When fear becomes a strategy
12 September 2025
Labour swept to power in 2024 with 412 seats. Just a year later, poll-of-polls suggest they could slump to 119, while Reform rockets from 5 seats to a projected 368 - enough to form a government. The Conservatives? Reduced to just 36 MPs. If a week is a... read more
Power, performance and the price of peace
15 August 2025
I’ve been in enough negotiation rooms - at sea, in boardrooms, and now watching politics with a wary eye - to know one thing: the real work of leadership rarely looks dramatic. True breakthroughs usually happen behind closed doors, after the cameras... read more
The cost of standing still
1 August 2025
Leadership is often judged in crises: the bold decision, the difficult call, the moment when everything changes. But sometimes the harder test is not in chaos, but in drift. The news that the UK economy failed to grow in July may not sound dramatic... read more
Secrets, silence and the slow death of trust
18 July 2025
I’ve led people in high-pressure environments - at sea, in boardrooms, and now observing leadership with what I hope is a clearer lens than ever. And one thing I’ve learned is this: leadership is built on trust, and trust depends on truth. That’s... read more
Where have all the Churchills gone?
20 June 2025
In July 1940, Winston Churchill made one of the most agonising decisions of his career. With France fallen to the Nazis, the Vichy government in uneasy collaboration with Hitler, and the French fleet stationed off Algeria refusing to surrender or move to... read more
A powerful framework for enhancing personal and team productivity
23 May 2025
Time is the one resource every leader shares equally. Regardless of role, ambition, or experience, we each get 1,440 minutes per day - no more, no less. The challenge isn’t in acquiring more time, but in using the time we do have with intention. For... read more
Why work-life balance Is the new currency
9 May 2025
For decades, salary reigned supreme as the primary motivator for workers. But in 2025, the tide has turned. According to Randstad’s latest Workmonitor report - surveying over 26,000 workers across 35 countries - work-life balance has officially overtaken... read more
Fair winds and following seas and the lessons that stay with you
25 April 2025
This week, ships of the Royal Navy, including HMS Prince of Wales, have slipped their lines and headed out on an 8-month deployment - sailing not just into open waters, but into an increasingly uncertain world. While the headlines may move on, these... read more
New Beginnings: the courage to start afresh in leadership and life
11 April 2025
Today, I met someone new. A lady, in fact. It was a quiet, unassuming meeting, yet the encounter sparked something in me - a feeling of potential, a stirring of curiosity, and, most of all, a sense of possibility. New beginnings often arrive like... read more
Unlock your leadership potential with 10/10
28 March 2025
Are you ready to elevate your leadership game? You are invited to join our exclusive 10/10 leadership development and mentoring programme. 10-hours of face-to-face leadership training, designed to help you master the 10 actions of effective leaders... read more