionism was nothing more than a negative feedback loop that sucked the energy out of myself and others. I did at least find the inflection point
How to Avoid Burnout in Leadership Roles: Unfiltered Tips
Burnout in a leader can strike just at the worst of times, and with no warning or warning signs at all. The great thing is that as a leader, you'll constantly pull yourself and your team behind all the tasks and decisions from all angles while playing the spotlight. However, the hard reality is that your company will die soon enough along with you in the event of neglected health. Without proper treatment, workers who are suffering from burnout will find no way to lead or even grow. Burnout has a waiting time to settle in; the time isn’t
