Back to Blog

Kicking Off 2025 with Optimism

It’s hard to believe we’re already well into 2025! This is my first blog of the year, and with good reason—I wrapped up my MBA (finally!) and we celebrated Gary’s 60th in style. Not only that, but I managed to pull off a huge surprise, bringing his siblings from all corners of the world—UK, South Africa, and Australia—without him finding out! The look on his face was priceless.To top it all off, we had a cowboy-themed celebration, which was an absolute hoot! Think boots, hats, and a ...

2024: A Year of Sucker Punches and Joyful Surprises

As Mike Tyson famously said, "Everyone has a plan until they are punched in the face." This year has felt like one sucker punch after another. Clients have tightened their belts, I’ve faced the loss of my father in South Africa and I’ve been navigating the relentless demands of completing my MBA. Most of these struggles have been deeply personal, making it a brutally challenging year.But amidst the tough times, there have been moments of pure joy. We celebrated the first year of my...

The Power of Peer Groups: Creating Space for Real Growth

As leaders, we often get caught up in the whirlwind of daily tasks—focusing on urgent demands, solving immediate problems, and reacting to what's right in front of us. But when was the last time you took a step back to focus on what’s important but not urgent? When did you last invest time in yourself and the future of your leadership?Stephen Covey’s time management quadrant highlights the difference between tasks that are urgent versus those that are imp...

Soft Skills Are Hard!

A real bugbear of mine is getting the eye-roll when I tell people what I do because they think it is that “soft stuff”, or the word fluffy.  This is in the same breath when telling me that they can get through to people.   I know, I know I’ve written about this before.  I will probably carry on until we can move away from this kind of thinking because it limits leaders and real people suffer because we don’t take this stuff seriously.Soft skills are har...

Navigating the In-Between Stages of Leadership

I recently learned a new word in my many, many readings for this MBA paper.  As I read it, I could feel the relief wash over me.  I will tell you why later……Liminality.This is a critical yet often overlooked phase in career development: the in-between stages of leadership. This period, marked by transition and transformation, can be both challenging and enriching. Let’s explore how you can navigate this stage effectively and prepare yourself to step into your next leade...

Biscuits With The Boss: 5 Leadership Lessons from Ted Lasso to Spark Greatness

It has been a crazy week, earlier this week my son was rear-ended by a car on his motorcycle.  I am so grateful to report that he got off very lightly with a broken ankle.  So my week has been filled with babysitting my beautiful granddaughter so her mum could take care of my son.  So very little time and headspace has been left to do things like a newsletter.  So this month I have asked Gemini ai to help me craft a tongue-in-cheek leadership newsletter ba...

Riding The Wave of AI in Coaching and Consulting

I wrote about this for one of my MBA assignments and thought I would rewrite a less formal version for this month's newsletter.  One of the key things I realised as I did my research on this subject is that most clients who come to me come with a problem or pain point; very often, realise that part of the solution is identifying that fundamental issue isn’t the actual problem they bring but something entirely different.Riding the Wave of AI in Coaching and ConsultingSo, you know how ...

Leading With Purpose: Five Essential Traits for Today's Leaders

In a world where change is constant and uncertainty prevails, the role of leadership has never been more critical. As we navigate through these dynamic times, leaders need to embrace a mindset focused on long-term success and sustainable growth. Drawing inspiration from Simon Sinek's insightful book, "The Infinite Game," I’ve  identified five key leadership traits that are essential for thriving in today's challenging landscape.Visionary Thinking: Great leaders have a clear vision of...

Standing Before Kings

"Do you see a man diligent and skilful in his business? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men."This is one of my favourite proverbs.  It is one I have had on countless sticky notes on my wall to not only inspire me but challenge me.  And it speaks to one of my core values, To make a difference.  I want to have a positive impact on the world. And especially in the world of business.  In the whirlwind of today's corporate land...

The Leader-Leader Model

I have been listening to the Audible book Turn That Ship Around by L. David Marquet.  This is the first time I have heard of the leader-leader phrase.  I really resonate with this.  As I work with leaders and leadership teams, my goal is to help them create clarity so that everyone in the organisation knows exactly what is okay and what isn’t okay.  It also enables the team to make smaller decisions without having to wait for permission.Embracing Leader-Leader Lea...

From Fellowship to Anxiety

Two and a half decades ago, the term "company" dominated business language.  Fast forward to the present, and the narrative has shifted; "business" has taken centre stage in our professional vernacular. This linguistic evolution is more than a semantic change—it reflects a profound transformation in the ethos of modern enterprise.The etymology of Company vs. BusinessI love delving into the roots of words, which reveal intriguing insights. "Company" finds its origin in the Latin words "com...

Imperfectly Perfect Plan

Those of you who have followed me for a few years will know that I do a process called Best Year Yet at the end of the year.  I used to run a workshop for others, I started that to keep myself accountable; last year was the first year that I didn’t run one because my plate was too full, but I still do that process.  This guarantees I have my Best Year every year ;-)The reason why it is so important?  Normally our years are full, and we spend our years getting stuff done and...

Entitlement Stinks!

