Leadership Tip
HOW TO READ THE ROOM
9 September 2026
Good leaders notice what is said, and what is not. Eye contact, facial expression, posture and physical distance can all offer clues about how someone is feeling, but no single signal tells the whole story. The trick is to observe patterns without... read more
Leadership Tip
HOW TO BUILD YOUR POWER SKILLS
2 September 2026
Technical knowledge may get you noticed, but it is rarely what makes people want to follow you. As leaders become more senior, success depends increasingly on judgement, communication, empathy and the ability to influence without relying on authority.... read more
Leadership Tip
HOW TO FUTURE-PROOF YOUR TEAM
26 August 2026
A five-year study by the National Foundation for Educational Research identified six transferable skills employers are likely to value increasingly: communication, collaboration, information literacy, organising and prioritising, problem solving and... read more
Leadership Tip
HOW TO RISE ABOVE ABUSE
19 August 2026
I endured serious abuse from my father as a child. That sentence is difficult to write, but it perhaps explains why people sometimes ask how I rise above abuse today. The answer is not that it doesn’t hurt. It is that I refuse to let another person’s... read more
Leadership Tip
HOW TO LEAD WHEN YOU KNOW DIDDLY SQUAT
12 August 2026
I may be five years late to Clarkson’s Farm, which is especially remiss given that Diddly Squat is almost on my Cotswold doorstep. Having now completed Series One, I understand why it has attracted such affection. When the farmer who had worked the land... read more
Leadership Tip
HOW TO MAKE AMBITION SERVE YOU
5 August 2026
For most of my life, ambition was an ally. It helped me join the Royal Navy at 16 with no qualifications, rise from the lower deck to become an officer, build a second career in financial services and create TEN. Every chapter rewarded the same formula:... read more
Leadership Tip
HOW TO GET YOUR BOSS TO WANT A COACH
29 July 2026
Senior leaders often receive less honest feedback precisely when they need it most. Suggesting that your boss needs help, however, is unlikely to end well. The secret is to make coaching feel like an opportunity they have chosen, not a remedy you have... read more
Leadership Tip
HOW TO BECOME THE PERSON YOU WANT TO BE
22 July 2026
Most of us know the person we want to become: fitter, calmer, kinder, more disciplined or courageous. The difficulty is not deciding; it is doing. Lasting change rarely comes from heroic acts of willpower. It comes from small, deliberate behaviours... read more
Leadership Tip
How to build a team that never stops improving
15 July 2026
Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of teams, from the Royal Navy to the boardroom. The best weren’t always the smartest, the biggest or the best resourced. What set them apart was their willingness to keep learning. They created an environment... read more
Leadership Article
10 questions leaders should never ask
10 July 2026
Leadership is often portrayed as having the right answers. In reality, great leadership is more about asking the right questions. Questions can open minds, build trust and encourage innovation. Equally, they can shut down discussion, create... read more