“Professional networks have long memories. The people you used on the way up will be watching when you arrive.” This is the pattern no one writes about directly, because it is the most uncomfortable to name. Some leaders are skilled at relationships — warm, engaging, memorable — but only when there is something to be […]
Diplomacy Without Gratitude Is Not Leadership Read More »
“The leader who built the system is often the last person to see when the system needs to change.” There is a particular rigidity that can develop in leaders who have achieved significant results — a quiet conviction that the way they did things is the way things should be done. It is understandable. They
The Moment a Good Leader Stops Growing Read More »
“You do not have to be a bad person to be a biased leader. You only have to stop paying attention.” Bias is not the preserve of bad leaders. It is a human default — present in every hiring decision, every performance conversation, every moment of trust extended or withheld. The difference between leaders who
The Bias Good Leaders Refuse to Name Read More »
“A room full of agreement is not a sign of great leadership. It is a warning sign.” It rarely happens suddenly. Over time, the people who challenged a leader tend to drift away — reassigned, sidelined, or simply worn down. And the people who affirm tend to accumulate. The leader does not necessarily orchestrate this.
When Everyone Agrees With You, Start Worrying Read More »
“The higher you rise, the less honest feedback you receive — and the more you need it.” There is a quiet irony at the top of most organisations. The people who need honest feedback the most — senior leaders with significant influence over culture, decisions, and people — are precisely the ones who receive it
The Feedback Nobody Gives the Best Leaders Read More »
“Success without self-awareness is a ceiling. The best leaders I have known were also the ones most willing to look at what they were getting wrong.” I have been fortunate to work alongside some exceptionally good leaders over the course of my career — people from Ivy League universities, top business schools and engineering institutes,
The Dark Side of Good Leaders Read More »
