There is a particular moment in a meeting that should worry a leader. It isn’t when somebody challenges them. It’s when nobody does. Every suggestion is greeted with agreement. Nobody pushes back. Difficult questions don’t materialise. The meeting ends smoothly and everyone leaves apparently aligned. It can feel like good leadership. It may be precisely the opposite. Because one of the peculiar consequences of becoming more senior is that people gradually become less honest w

Every meeting has a hierarchy. The interesting thing is that hierarchy doesn't necessarily play out in the same way as in does on the organisational chart. The most senior person in the room may be apologetic, hesitant or desperate to be liked. The most junior may appear calm, comfortable and entirely at ease expressing a different opinion. Within minutes, we begin to sense who has authority, who wants it, who is giving it away and who doesn’t seem particularly concerned abou

Imagine you’ve noticed one of your best people is underperforming. You know the conversation needs to happen. Instead, you tell yourself, 'I’ll wait until next week. They’re under a lot of pressure.' Next week soon becomes next month. By then, the problem has doubled. Most leaders want to be liked. There’s nothing wrong with that in itself. In fact, the best leaders tend to be warm, approachable and deeply respected. The problem begins when being liked becomes more important

There’s a moment that happens in almost every leadership career. A question comes - from a board, a team, a journalist, a difficult stakeholder - and the leader doesn’t know the answer. What happens next is surprisingly revealing. The pressure to perform certainty. Most leaders feel it. The tacit expectation that they should have the answer; that uncertainty, admitted openly, will be read as weakness or incompetence. That the room will lose confidence in them. That something

Leadership is often described as the ability to influence, inspire and guide others towards a common goal. While strategy, decision-making and expertise are all important, there is another skill that quietly underpins great leadership: storytelling. The reality is that people rarely connect with information alone. They connect with meaning. A leader can present a flawless strategy, packed with data and carefully considered plans, but if people don’t understand why it matters,

I've been spending hours today in an edit suite, finalising three creative short films. There's a particular type of discipline that emerges in that environment. You arrive with abundance - multiple takes, different interpretations, a range of possibilities. On the surface, it feels like having more gives you more options, more control. But then that assumption is challenged. Because in the edit suite, editing isn't about adding. It's about deciding... What strengthens the st

Here's why listening is the most underrated leadership skill - and what to do about it. Most leaders think they’re good listeners. They don’t interrupt. They nod. They ask a question or two. And they assume that’s enough. It isn’t. Because listening isn’t about whether you can do it. It’s whether you can actually do it well, and when it matters. Two different leaders I once met an entrepreneur for coffee. He spoke for 45 minutes straight. No questions. No curiosity. Just a mo

Master communication skills: how to speak with clarity, build trust, handle difficult situations and lead with confidence. Strong leadership is built on communication. Not just what you say - but how you say it, when it matters, and how it's received. You can have the right strategy, the right ideas, and the right experience - but if you can't communicate them clearly, your impact is limited. This guide breaks down the essential communication skills every leader needs - and p