Ideas
Written from practice, not theory.
A developing body of thought on leadership, human development and performance, drawn from more than twenty-five years of doing the work.
Five territories
The areas of thought and practice I am developing.
- 01
Becoming More
Growth, character and human potential.
1 essay → - 02
Leadership Should Leave Evidence
What is the evidence of good leadership?
Coming soon - 03
Human-Centred Performance Leadership
Delivering results without diminishing people.
1 essay → - 04
Building People, Teams and Systems
Creating organisations that perform and endure.
3 essays → - 05
Opportunity, Exposure and Social Mobility
Why exposure changes expectations and outcomes.
1 essay →
Essays
Start here.
Building People, Teams and SystemsWhat managing nearly £500 million of public investment has taught mePublic investment is not really about money. It is about opportunity, and people are the reason any of it matters.5 min →
Opportunity, Exposure and Social MobilityThe power of exposureThe small gestures that shaped my career as a minority professional in the UK, and why exposure matters so much.3 min →
Building People, Teams and SystemsGovernance is not bureaucracyWhen good governance doesn’t feel important: a lesson from an empty construction site.4 min →
Human-Centred Performance LeadershipKnow their namesOne simple thing leaders and managers can do to boost the confidence of their staff.3 min →
Building People, Teams and SystemsWhat devolution can really achieveThe greatest benefit of devolution is not local control. It is local responsiveness.6 min →
Becoming MoreThe first version of the story is not always the final versionWhat a Chemistry result of 27% taught me about patience, hope and the people who take the time to help.2 min →
Essays in this territory are coming soon.
Why I write
Thinking out loud, on purpose.
I write to work out what I actually think. Each piece takes a single idea, usually something I learned the slow way, and tries to say it plainly enough to be useful in the middle of a working week.
If one of them prompts a thought or a disagreement, I would like to hear it.