EDGE Spring 2026

THE JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF LEADERSHIP

SPRING 2026

Grace under pressure Leading through crisis

Upfront

On the cover SPRING 2026

How do you keep a calm head in a crisis? And how do you step up and lead through pressurised situations, be they in a corporate culture, or in the emergency services or armed forces? One line in this issue sprang out at us: “Grace under pressure.” (Thanks to Sam Farah for this one. Sam is no stranger to leading under pressure, having been head of journalism at the BBC’s World Service. Read his opinion on page 21.) Our designer, Robyn, found images of classical statues and applied colour treatments to make them stand out, giving us a striking cover that embodies the boldness that leadership requires with the balance of serenity.

Editor’s letter

Edge is brought to you by: CPL One cplone.co.uk Editor Louise Parfitt louise.parfitt@cplone.co.uk Art director Robyn McCurdy Chief sub-editor Jo Halpin Managing editor Helen King Reporting team Martin Bewick, Tracey Lattimore, Cathy King The Institute of Leadership c/o JW Hinks LLP, 19 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3BH. ioledge.com Chief executive John Mark Williams Marketing executive Ciara Conway

Keeping calm... ... and carrying on – but at what price?

By

P

Louise Parfitt

ressure: it’s something we all experience, but the way we respond to it can make all the difference between a successful outcome and a high-stakes failure. And it is often down to leadership decisions as to which outcome it will be.

Of course, not every stressful situation will be as critical, but how leaders respond to a crisis of any level is important. In this issue of Edge, we consider what strong leadership in pressurised situations looks like – our writer Peter Crush investigates it in depth in our lead feature on pages 14-19 – including in professions such as the armed forces and emergency services.

We examine leadership in the military in our sector focus (see pages 57-61). Ryan Scott, from the Leadership Institute of the Royal Navy, shares a personal view on life in the service and explains an exciting new initiative to support members of the navy to step up into leadership roles. We also hear from Caroline Wade – who has moved

from the army into a leadership role in the NHS – on the similarities and differences she has found in the high-pressurised environments of both (pages 40-41).

Of course, pressure exists in all jobs, whether you’re an expedition leader caught in an avalanche (see our Spotlight feature on Jo Bradshaw, pages 46-49) or a leader of a big brand, intent on creating ethical clothing that makes a difference (read about Jo Tutchener Sharp OBE on pages 30-35).

What is also key is how we manage the effects of pressure on our physical and mental health.

We share wellbeing advice and experience from leaders and experts on pages 63-67.

We hope you also enjoy the new column at the end of the issue, where our resident agony aunts, Beth Stallwood and Sarah Langslow, offer support on your leadership issues (page 70).

If you have a question for them, or knowledge to share with our community, please get in touch. louise.parfitt@cplone.co.uk

For advertising sales, please contact ciara.conway@leadership.global Publishing Published in the United Kingdom by The Institute of Leadership.

Disclaimer Copyright 2026 The Institute of Leadership and CPL One. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission of the publisher. While we take care to ensure that editorial is accurate, independent, objective and relevant for the readers, Edge accepts no liability for reader dissatisfaction arising from the content of this publication. The opinions expressed or advice given are the views of individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Edge, The Institute of Leadership or CPL One. Edge is printed on FSC-approved paper from responsible sources.

Edge takes every effort to credit photographers but we cannot guarantee every published use of an image will have the contributor’s name. If you believe we have omitted a credit for your image, please email the editor.

ISSN 2515-7809 Printed by Paragon paragon.world

14 Contents Spring 2026

Upfront 7 CEO welcome John Mark Williams

8 Updates

Latest news; research round-up

11 Lead in 15

Leadership development exercise

Regulars 14 Grace under pressure

Knowledge

20 The debate

23 Critical lessons

Character vs learned behaviour, and the danger of tunnel vision

How do you lead when the map is gone?

30 Big interview

24 Turbulent times

Peter Crush on how to lead effectively through crisis

Scamp & Dude founder Jo Tutchener Sharp OBE on the secrets of success for a business started from a hospital bed

Cover image: AdobeStock/ Anson

46 Spotlight on

Expedition leader Jo Bradshaw on lessons learned from leadership in extreme locations

69 Book club 70 Ask the experts

Our new column addressing your pressing leadership issues

Ten lessons in leading through periods of flux

26 Power up

Why connection is the currency of leadership

28 Beyond resilience

Leading when there is no ‘normal’ to return to

29 Hot seat

Andy Adams MBE, former police chief superintendent, on lessons in leadership

30

46 Workplace

63

37 The invisible power The five cornerstones of relational intelligence

38 Pitching in

24

How do Premier League coaches build a team?

