What stories are you telling to our future leaders?

Monday 21st of January was a particularly snowy day with 16 cm of the white stuff gently floating down to transform the landscape and cause the usual UK chaos. As a result schools were closed and my two children took this opportunity to have some fun time in the snow. My eldest had crafted a…

What stories are you telling ?

On the evening on the 21st December, the travelling crib came to our house. The crib begins its journey on the 1st of December travelling to a different family’s home each night before returning to church on the evening of the 24th December for the Christingle service. It’s a church tradition and has been a…

Should the young be taught leadership?

I was heartened to read Jack Zenger’s HBR article ‘We Wait Too Long to Train Our Leaders’ as it echoes much of my own perspectives and beliefs. I shared these in my blog ‘Everyday leadership’ where I posed a few questions around leadership becoming more mainstream, leadership in our everyday daily actions and introducing leadership…

7 simple yet powerful ways to get the most out of your team

Do your staff just turn up to work, do what is required of them and then go home? One of the challenges of leadership is to create an environment where people actually care about what happens in the business,  to the business and its success. Imagine the impact on your business if all of your…

Don’t leave your career to fate. 5 tips to help women manage their careers

In my last article, I shared the story of one of my clients, Susan who like many mums get  caught up in the treadmill of work, family and life and don’t take time out to actively manage and make plans for progressing their careers. 3 fundamental questions were asked to help Susan get started:  What…

Everyday leadership. What does it mean to you?

I first ventured into the world of leadership back in the early 90’s. I didn’t know it as ‘leadership’ then. I landed a role which was a step up in my career and it soon became apparent that my principles, values and professional ethics were being compromised by what was happening and not happening in the department. I…

Does what you do define who you are?

‘What do you do’, this was the question posed to me at a community event. Being in a non  conformist mood, I replied, that I ‘do’ many things, have many titles and wear several different hats, sometimes more than one at the same time. I could see the look of puzzlement flicker across the gentleman’s…

Don’t leave your career to fate: 3 questions for working mums to ask

‘I can’t believe that they have put her in charge of the team. I’ve been here 7 years, worked my socks off and they go and bring in someone from the outside!’ grumbled Susan, as she shifted agitatedly in her chair. ‘I wasn’t even consulted, or asked if I wanted the role’, she continued. As…

No need to act like a man: 6 tips for women to develop their leadership style

‘I can’t seem to get it right,’ sighs Joanna, as she slumps into the chair next to me. ‘When I’m assertive and forceful, I’m labelled, ‘aggressive and acting like a man’ and when I’m open and ask for everyone’s opinion, I’m called soft and pushover’…. Joanna has stepped up in her leadership role and is…

10 tips to get you started if you are returning to work after a break

It’s Monday morning, Harriet sets off with nervous anticipation for work. It is her first day at work. What’s the big deal? Harriet is not a school leaver or a graduate but a 48 year old mother of 3 children. The eldest is 18 and the youngest entered into secondary education this week. Harriet is a…