Articles and Insights

Leadership fascinates me, currently as an Executive Coach and Non-Executive Director and previously in my leadership role in a complex global organisation.  At a macro level, the behaviours and capabilities of an organisation’s leaders have a huge impact on engagement, productivity, morale and retention.  At a human level, for many…

I am regularly surprised by people who see Coaching as only ‘remedial’: their thinking seems to be “We might engage a coach if we have an underperformer but not for anything else”. What a missed opportunity! I thought I’d share my thoughts via LI to spread the message more widely…

Take a break: Good for you and for your team! I’m a huge proponent of the benefits to a leader of taking a break from work: even a long weekend can recharge your batteries and remind you of the important things outside the office – health, family, friends, nature (I…

I’m currently coaching a leader who is tackling an all-too-common issue. She was recently appointed to lead a team where the previous head encouraged an ‘Us vs Them’ attitude. We’re working together on how she can turn this around; we thought sharing this topic in the attached Article on LI might…

In my Executive Coaching practice ‘Feedback’ comes up very regularly. It might be that the leader wants to create a team culture where people are open to giving and receiving feedback. Sometime the leader (particularly a new leader) is uncomfortable giving ‘negative’ feedback. Or the leader wants feedback from their…

In March I wrote a piece about the ‘Art of Delegation’. A coachee challenged me: “That all sounds great. But what about when I cannot delegate more?” I’m sharing here on LI the exploratory work we did together, as others may be asking themselves the same question. When a leader is struggling with…

Delegation is a topic which comes up often in my Executive Coaching practice, even with senior leaders. So I want to share some thoughts which might help leaders or aspiring leaders think constructively about the ‘art’ of delegation: clear reasons to delegate, ways to tackle the barriers holding you back, and…

Some of my coachees are talking about New Year Resolutions. Here’s one I recommend to all leaders (and folks generally!): Make People Feel Valued – it’s easy to do, costs nothing, and can have a huge positive impact. When we feel seen and appreciated, we feel good, we are more engaged…

I want to share a theme from my experience of coaching leaders: the value of asking questions.  Some might think this relevant only to new leaders.  I’d disagree: often leaders feel they ought to know the answers whereas actually asking the question can be much more impactful. These coachees –…

As my LI connections know well, I like to share learnings from my Executive Coaching practice, hoping they resonate with others.  Here’s one which is not obvious: Leaders, don’t try to be a hero – your team and boss may not thank you for it. I recently held a tricky…

In my Executive Coaching practice I particularly enjoy working with leaders who have a growth mindset and a thirst for learning and who are striving to be ever better in their roles. The topic of leading effectively in a hybrid world comes up regularly because it is something which we are…

I am asked regularly – based on my experiences as a senior leader, an Executive Coach, and a Non-Executive Director – if I could change one thing about leadership in organisations what would it be?   My answer would be to make continuous leadership development a requirement for anyone who is…