40 From combat to clinic Leadership lessons from the battlefield front line to the NHS hospital ward

42 Removing barriers

Wellbeing

44 Flight path

63 Guard against stress

Lessons in leading under pressure, direct from an RAF cockpit

Why we need to make the practice and prioritisation of wellbeing a core focus

Future focus

64 Thrive, not survive

How to create a truly inclusive workplace for everyone

50 Joined-up thinking

Advice from a new report on how to incorporate AI into your working life

52 Bossing it

Alister D’Souza, from Flexzo AI, chats to his boss, Jack Henderson, about what it takes to be a good leader – and how you get there

57

54 Networking reframed How to use your network to accelerate your growth

18

Three leaders share tips for avoiding burnout

66 A calm head

How to lead through high-stakes situations

Focus on... the military 57 Leadership in action The Royal Navy’s Ryan Scott offers a view on life and leadership in the armed forces

60 In numbers

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CEO welcome

John Mark Williams

Learn to break the habit Leading under pressure

O

ne of my favourite film lines comes from the character Nicholas in the 2006 movie Miami Vice. His cry of “why is this happening to me?” sums up how most of us feel when pressure strikes. We forget the world is not actually lined up against us personally – some stuff happens that’s not about us at all.

At leadership level, it is important to emphasise the importance of that.

‘Leadership’ as a concept is imbued with almost magical properties. Great leaders remember everything, understand everything and foresee everything. Most important of all, they never seem to buckle under pressure. Let’s unbundle some of that, and start by asking the obvious question: what do we mean by pressure?

Ask any leader – or anyone at all at the moment – if they feel under pressure right now and the answer will probably be something like “I’ve so much to do”; or “I’ve loads of people chasing me for things”. Almost without exception, pressure means pace – and not always increased pace. We may be forced into reduced pace, which can feel just as pressured. So, we might say pressure equals risk of unmet expectations – whether they be someone else’s or our own.

We often create our own, internal pressures by setting unrealistic deadlines.

When we are asked, “how soon can I have this?”, our subconscious registers the other person’s urgency and prompts us to hurry.

“Tomorrow”, we say, knowing full well it is impossible without something else having to be postponed – adding additional pressure. What our subconscious doesn’t register is that the other person may only be in a hurry because they have raised unrealistic expectations in a third party – or they may not be in a hurry at all, just wanting to confirm that bit of a project.

“Pressure is a feature of leadership; preparing yourself in advance is the antidote to anxiety and the harbinger of serenity” Pressure from external sources can be more ‘real’ – that is, actually the result of a need for urgency. Unexpected occurrences can inject pressure at multiple points in our organisation. ‘Black swans’, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, military conflicts or extreme weather events, are often cited as inescapable sources of pressure on leadership. Yet the definition of black-swan events is very clear; they are unpredictable, high-impact and, with hindsight, should have been predictable. Therein lies the secret to leading under pressure.

If there are internal and external sources of pressure, the antidote may lie in creating internal and external sources of prevention. Internally, we can step back and look at our scheduling of activity. I’ve forgotten how many times I’ve written a

‘to do’ list and been dismayed at the length of it. I was also forgetting that (a) the ‘to do’ list is never finished, and (b) I forgot to also write an ‘all done’ list – which might be longer than we think. Setting out jobs to be done, prioritising with Eisenhower’s Urgent-Important Matrix and applying delegation may be one of the most pressure-releasing practices of leadership. The other side of that coin is giving ourselves permission to no longer feel under pressure. Feeling under pressure can become habitual and, in the absence of it, seeking pressure can become a habit, too. We need to break that habit.

It is difficult to avoid a crisis response, but there is a treatment, if not a cure.

That is hindsight, the modern version of which is ‘data’. The more relevant data we capture about what may happen, the more prepared we can be. This still works well when we accept that not everything can be predicted, even with hindsight. We therefore focus on the skills necessary to meet a crisis or setback.

As a leader, your response to any eventuality is observed, analysed and emulated. When you feel pressure, your team can tell. Often, the corollary of pressure is anxiety, and anxiety is contagious – but so is serenity. Pressure is a feature of leadership; preparing yourself in advance is the antidote to anxiety and the harbinger of serenity.

We must teach ourselves to pre-empt pressure, or to enable swift recovery from it. Allow yourself to feel pressure and to calibrate your response to it. Leadership is the ability to apply hindsight with clarity, insight with ingenuity and foresight with audacity. No wonder great leaders are so rare.

John Mark Williams is chief executive of The Institute of Leadership.

