Stop Wasting Your Brain on £25* Tasks: The Executive ROI
If your calendar is a solid block of back-to-back meetings, you are not “smashing it.” You are likely (only just) treading water. In the corporate world, we have been conditioned to view a quiet hour as a sign of laziness. However, for a leader, that “empty” space is where the actual profit is made. It ...
Breaking the Stress Cycle: How Neuroplasticity Rewires Leadership
We have all seen it. Perhaps we have even lived it. The door swings open five minutes late. A senior leader rushes in, out of breath, shuffling papers, and apologising while simultaneously trying to download the context of a meeting that has already started. Recently, I sat across from an MD client of mine. This ...
When You Can’t Switch Off: Why Leaders Feel “Always On”
Do you ever notice how your mind just won’t stop, even when the day’s done? You’ve ticked things off. Answered the emails. Maybe even squeezed in a walk. But you still feel wired. Your body might be sitting still, but your brain is still spinning. That’s not you being “bad at relaxing”.It’s often a sign ...
You Can’t Lead Strategically If You Can’t Influence Up
Most leaders focus on motivating their teams.They spend time building trust, giving feedback, developing individuals, all essential parts of great leadership. But here’s the thing most people miss: the real leverage in leadership often comes from influencing up. If you can’t influence the people who make decisions, control budgets, or set direction, your impact will ...
Ego States in Communication: Why Conversations Go Wrong
You know those moments when a conversation suddenly takes a strange turn?You’re calm, clear, maybe even curious, and the other person reacts in a way that feels completely off.You ask a straightforward question and they get defensive.You give a simple direction and they come back emotional.You offer feedback and they spiral into justification. It’s baffling, ...
Leadership Development: Why Doing More Is Holding You Back
Are you too available for your team? Too quick to jump in, fix, advise, or say yes? Many leaders I coach fall into this exact trap. They believe that being helpful, responsive, and constantly involved proves their value. But the truth is, doing more often keeps you stuck, and it’s one of the biggest barriers ...
Gen Z Leadership: Why It’s Time to Rethink Your Approach
One of the most common frustrations I hear from senior leaders is this: “They’re too sensitive.”“They don’t just get on with it.”“They lack resilience.” They’re talking about Gen Z. Sound familiar? The youngest generation in the workforce is getting a reputation for being difficult to manage, overly emotional, and unwilling to adapt. But here’s the ...
Strategic Leadership Blind Spots That Keep You Stuck
Signs You’re Caught in a Strategic Leadership Blind Spot You’re in back-to-back meetings.You’re solving problems all day long.You’re making rapid decisions and moving fast. And yet it feels like you’re not making real progress.There’s no space to think.No time to plan.No room to lead. If you’re a senior leader who feels this, you’re not alone. ...
Break Free from Subconscious Patterns and Stop Self-Sabotage
Our subconscious behaviours shape everything—how we lead, connect, and make decisions. But what if the very patterns that once helped you are now quietly holding you back? One of the most effective ways to understand these deep-rooted behaviours is through the concept of “Driver” patterns—ways of thinking and acting that push us in certain directions, ...
Stop beating yourself up! AKA Be kind to yourself – as a human and as a Leader
Instead of being hard on yourself and being critical of your mistakes or failings, learning self-compassion will allow you to be kind, forgiving and sympathetic towards yourself when you do fall short. So what is self-compassion? There is no such thing as ‘perfect’ (we are all fabulously flawed human beings) and self-compassion is about acknowledging ...
Are you deceiving your self? How to find out, and what to do about it to become a better leader (and human).
I’ve never written so extensively about a book before, but after having read Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute, I felt massively compelled to, as it’s one of the most (if not the most), insightful books on leadership I have ever read. Leadership and Self-Deception is a guide to becoming self-aware – by learning ...
