Blog
The Hidden Beliefs That Shape Leadership Systems
Leaders rarely get stuck because they lack skill or effort. More often, they get stuck because of unexamined beliefs — invisible assumptions that shape how they lead, how decisions are made, and how their teams respond. Muriel M. Wilkins, in her Harvard Business...
read moreTrust: The Leadership Signal That Can’t Be Delegated
Trust isn’t a feeling — it’s a system signal. When trust drops, performance follows. In one of our workshops this week, a leader said, “We’ve got good people, but we don’t trust each other yet.” It’s a line I hear often — and it always tells me something about the...
read moreWhen Systems Support — and When They Strain
Systems either support performance or silently strain it. Leadership is about knowing which one you’ve built. Last week I worked with a team exploring what happens when good people struggle in difficult systems. The conversation reminded me that performance challenges...
read moreSetting the Conditions for Success
Even the strongest teams struggle when the conditions aren’t right. Leadership is about creating the environment for performance — not just managing it.
read moreThe Pace Problem: The New Hidden Cost of Leadership
The Pace Problem: The New Hidden Cost of Leadership We talk a lot about burnout — but not enough about the systems (and unchecked behaviours) that drive it. In many organisations, speed has quietly become the standard. Leaders are doing their best — supporting their...
read moreWhen We Finally Stop Running
When We Finally Stop Running High performance isn’t built by running faster — it’s sustained by clarity. When leaders pause, they see the system more clearly. And that clarity serves our people, our boards, and our shareholders — leading to wiser decisions, reduced...
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Advice for HR Professionals of the Future
I remember speaking at a HR Conference several years back and when asked by the audience what one piece of advice I would give to HR professionals to assist their business in the future, I reflected for a moment and quietly said, “You need to throw the old rule book...
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Leadership Development
As a management consultant in my 25th year of professional practice, I am concerned that we are still seeing the same content and processes across industry, often with little or no significant or sustainable impact on participants and therefore on their businesses. ...
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The Yearly Performance Review: Well Over Par
It’s really pleasing to see a number of high profile companies finally realising the general ineffectiveness and, often futility, of the annual performance review. Ineffective at best, toxic at its worst, these once a year sit down, fill out a form, tick a bunch of...
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