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Update

Funding the future – grant applications now open

F

rom youth leadership programmes and community recognition initiatives, to expanded access to learning in complex environments, the IoL’s Leadership Project Grant Fund 2025 supported 10 UK not-for-profit organisations to turn ideas into action.

Here, recipients share what that support made possible, one year on.

“The Leadership Grant has enabled me to work alongside Change in Youth CIC to deliver a leadership programme for young people, focused on sectors where representation remains limited. It has supported collaboration with youth practitioners and sector professionals, strengthened cross-sector partnerships, and helped translate lived experience into practical leadership pathways across these fields.”

David Kingsley, Change in Youth CIC “Before the IoL Grant Fund, Kimolian had built a community of graduates, but lacked the commercial momentum to match. Within six months, we managed to secure client projects and nine of our graduates are now working as product managers, building AI-powered products using AI tools.”

Eleni Lialiamou, Kimolian Community “The grant enabled bursary/free places on the L3 VIVA-GO programme, supporting leaders working in neurodiversity, prisons, cancer support, addiction recovery and communities facing extreme deprivation.

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Click2Connect (above) and Team PAPAJASPER (below) were among the recipients of the IoL’s Leadership Project Grant Fund in 2025

The next cohort includes learners aiming to support children in care.” Heather M Torrens, VIVA-GO “The grant enabled Team PAPAJASPER CIC to deliver a community-based awards event that brought people together to recognise and celebrate exceptional contributions. The event has inspired renewed motivation, strengthened community pride and encouraged more people to actively give back.”

Jean-Gideon Bugonzi, Team PAPAJASPER CIC “The grant has helped our charity begin to step away from the day to day, [so we can] invest time and plan resources to strengthen our leadership and governance.

It continues to support a shift towards shared leadership and improved strategic planning, supporting The Habbit Factory’s long-term future for the young people we serve.” Tim Steel, The Habbit Factory “The ILM Future Leader Programme launches in February 2026, supporting 15 emerging leaders from SMEs across Somerset. Thanks to the grant, participants will gain expert-led development, a clear personal development plan, and ongoing mentor support. We’re proud to champion local talent and grateful this funding makes it possible.” Heather Rybaruk, Click2Connect CIC “The support will allow Leicester Music Conference Young People’s Day to engage 250 young people aged 14-18 with insight into career pathways and professional practice in music. The funding has enabled us to establish the Contemporary Music Leaders group, supporting emerging professionals to design and deliver the programme.” Kate Rounding, TiME (Technology in Music Education) “The Leadership Grant has supported our work as a volunteer-led organisation and helped us rethink leadership as a wider team. It enabled in-person collaboration, the development of our leadership curriculum, and reduced costs for our community to engage with our programmes.” Ben Hobbis, Step Up Network CIC Applications for the Institute’s 2026 Leadership Project Grant Fund open this spring. UK charities and IoL members advancing leadership development are invited to apply.

For more information, please go to bit.ly/ES26LG

iStock

Update

Charting a new course: the Royal Navy joins the IoL The Institute is proud to announce a major corporate membership launch with the Royal Navy, opening up professional development opportunities to up to 30,000 personnel.

This new corporate partnership is designed to support active-duty individuals in advancing their leadership skills at their own pace

Backing X-Forces

while in service. Royal Navy personnel can activate their membership immediately by visiting our website and entering their unique discount code.

You can read more about the Royal Navy and its leadership development support on pages 57-59.

The IoL has teamed up with X-Forces Enterprise’s Big Business Supporting Small Business initiative. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening leadership capability within the armed forces entrepreneurial community.

Ren Kapur MBE, CEO of X-Forces Enterprise, said: “Welcoming the Institute of Leadership on the steering board for Big Business Supporting Small Business is a real marker of credibility for us at X-Forces Enterprise and our wider family of brands. It says something important: leadership is not a moment in time; it is a practice and it needs continual investment.

“Our armed forces community is rich in talent, discipline and determination. What too often determines success in business

is not motivation; it is access to networks, knowledge and leadership learning at the right point in the journey.

“The IoL’s commitment of 12 months of complimentary membership for our programme graduates is a tangible vote of confidence. It gives our entrepreneurs access to shared learning, insight and connection that will strengthen their capability to build resilient, values-led ventures. Its involvement across Big Business Supporting Small Business and our Cadets in Enterprise programme reflects a shared belief that leadership is not confined to rank or role. It is cultivated through opportunity, education and community, and it is vital to the UK’s economic resilience. Many thanks to the IoL team for their support.”

9

Update

A new date for your leadership diary Three flagship events. One unmissable experience.

