Blog

Are you struggling to display vulnerability as a leader? Are circumstances making it harder for you or have you always been that way? The thought of it feeling completely alien? Either way, I encourage you to stop and think and read Brene Brown’s work! Through her research and books, she has encouraged us to see … Read more

I really enjoy coaching leadership teams and I say teams as opposed to committees deliberately. At the executive level, teamwork isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the engine that drives organisational performance. How does your executive team operate? Is it more like a collection of high‑achieving individuals or a cohesive, aligned unit? The difference between … Read more

I’ve had a number of conversations recently where people have shared their stories. Their stories about who they are and what they are capable of; always a privilege to hear. And yet, I was struck by the line between humility and self-limiting belief and the degree of awareness about which of those was happening. To … Read more

Are you feeling the pressure around a programme you are delivering or sponsoring? Pressure exposes the truth about a programme. The question is what do you do in that moment? When deadlines tighten or risks materialise, many leaders instinctively become more directive, more command control. It feels fast and it feels decisive; however, it rarely … Read more

As leaders, we rightly pride ourselves on resilience, commitment, and seeing things through. Those qualities build careers and organisations, but they can also lock us into one of the most costly cognitive traps: the sunk cost fallacy. That’s when we keep backing a project, strategy, or relationship mainly because we’ve already invested time, money, political … Read more

Have you ever thought about what shapes how you interpret things? Assuming positive intent can have an outsized impact on trust, collaboration, and culture.  It sounds simple, yet under pressure it’s often the first thing to disappear. As a senior leader, your interpretation casts a shadow or a light on the organisation. Your influence grows … Read more

What differentiates good leaders from great ones? I’m strongly of the view that one factor is the ability to give feedback that improves performance, strengthens relationships, and shapes culture. Feedback is not a task. It’s a leadership behaviour. The higher you rise, the more your words carry weight, and the more intentional you must be … Read more

Think about the best leader you ever had. Now think about the worst. I imagine that you probably felt the difference before you could describe it. I decided to make this the topic of my blogs this week as I have recently been made to remember both. I remember both feelings vividly. One made me … Read more

Organisations that thrive aren’t the ones that change the fastest, but the ones that never stop changing. Continuous improvement isn’t a slogan on a wall or a quarterly initiative. It’s a discipline. A posture. A way of leading that recognises that excellence is never final. The more senior you get, the challenge shifts. It’s no … Read more

In times of constant change, one leadership trait quietly shapes culture, performance, and resilience: optimism.  Optimism isn’t just a “nice‑to‑have”, it’s a strategic leadership skill. I am not talking about blind positivity, but the grounded belief that challenges are solvable and progress is possible. When leaders display optimism, teams feel safer, think more creatively, and … Read more