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The rung isn’t broken at the bottom anymore. It’s breaking in the middle — and everyone in the room is helping it happen. For years, McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace report told a familiar story. Fewer women than men advancing into leadership. The gap opening early and widening from there. The 2025 report contains a […]

The room went quiet when you walked in. That’s not respect. That’s a warning. You’ve seen it happen. The room is buzzing. People talking, laughing, the hum of a team at ease with itself. The leader enters. And within seconds — silence. I’ve been in that room many times. Waiting for the leader. And I’ve […]

The latest McKinsey Women in the Workplace report contains a finding that should stop every senior leader in their tracks. Women now represent 48% of entry-level leaders. By the time you reach the C-suite, that figure is 29%. The pipeline is full. The talent is there. Something is happening on the way up. For years, […]

A cock-up at the highest level of government. Peter Mandelson appointed US Ambassador against the recommendation of security vetting officials. The Foreign Office overruled them. The Prime Minister wasn’t told. When it unravelled, the resignations followed: Mandelson out. Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, gone. Olly Robbins, the permanent under secretary at the Foreign Office, […]

That’s a provocative thing to say, but after working with senior executives across industries, I’ve come to believe it’s true. And until leaders understand what power actually is, they’ll keep winning battles that cost them the war. The word itself comes from the Anglo-French pouair, meaning “to be able.” That’s it. At its root, power […]

I picked this word out of the small bowl of words on my desk this morning. A daily ritual: drawing one small card, turning the word over, letting it land. Today’s word stopped me in my tracks. Be. Such a small word. One of the oldest verbs in the English language, in fact. Its roots […]

I’ve been invited to contribute a chapter to a book on thoughtful leadership. It’s an honour, and I don’t take it lightly. One of the ground rules is clear and non-negotiable: no AI. Every word must come from me — from my experience, my mistakes, my hard-won understanding of what actually works when you’re sitting […]

Something has shifted. I feel it, and I suspect you do too. Wars that seem without end. Geopolitical fractures deepening by the day. Organisations consuming their best people. Brilliant, capable leaders who arrive full of energy and leave hollowed out. Environmental damage accumulating faster than our willingness to address it. These aren’t isolated failures. They […]

This morning I received a small surprise in the post. A parcel containing two books. Both written by the same author. Both signed. And both with a personal dedication to me. The only problem is… I have no clear memory of meeting him. I’ve been racking my brain ever since. Where did we meet? What […]

Today I chose the word power from my bowl of inspiration. It’s a word that can feel heavy, even loaded. In boardrooms and political arenas, power is often associated with hierarchy, authority and control. Yet the kind of power that most interests me — and the kind I build all my work around — is […]