Blog
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3 ways to transform your networking approach
Networking used to terrify me. Sweaty palms, forced smiles, making small talk with people I don’t know… For many leaders, networking can feel transactional, awkward or like just another task on an already full plate. But Networking isnโt about what you do – itโs about how you connect. I learned this when I realised that……
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๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง
As I turned the pages of ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง by James Norbury, tears welled up๐ขNot just a single drop, but a quiet cascade of emotions Some books don’t just tell a story. They touch something deep within you. The simple, yet profound narrative captures resilience, growth and connection through two characters navigating the……
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The masks we wear
For years, I wore a mask. Not a physical one. Something far more constricting. Growing up in South America was rich in experiences. Climbing coconut trees, schooling my Rhode Island Red hens, losing myself in Enid Blyton books, fuelled by the sun and endless imagination. When I was sent to live in England, my peers’……
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Leadership isn’t about having all the answers
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about finding the courage to ask the right questions. During a restructuring, when stakes were high and uncertainty loomed large, I received this feedback from an executive that resonated: “Thanks for all your support, kindness, patience and agitation, Vera. You have been pivotal in stretching my mindset,……
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Who are the 5 people shaping your career?
๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ? Jim Rohn famously said, ‘You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.’ This insight isn’t just about personal growth. It is also a powerful career development strategy. Think of your professional network as your personal board of directors. Each person brings……
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Your unique voice needs to he heard
Ever felt like your voice doesn’t matter in the room? ‘The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best’ Henry Van Dyke This quote challenges every senior leader who has ever held back in a crucial moment. Whether you are: ยทย Leading from the boardroom ยทย Driving strategic initiatives ยทย Building……
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How a Caricature Taught Me a Valuable Leadership Lesson
How a Caricature Taught Me a Valuable Leadership Lesson I was walking past a caricature artist. On a whim, I stopped and decided to sit for a portrait. As I watched him sketch, I wondered how he would capture me: Would he exaggerate my smile? My wrinkles? My furrowed brow? My nose? What would he……
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Embracing the Unfamiliar
At 15, I stepped into the unknown. One flight. One suitcase. One life changing journey. My first time on a plane. Sent to live in England ( from South America) With an aunt I had never met. The culture shock was immediate and intense: ๐๏ธ Houses joined together like a giant puzzle ๐ฅถ Weather that……
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๐คHow ready are you to Lead in the AI Era?
๐คHow ready are you to Lead in the AI Era? As we move into 2025, AI is no longer just a buzzword. It is transforming leadership, decision making, innovationโฆ. ๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ. The shifting leadership landscape: โ 84.3% of orgsย now have a Chief Data Officer (12% in 2012). โ 33.1% have……
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How financial stress may impact your leadership
Financial stress impacting leadership? Ever wondered why some bosses seem grumpier? New research from ย reveals surprising reasons behind their behaviour: – Managers facing financial difficulties at home are more likely to exhibit controlling and sometimes abusive behaviours at work. – Nearly 40% of layoffs in 2024 affected senior managers, contributing to increased stress and reactive……
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5 ways to amplify your executive presence
Command or blend in? Executive Prescence is the silent power that elevates leaders๐ฅ Executive presence isnโt just about confidence. It’s the secret sauce that sets extraordinary leaders apart. 5 ways you can amplify your executive presence: ๐ฏ Intentional Communication โข Speak with clarity and purpose โข Use concise, impactful language โข Practice active listening ๐ช……
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Purpose driven leadership
Going through the motions or Leading with purpose? Feeling stuck in: – Endless meetings? – Reactive problem-solving? – A disconnect from your purpose? Purpose-driven leadership is not just a trend. Itโs your secret weapon for success. The most compelling leaders aren’t just executing strategies. They are creating meaningful impact that resonates far beyond quarterly reports.……
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Invest in your career, whether you are staying put or seeking promotion
Invest in your career, whether you are staying put or seeking promotion Have you ever been complacent or comfortable at work? Perhaps on autopilot? That was me at one stage in my career. Great job, excellent salary, wonderful familyโฆ.life was rosy. I was coasting along. And then I started to notice that my peers were……
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Soul food
Soul food Got my mojo workingโฆ some holidays feed your soul in more ways than one. After 10 days off-grid (yep, no social media ๐ซ๐ฑ) immersed in the vibrant culture, rich history and sheer diversity of New Orleans, I’ve returned with a spring in my step, a song in my heart and my curiosity fed……
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3 key levers for aligning culture with performance
๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐, ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ญ. Too often, leaders chase results without building the culture that sustains them. In my experience of driving transformative change, a positive culture, not just targets, drives lasting performance. Culture influences our mindsets, behaviours, attitudes and sense of belonging, leading to higher engagement……
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3 strategies to quickly boost team morale
Last week, I spoke with a leader whose team was struggling with low engagement and energy. Here are the 3 strategies I suggested that will boost the team’s morale quickly: ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ: Invite your team to bring an object that holds personal significance to the next meeting. This simple act of sharing stories……
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Gartnerโs Top 5 HR Trends for 2025
This comes as no surprise. They reflect what I hear from both senior leaders and organisations. ๐ Gartnerโs Top 5 HR Trends for 2025: 1. ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ: 75% of managers struggle with expanding roles and only 36% of leadership programs prepare them for the future. 2. ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐: 57% of managers fail to……
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Bold Leadership: Drive Strategic Change, Elevate Teams and Prevent Burnout
If you missed my October’s newletter, you can still access it here I explored how senior leaders can drive strategic change and innovation by building aligned, engaged collaborative teams, while maintaining high performance and wellbeing. A peek inside: ๐Gartner’s Top Priorities for HR Leaders in 2025 – Leader development retains its number 1 spot ๐คMastering……
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How can a strengths based approach enhance team effectiveness?
