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Imagine if there was a quick, free, simple and feel-good way to build performance, energy, confidence and momentum in your team.... Well, turns out there is. Do you know that people who say they use their strengths every day at work are: • 8% more productive • 15% less likely to quit their job • More likely to strongly agree that they like what they do each day • 6 x more likely to be engaged at work • 3 x more likely to have an excellent quality of life “𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘦

You're in a senior role for a reason - and it's not to spend your time doing work that others can do just as well, or perhaps better. To lead sustainably and strategically, it's critical to examine what's on your plate and free up space to focus on where you can contribute the most value. Yes, you can time block and use a range of productivity hacks, but I've found over many years for myself and my clients, that these don't move the needle significantly. Because how you opera

Being a CEO can be exhilarating, rewarding - and deeply isolating. You’re the sounding board for everyone else. The decision-maker. The holder of vision and values. And somewhere in there, you’re still trying to do your best thinking while half-drowning in emails, meetings, and daily demands. That’s why I created the CEO Collective. Not as another networking group or a lecture series. But as a room designed specifically CEOs of SME & NFP organisations to step out of the wh

Part of the work I do is sitting with someone through the really hard part. I call it the mud. The stretch where nothing seems to be shifting, uncertainty is rife, risks are high, and when it could honestly go either way. I've been reflecting on this a lot lately. I have clients right now who are in the thick of it, or who have just emerged from it. Watching what they've navigated has reminded me why this work means so much to me. One person has shown a level of emotional i

I recently had a week that was a major highlight. It truly embodied why I do what I do. There were the scheduled coaching sessions, where we explored things like big changes, tough calls, Board dynamics, planning for the next phase. These discussions are always important and interesting. But there were also so many touchpoints outside of sessions with other clients - celebrating a huge milestone over a glass of wine, picking up an SOS call from the gym, a debrief over a coffe

Factis non verbis. This was my school motto. It's Latin for 'deeds not words.' I rolled my eyes every time the principal went on about it. But as with many ancient wisdoms, it's proven a reliable test of truth over the years. We can be easily swayed by compelling language, impressive reports or affirmations of support. Even AI has learned to tell us we're doing great. So how do we know who and what to trust these days? As a senior leader, knowing who to trust is one of the

I completely forget to talk about it. Recently, I was asked about 360 and psychometric assessments. It came up organically in a client conversation and it's work I love to do. But it made me realise that I never talk about it. I've held hundreds of 360 and psychometric assessments and debriefs. Plus, I am accredited in a ridiculous number of tools, the learnings from which have all contributed to my work in different ways. Assessments form a natural part of my coaching, partn

There's nothing better that working with a great group of people who are committed to supporting other and leading well. But the team I worked with last week had an additional superpower...a sense of fun. We do serious work together on leadership, strategy and performance, but this was a team who know how to bring play and levity to what they do. It helps them to lead in a continuously complex, reactive environment where the work and the challenges keep coming. It helps them

He had them at hello But he was telling himself another story entirely. Steve* had courageously left a prominent global firm on his own terms. He'd only been there a year, so when the end of employment loomed, he was worried that he'd made a terrible mistake. "𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘣”? Like so many people between roles, he wasn't just worried about finding a job. He was questioning his worth and extremely worried about his future. He was not o

A client described last week as "the week from hell." And honestly, I've heard that quite a bit lately. Some weeks just break you. No matter how well you've been managing your energy or how much progress you've made, a particularly brutal stretch can knock you sideways and leave you wondering why you're doing this at all. You might have been building better rhythms, protecting your energy, leading well, and then one relentless week makes it feel like you're back at square one

When a CEO or Executive leaves, it's not necessarily a crisis, but can be the start of a potentially long, uncertain and sometimes messy phase for those remaining. Decisions are left hanging, work needs to be redistributed, people need to take on more, and rightly or wrongly, there's the smell of job insecurity in the air. Your team is watching your response and asking whether this is going to be okay. Most leaders in this position have said or heard some version of: "𝘛𝘩𝘪�

Change happens at the top and suddenly you're wondering if you're next. This is a situation a lot of leaders know well. A shift in the executive team sends ripples through the organisation, with many speculating about what it means for them. It's unsettling. For you, your peers and your team. And when the future is unclear, it's natural to search for certainty, even when there isn't concrete way of doing so. There are a few ways to respond. One that I see often, is hyper-vigi

If you’re a senior leader, you are likely to be good at solving technical problems. However, what's more common in my work is adaptive challenges. These can be described as a complex problem that you can’t solve by applying your existing knowledge or technical solutions. They require you to make a change in your beliefs, behaviours, and ways of working. In other words, they are strategic, cultural and multifaceted in nature, requiring you to make both individual and systems c

After many years delivering hundreds of leadership assessments across all kinds of leaders, teams and sectors, there's one thing I'm clear on: the right tool at the right time is critical. There is no single diagnostic that works for every situation, and the options can be overwhelming. I consider myself 'tool agnostic' for this reason. Assessments can be incredible for building awareness, one of the cornerstones of adaptability. You can't grow and adapt if you don't know you

Are you riding the rollercoaster of adrenaline to exhaustion? Not only is this putting your wellbeing at risk, but your performance. A sustainable way of working doesn't mean that you cruise along doing half as much. It's not lazy, it's strategic. It means that you are being more productive and focused, getting more of what matters done with the time and energy available. It means being calm and clear. It means being deliberate and purposeful. It means being focused for momen

A friend asked me recently what I’m working on at the moment. As I rattled off a list of leadership, strategy, culture and coaching programs, I quickly ran out of fingers and these thoughts landed all at once: a) I really love this work b) I feel incredibly lucky c) It's way too much d) No wonder I’m knackered e) This isn't sustainable, I'm booking am emergency getaway! (see pic) It made me realise that we often don’t see how much we’ve got on our plate until it's too late.

Lately, I’ve noticed something exciting happening behind the scenes with a number of my clients. They’re levelling up - not just in their roles, but in their influence, impact, and inner strength. There’s a quiet surprise in their new levels of confidence, capability and reach. They’re making sharper decisions, thinking bigger, and unlocking new opportunities for the future. Some are scaling something impressive. Others are planning a pivot, transitioning up or out, or reshap

That’s what a coaching client said he needed printed on a t-shirt after one of our sessions. He’d realised that many of the things he told himself were: a. Untrue - flat-out incorrect b. Unproven - just thoughts, with no real evidence c. Unhelpful - creating stress without adding value Untrue and unhelpful thoughts are some of the most common saboteurs that I see in my work. They erode confidence and inflate stress levels quietly, consistently, and often go undetected. Clie

My client 'Rick' said recently that "𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩". Another said, "𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬". 'Lucy' said "𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘐'𝘮 𝘭𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯". When I asked who 'they' is, there was a pause. Then, an uncertain reference to staff, Board, or stakeholders. Then, a wry smile, and a realisation that this conversation was nev

The best teams come together regularly to reflect, plan, collaborate and connect. Not to discuss current workload or projects. Not to problem solve. Time and time again I've found that this is the 'secret sauce' for high performing teams. They value time together to build their relationships, think ahead, prioritise, share ideas, note progress made and lessons learned. This is an investment in performance, culture and strategic leadership, not another meeting. Do you agree?