Are you ignoring the Check Engine light?

Imagine if you were wrongly accused of fiddling the books. That your life and livelihood were put into serious question. Your reputation trashed. Your standing and wellbeing undermined, without just cause. How would you feel? What would you do? How would you cope with having your truth ignored, challenged, dismissed? If you’re in the UK and you’ve been following the Post Office […]

It’s like eating junk food

This week one of my clients was sharing how they had spent some time on a shared business trip with another colleague in discussion about a leader in their business. The conversation, and I’m sure you’ll recognise the type, because we all have them from time to time, focused on what was wrong or challenging in […]

Your message is dumb, he said

This was the conclusion to a terse exchange between me and someone I’d reached out to on a social media platform. It was the end of a pithy back and forth after their first reply to me had seemed to be derogatory both to me and a particular profession. Of course there are so many potential responses […]

When yes battles with no

Thursday 4am. I sit bolt upright in bed. Thoughts of the day’s tasks coming up thick and fast. My stomach clenches. My mouth is dry. There is a gnawing anxiety already present. My head feels tight.   I lie back down, tossing back and forth but knowing the night is over. I try to stay breathing in calm; bringing my attention to my […]

Do you fall into the trap of ‘this or that’?

I leant forward in my seat.  It couldn’t be done.  No way. To get the project finished on time, would mean another weekend at work. My heart sank, and my stomach contracted.  I would have to tell my partner this was another weekend written off for work, in service of my clients, my business. I felt myself growing […]

What rockbottom really tells you

Neil (not his real name) had been fired from his last two positions.  His confidence was at rockbottom.  He knew he was a capable and experienced leader, but twice in a row.  Surely that meant there was some fatal flaw that he was simply not seeing? At heart, he was a natural problem solver.  He thrived […]

The Unseen Struggle of Driven (Tech) Dads

Gary closed the door to the bathroom, turned the lock and looked at himself in the mirror. He didn’t like what he saw. Tiredness. Anger. Shame. The beginnings of a haunted look. The cold water from the tap jolted his senses. He scooped it up in his hands and splashed it on to this face. He hoped the iciness would wake him up […]

Why dreams matter

I was in the beautiful city of Vancouver when it dawned on me.  It was a beautiful autumn day. I was on the campus of the University of British Columbia.  In the cold clear light of day, I saw something new.  My breath slowed. I felt the freshening October air on my face.   An energy surge […]

How do you keep your head when others are losing theirs?

Picture this. You’re about to play your favourite sport. Let’s say it’s a tennis match, for the sake of this post. You’re about to step on to the court, when someone comes up and says you’ve been selected for a special competition. The winner of this match will get £1 million. How does knowing that affect your […]

Are you secretly blaming yourself?

This was another meeting that confirmed Ed’s opinion. As daylight faded and they all sat tensely around the table, she cut across him again. He felt his stomach clench. Why was it that whenever he expressed an opinion of value, she immediately dismissed it and turned to her  favourites? He stared into the half-drunk glass of […]