The new organisational chart went up on a Tuesday. Twenty-three boxes, cleaner reporting lines, three fewer layers between the shop floor and the board. The CFO had modelled it for six weeks. The logic was airtight; cost synergies, faster decision-making, a structure built for where the business was going rather than where it had been. By Thursday, the best engineer on the team had updated her CV. Nobody had done anything wrong, exactly. The structure made sense. The targets

I've stood on both sides of the bed. The one where I redrew someone's role and called it evolution, and watched them hear it along with everyone else. And years before, the one where my own role got redrawn two floors above me, in a meeting at a hotel I found out about from a calendar invite sent at 4.58pm for 9am the next morning. Both times, the bed was already built. The measuring came after. There's an old Greek story about a man called Procrustes who kept an inn on the r

Today I’m interviewing Mike Hobday on The Power Within podcast. Mike has spent his career at the sharp end of transformation as an international CEO, former IBM General Manager, AI and transformation leader, board advisor and executive coach. So naturally, we’ll be talking about AI. But not just as a technology story. Because the more I watch this moment unfold, the more I believe this: AI is not the real leadership crisis. The real crisis is what AI is revealing: It is reve

Any list of “most culturally influential bands” will do two things instantly: make some people very happy and seriously irritate others. Good. Because influence, by definition, disrupts comfort. Let’s narrow this down to four bands that didn’t just sell records; they reframed identity. The Beatles: Youth Became Authority Before The Beatles, youth culture followed. After them, it led. They evolved publicly, transitioning from neat suits to psychedelic experimentation, bringing

Not long ago, getting somewhere new meant unfolding a map, asking for directions, or, heaven forbid, getting lost and figuring it out as you went. Today, most of us couldn’t drive five miles without a satnav calmly telling us where to turn. That small convenience points to a much bigger shift. We no longer navigate - we follow. We no longer explore - we execute instructions. And it’s not just driving. The Shift in Learning When we don’t know something, we don’t sit with the q

In a world that often rewards conformity, it takes courage to stand apart. The image of a single black sheep in the middle of an endless sea of white sheep is a striking reminder of the choice we face daily: to follow the crowd or to follow our own compass. Too often, people move in herds, whether in business, leadership, or life. It feels safer that way. After all, when everyone else is going in one direction, standing out can make you feel exposed. But here’s the truth: pro

For those of us of a certain age, The Jam was THE sound of that exciting musical period as the 70s gave way to the 80s. The Jam were at the epicentre of the Mod Revival. In 1982, when Weller announced that The Jam was finished, fans were floored. The band was at the peak of their powers: chart-topping hits, critical acclaim, sold-out shows, and a loyal following that saw them as the voice of a generation. 6 successful studio albums including the final album The Gift which de

Today marks the anniversary of a day that forever changed the world—September 11, 2001. As we pause to remember the lives lost and the bravery displayed, it is also a moment to reflect on the profound lessons that 9/11 has imparted, particularly for those of us in leadership roles. The Fragility of Life and the Urgency of Purpose The events of 9/11 serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of life. In an instant, ordinary people were thrust into extraordinary situations, man

There are a multitude of approaches to problem solving and some problems are extremely complex and may require a robust and comprehensive problem solving model. However , in my 30+ years of corporate experience, the simplest and most memorable models work best in the majority of circumstances. Therefore, if you are facing a problem that requires you to find the solution, this easy to remember methodology might serve you as well as it's served me over the years - The Motivus

Congratulations on your new leadership role! Here's an outline plan for your first 90 days on the job: Week 1 Get to know your team members: Schedule individual meetings with each team member to understand their roles, responsibilities, strengths, and areas for improvement. Meet with stakeholders: Meet with key stakeholders such as customers, partners, and vendors to understand their needs and expectations. Review current processes: Review current processes and workflows to i

If you feel out of your comfort zone when trying to solve a potential problem and doubt your problem-solving ability, there are plenty of ways to develop your skillset. Here are some tips for improving your problem-solving approach: 1. Focus on the solution. It’s easy to become hyperfocused on the conditions that created the problem. Shifting your focus away from the current problem to possible outcomes and solutions can give you a more positive outlook and open your eyes to