When one of our sons was younger, he went through a stage where he became very entitled.  It was a challenging period for us because no matter what we did, he would feel that he was being grossly mistreated and lived with a sense of injustice.  He felt like everyone else was treated better than him.  A lot had to do with his behaviour and the consequences he was having to face, which for him, was further evidence that we were the “worst parents in the whole world”.I can’t re...

Little Boxes

The title 'little boxes' always makes me think of the song Little Boxes.  My favourite version is from Walk off the Earth. Video link below. You’re welcome. I digress… I am not a fan of little boxes; I am talking about the little boxes we create for ourselves and others.  So, when it came to looking for tools that could unlock people’s understanding of themselves and others, I have always been a huge fan of CliftonStrengths, I love this tool because it doesn’t put people i...

Leadership Lessons Amidst Disaster.

Where there is smoke, is there a fire?   I can’t help it; I see leadership lessons everywhere.  In every conversation, in every story. Isn’t it weird when disaster strikes, how curious we become about understanding what went wrong? I recently had a get-together with some business owners over a coffee and the conversation came around to the recent implosion of the Titan.  I really don’t know all the ins and outs because I actively avoid the news for the most pa...

Trust is not fluffy!

Trust is not fluffy! In fact, it is hard, which is why many avoid it.This month I want to dive into the remarkable benefits of vulnerability-based trust within your team and how it can unleash the power of authenticity. It is the foundation of any successful team, and by embracing vulnerability, we can foster deeper connections, enhance collaboration, and achieve extraordinary results. So, let's have a look at some of the advantages of vulnerability-based trust together!1.    ...

Riding Shotgun!

"Shotgun!" My boys used to yell this out as they elbowed each other to get to the front seat when we would leave in the morning for the school run.According to Wikipedia, "riding shotgun" was a phrase used to describe the bodyguard who rides alongside a stagecoach driver, typically armed with a break-action shotgun called a coach gun, to ward off bandits or hostiles. In modern use, it refers to the practice of sitting alongside the driver in a moving vehicle or giving support or aid to someone. ...

Building Leaders Today For The Future.

Parenting, like leadership is all about empowering and equipping people to take the lead.As a parent, you spend your whole life training your children up to be kind, considerate, fully functional adults. And at some point, you have to step aside and trust that everything you have imparted to them has been received, internalised and that you have done everything to set them up for success. You also have to trust that all your stuff up’s will strengthen them in ways that will be helpful and prod...

Set a Vision and Cast it!

I am not sure if it is cynicism or wisdom, but as each year goes by, I am less about the New Year resolution hype and more about value-driven goals.  I haven’t done New Year resolutions for at least a decade but spend time at the end and beginning of each year doing a process where I stop and take the time to acknowledge my successes and disappointments, and then seek out what I have learned from those experiences. I notice where I limit myself and create some guidelines to stop me f...

The Unseen Pain

I recently had a recurring pain which I have since learned is due to a severe sinus infection. I have had it before. It seems to hit me around October. This time it really hit me hard. I would describe the pain as having a hot poker stabbed into my face under my left eye and next to the nose, which is followed by pulsing electric shocks spreading up to my hairline and out to my ear. It is literally eye watering. It pops up randomly but chewing and talking can trigger it. Whic...

Drawing a line in the sand.

A point beyond which one will not go; a limit to what one will do or accept.Where is your line?Do you have one?Did you have one that has been blurred or rubbed out?Have you surrendered it?This blog is not informational it is conversational. It is an invitation to figure it out together.In a world that is becoming increasingly “anything goes” and yet “extremely polarised and rigid”, I have been struggling with where my lines are. And it has led me to take a step back to assess what m...

Playing it safe, isn't so safe.

Part of being a leader requires you to be open and ready for change and growth. As the world changes, leaders need to adjust and be prepared to lead others in that change. This requires us to be curious and to be open to making a mistake every now and then. The acid test is how you handle those moments. If we become defensive we close ourselves off to the lessons, but we also communicate that risking it is unsafe and that failing is shameful, this is not true. Failure is just feedback, stop...

Dying on the right hill.

We had an incident happen recently that had the potential to spiral into something nasty. Early this week I woke up to a very long and angry text involving my son and then a string of texts requiring me to “explain myself” from one of my neighbours who lives in our lane, they are relatively new, so apart from the odd smile and wave we haven’t really met them. I know enough that I didn’t want to try to clear it up over text so I tried to call, but the person wouldn’t take my cal...

Why is your WHY so important?

What makes you get up in the morning and do what you do?Why does your business exist?Why do you lead others?Why do we do the things we do? What would happen if your business ceased to exist tomorrow? Who would suffer because of that?These are some of the questions I have been thinking about this morning. Some of the work I do is helping people figure this out. The reason why this question is so important is if you don’t know the answer to it, you are likely to not have an anchor, a solid gr...

Accountability - the art of telling the truth in love.

I work with a lot of teams and the one thing most teams score the lowest in their team assessment is Accountability. It is especially hard in teams that like each other too. I have found that accountability can be misunderstood. I have seen it done badly with people being shamed into compliance, and I have also seen people getting away with behaviour that hurts the team and the organisation and the damage that does too. Accountability is an act of love, not only for that person but for the o...