Blog

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

Today I want to talk about the rise of paradox, a world where leaders must be bold and cautious, fast and thoughtful, innovative and stable all at once.  Linear, either/or thinking simply can’t keep up. Paradoxical thinking is now a core leadership capability. It’s the ability to hold two opposing truths simultaneously, and use the … Read more

I am frequently seeing leaders confuse resilience with endurance. A common mistake.  Resilience isn’t about endurance; instead, it is about your ability to reset, reframe, and respond with intention.  It is not about pushing harder, it’s about recovering smarter. The environment you are leading in is no doubt volatile, ambiguous, and emotionally demanding. In this … Read more