Articles

Every year, across thousands of organisations, managers sit down, assess their people honestly, and score them based on what they’ve actually seen. Then someone in HR runs the numbers. The distribution doesn’t fit the curve. So the scores get moderated. When scores are adjusted not because the evidence demands it, but because the shape requires it, you’ve stopped measuring performance. You’ve started manufacturing it and the people at the receiving end aren't fooled.

Everyone in the room can see it before the senior leader does. One person has been quietly shaping the narrative, filtering information, curating access, and steering decisions in their own direction. The trap doesn’t close overnight. It closes slowly, through small acts of influence that look, from the outside like loyalty. Calling it out feels risky but saying nothing has its own cost.

Psychological safety doesn't begin with team interventions. It begins with the self awareness of the leader. The beliefs you carry, the reactions you haven't yet examined, the stories you tell yourself under pressure, all of it shapes, moment by moment, whether the people around you feel safe enough to be honest.

You can't always buy the skills you need. Sometimes the better question isn't "who already has them", it’'s "who has the aptitude, the personality fit, and can I commit to growing them into it." A reflection on capability led recruitment, the trade offs it asks of you, and why it's a habit worth building before the market forces your hand.

Before you can lead others, you need to know what leads you. This article explores why defining your personal north star, your values, your moral compass, your non-negotiables, isn't a philosophical exercise. It's a practical leadership tool because when the pressure is on, when the difficult conversation can't wait, and when every option feels uncomfortable, your values aren't just a guide. They're the decision.

I was listening to my wife recently. She claims I don’t so this article is in part evidence that sometimes I do. My wife was talking about how she visited a hospital CEO and helped them with the tea round. This was a regular Friday afternoon activity. Days later I read a post by Christoper Dodd who was sharing his thoughts on changes to recruit training within the Royal Navy where officers and ratings will share the same basic training before branching off. This got me reflec

Sprout and Kale, our two Working Cockers, remind me of that every day. They don’t care about hierarchy, job titles, org charts or authority signals. They care about presence, consistency, tone, and whether you show up the same way today as you did yesterday. This article explores why dogs are the most honest leadership mirror we have and why teams respond in exactly the same way. Trust isn’t built in big moments; it’s built in the ordinary ones.

Some leaders make you believe in something bigger than yourself. Others make you afraid to believe in anything at all. This article explores what separates them and what purpose driven leaders must do when they come face to face with self serving leaders.