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Your business is growing, you're winning major contracts, and you and your sales/commercial teams are reaping the rewards of their hard work. The instinct is to push forward with the same operational and delivery teams and the same ways of working. What leaders can miss is that their organisation is quietly being stretched beyond its capability and capacity to cope. The warning signs are rarely dramatic. They creep in gradually, such as missed deadlines, team fatigue, declin

How an organisation treats its leavers says a lot about its culture.

The most important decision a business makes isn't its strategy. It's who sits around the executive table.

Should Leaders Really Eat Last?

Rest, Recuperate and Recharge

Scaling Your SME? Move Fast, Don’t Break Things.

Who do you want to become as a leader?

The strongest leaders I've worked with haven't been the ones who ruled through fear or demanded perfection at every turn. They've been the ones who led with genuine care for their people. Compassionate leadership isn't about being soft - it's about being human. It means recognising that behind every deadline and deliverable is a person navigating their own challenges. It's about creating psychological safety where people feel valued enough to take risks, admit mistakes, and

In my experience, the difference between good leaders and great ones isn't that great leaders face fewer obstacles - it's that they don't flinch when challenges arise. I've watched leaders transform potential crises into opportunities simply by acknowledging problems early, gathering their teams, and saying "Here's what we're dealing with. Let's figure this out together." No deflection. No sugarcoating. Just honest assessment and clear action. The best leaders I've worked w

Put simply, Leaders need self-awareness to better understand their strengths and weaknesses, which enables better decision-making, more effective communication, and a greater ability to inspire and build trust within their teams.  Self-aware leaders can manage their emotions and biases, adapt their leadership style, and create a positive work environment by cultivating openness and authenticity. Ultimately, this leads to improved team performance and a more successful organi

In any organisation, it's easy for groupthink to take hold. Executive teams, no matter how talented, can become insulated from external perspectives and challenging questions. This is where non-executive directors provide invaluable scrutiny. NEDs bring independent, objective challenge to boardroom decisions. They ask the difficult questions that executives might overlook or avoid. They test assumptions, probe strategies, and ensure decisions serve the long-term interests o

Next week, I'm flying a few thousand miles to spend time with a client's senior leadership team. Booking the travel made me reflect on a fundamental question: Is in-person engagement worth investing time and resources? My answer remains a resounding yes. There's something irreplaceable about meeting people face-to-face, and especially if it's on their home turf. You pick up on nuances that video calls simply can't capture – the energy in the room, the unspoken dynamics be

The most effective leaders I’ve worked with share one key trait: they question themselves. They don’t pretend to have all the answers; instead they actively seek out other perspectives, challenge their assumptions, and welcome being proven wrong. It’s not about ego. It’s about curiosity, humility, and a genuine drive to get things right, not just be right. Vulnerability isn’t a weakness in leadership. It’s the beginning of real growth.

Organisations that take time to thoughtfully design their structure to align with their strategy consistently outperform those that don't. I'm currently working with a client navigating this challenge, and it's reminded me of a common misconception: an org chart ≠ organisational design. These are the key principles for effective organisational design: Align structure with strategy Build capability strategically Design around roles, not individuals Invest time in the fou

In our endless pursuit of visionary leaders, we've neglected a critical truth: we need managers who can actually manage well. Good management isn't glamorous, but it's essential. Effective managers organise teams with precision, prioritise competing demands, delegate appropriately, and maintain situational awareness across projects and people. Much of my client work is focused on leadership development. It’s a no brainer – organisations need great leaders. Recently I was ta

When we think about empowerment at work, we might consider the structures, opportunities, and resources that organisations put in place...

The time I spent working at Cisco made a lasting impression on me. It felt and behaved very differently from other organisations I have...

Leadership Books It’s summer, and work is not manic, so I thought it would be interesting to share the books I’ve read, I’m reading, and...