What would your team say?

Whenever I kick off a new cohort of leadership training, I always ask the same question early on. “How would you describe the culture in your organisation?” What I usually get is a variety of thoughtful answers. Different perspectives. Different experiences. Usually with some clear common themes running through them. And when we start discussing those answers in the group, there’s almost always a moment where someone says, “That’s not how it feels in my team.” Which makes sense. Because while there is an organisational culture, there’s also a sub-culture in every team. A slightly different flavour. A different lived experience. And that experience is shaped, day in and day out, by the leader. I lead my team with my … Read more

I’m feeling disheartened

I want to be honest. I’m feeling pretty disheartened about leadership in this country right now. You’ll know if you’ve ever worked with me that I’m a firm believer that culture starts at the top. So when I watch the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition shouting across the Commons, name calling, point scoring and their own benches jeering, gesticulating and generally being obnoxious, I can’t help thinking: is this really the example we want our country to follow? When Kemi Badenoch took a personal swipe at Rachel Reeves after the budget, it didn’t feel like challenging ideas. It felt like proving who could land the sharpest dig. Imagine that in your boardroom. Someone proposes a direction for … Read more