For the first time, the IoL is uniting its Leadership Live conference, awards ceremony and networking celebration into a single, two-day flagship event.

Across 29–30 September, members can expect eye-opening insight by day, recognition and celebration by night, and space to connect the following morning.

Full details, including award nominations and programme announcements, will follow.

Save the date: 29-30 September 2026

A look at recent research on leadership and management from across the UK and internationally

iStock

As organisations navigate constant disruption, research from Gartner (2025 HR Research – Change Adoption and Leader Capability) highlights how pressure really affects leadership effectiveness and organisational outcomes. The April – July 2025 Gartner survey of HR and business leaders found that only 32% of organisations reported achieving healthy change adoption among employees, a marker of whether change is truly understood and embraced rather than merely imposed. At the same time, 79% of employees said they have low trust in their organisation’s ability to manage change effectively, and leaders reported that poor change adoption correlates with lower confidence in strategic choices and team performance. Organisations experiencing ungovernable change were 1.6x less likely to sustain employee trust compared with those with effective change-adoption practices.

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Leadership takeaway: In 2026, the real test of leadership under pressure isn’t just making decisions; it’s enabling people to follow them.

Leaders who build trust and healthy change practices will sustain momentum even when disruption is relentless.

Leading under pressure Recent Deloitte research examining leadership complexities and tensions in today’s workforce found:

81% 72% 70% 29%

of executives say their organisation is experiencing moderate to high levels of change. report leaders are expected to deliver results while managing significant workforce uncertainty. say leaders are operating in environments of sustained disruption rather than episodic crisis. believe their organisations are fully prepared to support leaders under these conditions.

Organisations that invest in leader resilience report higher employee trust and engagement.

Source: Deloitte 2025 Global Human Capital Trends

Research round-up

Leadership development

Lead in 15

This short exercise is an invitation to pause and examine how pressure shapes your reactions, and where a small, deliberate shift could make a significant difference to your leadership impact.

All you need is a pen, paper and 15 uninterrupted minutes

One exercise

1

The context Think of a recent scenario at work where the stakes felt high.

This might have involved tight deadlines, visible scrutiny, reputational risk or competing demands.

Briefly note: • What decision or action was required?

• What was at stake if the outcome missed the mark?

• Who was affected?

Now identify how the pressure presented itself for you.

2

The reality check Next, notice your default response.

When pressure rises, leaders often narrow their focus – sometimes intentionally, sometimes unconsciously. The aim here isn’t judgement, but awareness.

Pause for a moment and ask: Which of these serves me well and which might be limiting me under pressure?

3

Which best describes the pressure?

Tick

Urgency Uncertainty Responsibility Exposure or scrutiny Risk or consequence

Under pressure, I tend to…

Often

Sometimes

Rarely

Move quickly to give direction Take on more responsibility myself Narrow the number of voices involved Rely heavily on past experience Hold back uncertainty to project confidence

The shift Rather than changing your leadership style, focus on one small adjustment.

Choose one behaviour above that you would like to dial up or down.

Complete the sentence: • “Next time, I will intentionally ___________________________” Examples: • “…pause to ask one clarifying question before making a decision.”

• “…actively invite one different perspective before moving on.”

• “…state the principle guiding my decision, not just the decision itself.”

Now, make it concrete: • When will you try this?

• Who will notice this change?

• What will be different if it works?

15 minutes

One valuable takeaway

4

Take it with you When decisions carry weight, leaders don’t just need speed – they need awareness. Noticing your default response under pressure creates the space to adjust before that pressure limits thinking, people or outcomes.

Explore further Leadership under pressure has been studied widely across psychology and organisational research. If you’d like to deepen your understanding, you might explore: • Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman • Cognitive Load Theory (bit.ly/ES26CLT)

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The big issue

The art of the calm command

AdobeStock

How to lead through a crisis – and how to keep a cool head when everyone around you may be losing theirs

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The big issue Writing

Peter Crush

I

n 2024, on the opening night of Soul Mama – a music-themed restaurant in London – music manager, TV producer and Soul Mama co-founder Adetokunbo ‘T’ Oyelola had a big problem. “It was 6pm; we had little under an hour to go before 150 people poured in, but suddenly our main oven decided to break down,” he recalls. “It was, by any yardstick, a crisis.”

Oyelola’s response could easily have been panic, but instead – after taking a moment to compose himself – what followed was laser-like focus. Everyone stepped up, everyone mucked in, solutions were found (including recruiting a chef from the restaurant next door). Here’s the real kicker: none of the attendees would have known anything was wrong.

