Self-belief is a topic that surfaces most in my coaching conversations. It may not always be framed directly as such, but it’s there - shackling otherwise brilliant, capable people from acknowledging their own knowledge, skills and value. It is easy enough to spot because I’ve experienced those exact feelings myself. Most professional careers pass through three distinct psychological phases, and those familiar with the Dunning-Kruger effect will immediately recognise the pattern. Phase 1:...

In many organisations talent development budgets can often follow a ‘barbell’ strategy where investment is weighted heavily towards onboarding new talent and then again towards the high-stakes world of the C-Suite. This frequently leaves the mid-career, mid-level leadership layer - the very people responsible for translating strategy into reality - in a developmental void. Research actually suggests that this approach is often both counterintuitive and counterproductive with the middle being...

Few would probably contest that we’re living in a largely incomprehensible world right now where the role of leadership is no longer to simply provide the answer but to provide the framework for functional teams to find meaning. In 2026 clarity is arguably a greater competitive advantage than certainty. For many years leaders have consciously or subconsciously hung on to the VUCA model which recognises a world which is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. A more recent alternative...