Group Partners

Writing

John Caswell’s essays from 2013 to 2025, gathered in one place. New writing goes out on Substack.

39 pieces to read here, 258 more in the full list.

Think less, draw more. Draw more, think more.

2025  /  Group Partners blog
“This simple act fires the brain to imagine, attend, connect and remember.”
Read the piece
 2025  /  Medium

I See You

“For as long as I can remember, (and more times than I’m comfortable admitting), I’ve had to complicate what was simple to be taken seriously.”
Read 2025  /  Group Partners blog

The extinction of imagination:

“Whilst the world obsesses over artificial intelligence, we're conducting a systematic extinction of human imagination.”
Read 2025  /  Group Partners blog

The Elephant Carver’s Secret:

“That old carver understood something we’re forgetting in business: real creativity isn’t about adding features, tactics, or complexity.”
Read 2025  /  Group Partners blog

Imagination-Scale Computing

“I am beginning to think that we are entering an age of ‘Imagination-Scale Computing’.”
Read 2025  /  Just Thinking

Creativity Killed the Media Star. Spoiler: Let’s Hope So.

“Creativity doesn't die when technology advances.”
Read 2023  /  Group Partners blog

Surviving The Coming Wave

“I can’t remember a time more comprehensively incomprehensible than this.”
Read 2023  /  Just Thinking

A Lifetime Coloring In

“For as long as I can remember, I've drawn stuff.”
Read 2023  /  Just Thinking

Thought Partner? Copilot? Creative Prompter?

“Nothing I've published (ever) has been written using Chat-GPT or similar AI.”
Read 2023  /  Medium

A Masters In Science AND Art

“Many leaders’ biggest mistake is not exploiting the science AND the art of business.”
Read 2023  /  Medium

It’s Easy To Spot Great Leaders.

“Great leaders know business success requires both art and science.”
Read 2023  /  Medium

Just One More Corner

“A dear friend constantly challenges me to share the one-liners that pepper how I explain our work.”
Read 2022  /  Medium

Strategy Without Story Is Not Strategy

“No matter how good the strategy, operation, product or solution, if the story you tell sucks, you’re nowhere.”
Read 2022  /  Just Thinking

After 21 Years In Business

“And right up there is one stand-out lesson — if you don't learn, you die.”
Read 2022  /  Group Partners blog

The 10 Killer Questions

“Thirty years of asking the world’s biggest and smallest brands and their leaders the most critical strategic questions led to these 10.”
Read 2022  /  Medium

Leadership That Works

“The fundamental for leaders is gaining alignment — a very tricky word.”
Read 2022  /  Just Thinking

The Simple Life Of A Record Player

“I had pictured a creative life, and I accept I had no idea what to expect, but chaos wasn't it.”
Read 2022  /  Just Thinking

The Riff Of Life

“There's magic in music — sometimes explosive, often subtle and nuanced, always personal and indefinable.”
Read 2022  /  Medium

Making Dreams Real

“Dreams have the power to ignite everyone and drive everything.”
Read 2022  /  Medium

Making Strategies That Work

“Complete alignment on everything is improbable but a shared and meaningful sense of direction is critical.”
Read 2020  /  Just Thinking

Wicked Opportunities

“For the last two decades (at least) I've come to realise that even solving an everyday business problem is hard — often wickedly hard.”
Read 2020  /  Just Thinking

Stop Solving The Wrong Problem Really Well

“You have to change the way business thinks if you want to change how it works.”
Read 2020  /  Group Partners blog

The Art of the Question

“When it comes to making a strategy that works, unless the question is correct the answer never will be.”
Read 2020  /  Medium

I read recently that organizations worldwide spend roughly $356 billion on leadership development.

“I read recently that organizations worldwide spend roughly $356 billion on leadership development.”
Read 2019  /  Just Thinking

The New Human Race

“If you are awake you are only limited by imagination.”
Read 2018  /  Medium

Causing Value Through Conversation

“Without the act of ‘thinking’, all of us — humans/businesses/societies — are at risk.”
Read 2018  /  Medium

The Art Of Dialogue

“These are informal ‘conversations’ designed to create safe environments to just talk.”
Read 2018  /  Just Thinking

“Art Is A Line Around Your Thoughts”

“I vividly remember being about 4 or 5 and sitting in awe of my father who drew on massive sheets of paper with a fine technical pencil.”
Read 2017  /  Just Thinking

Helping Leaders Make Better Decisions

“Some of us find it bloody hard to say what we do.”
Read 2017  /  Medium

Why On Earth Would I Follow You?

“My definition of a leader is someone who can point to some followers — right?”
Read 2017  /  Just Thinking

What The F#@k Is Strategy?

“An overdue call to arms — reinventing what the word S T R A T E G Y means for the world — now!”
Read 2017  /  Just Thinking

The 8 Laws Of Creativity

“'The act of using our passion and our brains to connect with ideas, build value and solve problems.'”
Read 2017  /  Just Thinking

Observe More — React Less

“Everything we've ever done well as a society — anything of lasting value has sprung from that single idea.”
Read 2016  /  Just Thinking

Tear Up Your Old Maps

“We've been confronted with many forms of extremism and stupidity and yet I remain optimistic.”
Read 2016  /  Just Thinking

Watching Kids Draw

“Kids take a few seconds to get the confidence to make a mark and then they're off.”
Read 2016  /  Just Thinking

‘Artificial Intelligence’ Because ‘REAL Stupidity’

“I'm more interested in the outcome — the result of a technology than the technology itself.”
Read 2016  /  Just Thinking

Visual Thinking? Oh Really?

“We are seeing cunningly simple — ever more powerful visual expressions — of everything.”
Read 2016  /  Just Thinking

What Is Structured Visual Thinking™?

“We help clients solve strategic business challenges.”
Read 2014  /  Just Thinking

Why Sketch? Why Do You Think!

“An expanse of dazzling white paper lies still.”
Read

Everything else

The rest of John’s writing, with the year and where it first appeared. Each title opens the original.