Richard Barrett posed this question in a recent article, and it got me thinking. In his article (available on Substack) he says that ‘action is making the invisible visible’ and with this I agree. Of course, there are many steps between the connection with the invisible and the materialising of that into action. Or at...
As leaders we’re accustomed to the set pieces – the presentations, all-company briefings, big decisions – actions that are ‘on-show’ and probably being rated by those we lead. We know too that leadership isn’t performance. The stuff that happens in the background also has an impact on the culture we’re creating…the character of the organisation...
You may have seen this too, receiving utility bills that regularly change the period you’re being billed for (28 days and then 165 days on a recent bill) making any comparison of consumption on a like for like (year on year) basis obscure and difficult. In a world which is complex enough, transparency is important...
I’ve had a few technology challenges this week, more specifically getting help with systems that won’t talk to each other. The frustration isn’t just with the systems, rather the lack of access to a real human being for a support conversation. We’ve all been there. Contrast this with a late delivery and several redirects to...
Last week I had a day in London with 3 separate face to face meetings…and I have to say it was a treat! Nothing noteworthy there you might say but for me there was. It was powerful. Being ‘out there’ – away from the laptop screen – seeing and being with real people. Why? Because...
There is a leader within each of us who has been waiting. She leads with compassion, emotional intelligence, creativity, and intuition. She builds through collaboration, holds space for complexity, and moves with the flexibility that generates genuinely new outcomes — not just faster versions of the old ones. In most organisations, these qualities have been...
The glue that holds the world together is relationship…between humanity and nature, between nations and peoples. The relationships in organisations, in community groups. In families. Between friends. These are such a fundamental part of human existence that perhaps we give them less attention, put in less effort than they undoubtedly deserve. Relationships have been much...
You may recognise this phrase if you’ve ever done a slightly edgier personal development programme. From experience, when the activity is explained it can make the heart quail (mine did/does), at least a little (even for those who can dance, though proficiency isn’t the point). Yet, slowly, embarrassed shuffling becomes something freer, more essential, as...
You are doing battle every day. Sometimes it can feel like a constructive use of energy. Sometimes it can feel hopeless. How often do we stop to really ask ourselves just what we are battling for? Heroes, knights and mercenaries all had/have their reasons for their battles. As leaders we are more than mindless cogs...
I’m deeply grateful that I get to not only talk about building a culture of psychological safety within leadership teams but also help them to build it. And that usually entails some exploration of vulnerability. It’s funny really because working on resilience from the perspective of ‘being strong’ feels like safer territory for many in...