Recognising each team memberโs unique strengths is essential for transforming performance. When these strengths are overlooked: โ Team members may not be working in their areas of expertise โ Misaligned tasks can slow down progress โ Disengagement can occur when talents are underutilised What happens when you leverage their strengths? โ Team members thrive in roles……
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Why do some teams excel while others struggle?
Why do some teams excel while others struggle? Back in 2000, while researching team effectiveness at St James Hospital in Leeds, it became evident that teams are a reflection of their leaders. They set the tone, role model postive behaviours, drive the culture. It was here that I came across Amy Edmondsonโs early work on……
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Women in the workplace
McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org recently published their 10th anniversary report on Women in the Workplace While women have made progress in some areas, there is still much work to do to create a workplace experience that is inclusive and equitable for everyone. ยท Womenโs representation in the C-suite has increased to 29%, up from……
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The lasting impact of coaching
This week, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with two former clients – one from 4 years and another from 3 ago. ๐Both shared how the coaching strategies, techniques and mindsets we developed together are still making a significant impact in their lives today. โจTheir stories are a powerful reminder of the long lasting benefits……
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Balancing act: Maintaining high performance while driving change
In a conversation yesterday with a colleague from an organisation undergoing transformational change, I shared a phrase I use when supporting leaders at this critical juncture โ something I call ๐๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ. In organisations that are transforming, leaders must balance the demands of maintaining high performance in their current roles while at the same……
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How small lapses can lead to big consequencesย
Have you ever noticed how small lapses in consistency can have big consequences? This morning, while out on the moors with my Springer Spaniel, something in the bracken caught her attention.She stopped and I carried on. I blew my whistle which isย a signal to come to heel immediately. No response. I called again, still nothing..……
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Leadership unpeeled and the Power of Mindset
I hope you had a rejuvenating summer break. What was the highlight of your summer? For me, it was creating a new model for developing teams. After many iterations and refinements, am chuffed to have reached this point. As we transition back into our professional routines, itโs the perfect time to refocus on our purpose……
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Innovation is a team sport
As a team coach, I believe innovation is crucial to teams and organisations because it drives growth, fosters adaptability and enables them to stay competitive in a constantly changing world. This article from INSEAD Knowledge resonates. Innovation thrives on well-combined teams rather than individual stars. In a study of over 500 research projects, the most……
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Great leaders ask, not tell: Transform your team with powerful questions
The most effective leaders donโt have all the answers; they ask the right questions. Asking powerful questions help to generate new insights, perspectives, build stronger connections with your team and fosters a coaching mindset. Here are some impactful questions to consider: ๐คTo understand your teamโs perspective:What challenges are you facing right now and how can……
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Self care for leaders: Tackling inner fires to boost resilience
๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฎ’๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฌ – ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ? As leaders, we navigate complex landscapes, juggle responsibilities, meet tight deadlines, grapple with unrealistic expectations and unforeseen challenges. And thatโs just at work, never mind home! Amidst this whirlwind, our own well-being often takes a backseat. Practicing self-care……
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Authentic leadership support for women
This recent HBR study reveals that women often see power as the freedom to make choices, while men typically associate it with control. This difference matters because many programs focus on teaching women traditional leadership skills, which can unintentionally pressure them to conform to outdated norms. This often leaves women, especially those in senior roles,……
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3 ways to lead your team more authentically
2 joyful things happed today ๐ The sun has finally arrived in Yorkshire, yah ๐ก The tall scaffolding from the house below ours has been removed. It had completely changed the vista and perspective from our house, acting as a barrier to what lies beyond. I was reminded as they started to dismantle it this……