The More Technology Advances, the More Human Leadership Matters
We have never had access to more information, analysis or support for making decisions. AI can summarise a report in seconds, challenge an argument, compare scenarios, prepare a presentation, suggest options and increasingly carry out parts of the work itself. The possibilities are extraordinary, and they will undoubtedly continue to change how organisations operate. I am less convinced, however, that this makes leadership easier. In some ways, it may ask more from us. Leader
9 min read
When Does Attention to Detail Become Micromanagement?
Most leaders do not wake up in the morning wanting to micromanage people. In fact, many of the leaders who struggle most with it are often: deeply committed highly responsible quality oriented and genuinely trying to support both their team and their clients well. Sometimes, what is labelled as “micromanagement” starts from something understandable: high standards fear of mistakes pressure from demanding environments or strong client expectations. And in some industries or or
5 min read
If You Don’t Have the Expertise — What Gives You Legitimacy as a Leader?
Stepping into a leadership role is rarely simple. Whether you’re coming from the outside, or you’ve been appointed to lead a team made up of different areas of expertise, you may find yourself in a similar position: working with people who know more than you do in their respective domains. And when expertise is the reference point, a quiet question often appears: “What do I actually bring?” Because when you are not the expert, it is not immediately obvious what your legitimac
4 min read
Positive Reinforcement — But Then What?
In many organisations today, there has been a clear and welcome shift. We talk more about strengths. We focus on what works. We encourage, recognise, and reinforce. And for good reason. Research from Positive Psychology has shown how powerful positive reinforcement can be — for motivation, engagement, and confidence. For a long time, feedback was too often associated with: criticism, correction, and what wasn’t good enough. So moving towards a more positive approach makes sen
4 min read
Why Strategy Doesn’t Turn Into Results — and What Makes the Difference
Most strategies don’t start badly. There is a vision.There are ambitions. There are numbers attached to it: increase market share, improve profitability, attract new customers, grow faster. On paper, it often makes sense. And yet, somewhere between the strategy deck and everyday reality, something happens. Or rather, something doesn’t happen. The results don’t fully follow. When strategy becomes a list of intentions Part of the difficulty is how strategy is often understood.
4 min read
Why Is It So Hard to Disconnect from Work Without Fear of Judgement?
Recently, during an employee satisfaction survey with a client, one result stopped me in my tracks. Only 60% of employees felt they could disconnect from work without fear of judgment during weekends or outside working hours. At first glance, this felt puzzling. Because when we looked closer, many of the right things were already in place: no emails expected over weekends, no last-minute after-hours requests with “tomorrow” deadlines, no messaging tools used outside working h
4 min read
Rethinking Feedback: Why Positive Reinforcement Matters
Why leaders often underestimate the power of recognition, focusing on mistakes instead of reinforcing success.
3 min read
