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?

The world of for-purpose leadership isn’t just under-resourced, it’s often under-supported. After years of working with CEOs and Executives leaders across this sector, it is clear that there is an enormous need to better support managers, along with a strong desire to make it happen - but a lack of affordable and accessible options available. Budgets are always tight, so development options are understandably ad-hoc, inconsistent or simply out of reach. Or, time is so limited

Courage and confidence Many people come to me ultimately seeking confidence. It may not be the presenting issue, but it's often what lies beneath. Confidence to make the right decision, lead the right way, say the right thing, take the next step, to manage the load, to do the hard thing, to make a big change. It’s fair to feel self-doubt when your decisions create ripple effects for your colleagues, your team, your community. And confidence can feel like an intangible, elus

Have you ever felt the need to prove you’re worthy of your position by working harder than everyone else? Particularly after a promotion or in a new role, it's natural to want to feel and be perceived as adding value, working hard and deserving of the new title. It's a great motivator with good intent, but can be a slippery slope. Instead of attending to the most important parts of the senior role that you've been selected for, you risk becoming entangled in a little bit of e

As AI started to ramp up, my first response was to do the opposite, with more things like... • In-person executive coaching/partnering • A CEO Collective forum • Multi-organisational Leaders with IMPACT program • Group coaching • Business over coffee or wine • Posts written by me • Planning retreats I'm convinced that we need connection, imperfection, fun, support and the space to be together more than ever. Memories and relationships aren't made on chat GPT, and these are t

Recently, I asked a group of senior leaders to describe their year so far. Before anyone could answer, a room shocked faces stared back at me. “Wait… how can it only be six weeks!?” “It feels like months!” Sound familiar? Many leaders have hit the ground running, straight back into things at full throttle. For some, without a proper pause. And despite enormous change, complexity and demand, they’re making incredible progress. But here’s what I've noticed in myself and others

Sometimes they’re in transition between roles or life chapters (either sudden, or deliberate). Sometimes they're in new positions or teams, wanting an objective partner to support them through unchartered waters. Other times, they’re navigating difficult dynamics and decisions. But most commonly they are also looking for one, or all of these things: 1. To feel more confident in how they lead and communicate. 2. To find a way to feel happier and energised in their roles. 3

Several people I've worked with over the years have navigated relentless leadership change at the top. Multiple transitions at Board, CEO and exec level, each one requiring them to adapt and absorb more while others came and went. They were exhausted. Despondent. Seriously considering leaving a place that they loved. Not because the work was too much in itself. Because nobody had stopped to say: 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭. T

It’s common for people to reach a milestone in their career, or a role they’ve worked hard to attain, only to find that it doesn’t bring the fulfilment they expected. Feeling flat, frustrated or dissatisfied is a sign that something needs to change. While it can be uncomfortable, it can also be a catalyst, pushing you to explore a new path. Often, these feelings stem from obligations we’ve imposed on ourselves, not ones we necessarily need to fulfil. I recently worked with a