What great leaders actually do is often very different from what leadership books, seminars, and corporate training programs suggest. In my recent conversation with entrepreneur, investor, and author Dave Berkus, we explored the realities of leadership after decades spent building companies, coaching CEOs, investing in entrepreneurs, and serving on boards. Dave has led businesses for […]
What you do in your first 100 days as a leader can shape everything that follows. And yet, this is exactly where many capable leaders lose ground—not because they lack expertise, but because they misread what the moment actually requires. In my recent conversation with JC Gaillard, author of The First 100 Days of the […]
When Good Work Stops Working At some point in your career, something shifts. You’re still capable. Still delivering. Still doing work that matters.And yet, your influence becomes… unpredictable. Some ideas land immediately. Others drift past without traction. Occasionally, someone else says the same thing, and suddenly it’s heard. It’s subtle at first. Easy to dismiss. […]
Most leaders believe AI will make them more productive. Faster outputs. Faster decisions. Faster results. But what if that’s the problem? In this conversation with Philip Topham, author of CRAFT Thinking, we explore a different idea: AI is not just a productivity tool—it’s a thinking tool. And when leaders use it incorrectly, it doesn’t improve […]
Most CEOs don’t fail because they lack intelligence. They don’t fail because they lack ambition. They fail because of CEO blind spots and leadership decision making patterns they don’t recognise. In my recent conversation with Bill Miller, author of What Every CEO Must Know, we explored how these hidden patterns quietly shape leadership effectiveness—and why […]
AI Isn’t Just a Technology Shift. It’s an Energy Revolution. AI isn’t just a technology shift—it’s an energy revolution. And at the centre of this shift is a growing challenge leaders are underestimating: AI energy demand and leadership. We tend to talk about AI as a software story—tools, productivity, automation. But underneath that narrative is […]
For most of their career, capable leaders are rewarded for one thing above all else: competence. They deliver results.They work hard.They solve problems.They build a reputation for being reliable, intelligent, and safe. For a long time, that contract holds. Effort translates into impact. Performance leads to influence. The better you are at your role, the […]
Most leaders have had the same experience. You ask a question in a leadership meeting. It’s a reasonable question. The issue matters. The people in the room are experienced, capable, and expected to have a view. And yet — nothing. No disagreement.No endorsement.No challenge.Just silence. Some leaders read this as disengagement. Others interpret it as […]
Loneliness in the workplace isn’t new, but hybrid work has turned it from a quiet undercurrent into a strategic leadership challenge. Across organisations, leaders are seeing once-connected teams drifting into pockets of isolation. People report feeling “plugged in but not truly present,” productive yet disconnected. And underneath the surface, something subtle but profound is happening. […]
Leadership today feels a lot like paddling into unpredictable surf — shifting conditions, sudden dumps, and long periods of trying to stay afloat. In a recent conversation with author Robert Kenn, we explored how his book Wisdom from the Ocean draws surprising and powerful leadership lessons from surfing. What emerged was a grounded guide to […]