As responses to immediate calamities go, Oyelola’s was straight out of the ‘let’s lead from the front, but solve this problem together’ textbook. Yet, at a time when it could be said crisis is the new norm in business, it seems navigating the correct pathway and deciding upon the best approach to deal with crises is no less easy.

If anything, leaders could be excused for thinking crisis management has become the latest leadership topic to become overscrutinised and over-intellectualised.

“The thing about a crisis is that leaders often see it as very personal, and as an attack on them,” says Ryan Wenham, creative director at interior design company Larsen Architecture. “Because our education system still develops people to think asking for help is a weakness, the sense of attack only increases. The real skill leaders need is knowing how to click themselves out of that

“Leaders could be excused for thinking crisis management has become the latest leadership topic to become over-scrutinised and over-intellectualised”

mentality, before they can even start devising responses to it.”

This is easier said than done. Although a ‘crisis’ isn’t always one when viewed in the grand scheme of things, a leader cannot be seen as dismissive of them, say experts.

“But making it all about them is also where we see leaders forget what a crisis feels like for a team, and it morphs into hero-leadership styles,” says Zoë Arden, former director of communications at BT and author of Story-Centred Leadership.

“If we’re not careful, we have leaders who call everything a crisis, and this can be really fatiguing.”

Different ideas

The best antidote to resolving a crisis, Arden suggests, is to do as Oyelola did, and turn it into a team-based event. “I’m not saying leaders need to surrender to decision-making by committee and consensus-type views, but a crisis can be – and ought to be – navigated better with resilient and involved teams.

“A crisis can sometimes be the perfect opportunity a leader has to have their people step up by explaining to them why it matters, and that we can all evolve if we ask the right questions.”

While all this sounds perfectly fine, some say it’s a dereliction of leadership duty to simply throw a problem out and expect everyone else to deal with it.

“A crisis isn’t the time to be starting from scratch to develop teams,” asserts Gina Battye, founder and CEO of the Psychological Safety Institute. “Team building comes from stability. Put everyone in a situation where they are also in survival mode and that’s when access to clear thinking stops. By all means build a team, but wait till a crisis is over.”

Is all this suggesting that, in a proper crisis, the buck should still stop with leaders?

Is it by their shoulders that the strain should be absorbed, because they are paid the big bucks to take on this sort of pressure?

Among the supporters of a more individual-led approach is Christopher OH Williams, former Fortune 500 executive and author of Courage. “For me, the starting point when looking at crisis has always

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The big issue

been the tension it creates between growth and discomfort,” he says. “Having spent several years interviewing other executives about it, what becomes clear is that a crisis creates a spectre of fear. It informs how we have our psychological and physiological responses.

But what modern leadership needs to do in a crisis is ultimately deal with the ‘fear’ bit of it first, and understand its root cause.”

He adds: “The only way leaders can manage fear is to deal with it in the same way that they manage risk – by having a more personal and rational conversation with it.”

“The strongest leaders balance speed with strategic clarity, ensuring decisions made under pressure don’t create bigger problems later” It’s what enables leaders to have something to work towards, rather than buckle when decisions don’t have deep-seated conviction.

“Courage is when leaders look for clarity.

Bravery does not involve these sorts of conversations. Mostly, leaders have organised themselves into conformity; what I’m saying is that leaders need to regain their lost sense of identity and mission, and take themselves out of conformity thinking.”

Others argue this theory breaks down because leaders still need support – from somewhere – almost for their own protection.

“Leaders often fall into ‘reputational myopia’ during a crisis, focusing only on immediate tactical fixes rather than maintaining structural perspective,” says Ryan McSharry, head of professional services, crisis and litigation, at consultancy Infinite Global.

“The strongest leaders balance speed with strategic clarity, ensuring decisions made under pressure don’t create bigger problems later, and this has to come more from systems and networks than personal resilience or stamina.

“Leaders who embed structural thinking and empower trusted teams before a crisis are far better placed to adapt when the heat is on. Ultimately, calm isn’t improvised – it’s engineered through playbooks, bias checks, and decision frameworks that hold firm when instinct takes over.”

Crisis shouldn’t be a stop sign

According to Williams, a crisis shouldn’t be a ‘stop sign’ for leaders, but rather a warning to be more conscious and careful about their initial responses to it. This requires taking an evidence-based approach to the situation, including considering the views of others, but, ultimately, leaders need to be dispassionate to those around them, he argues. For they, too, “can feed into a leader’s fear”. Then, he says, leaders need to demonstrate one particular (but underappreciated) quality – courage.

“Courage can be messy, but it’s more deliberate and conscious than bravery, which is often the hero-leader default,” Williams says.

“Courage is when leaders act in spite of fear.

The four ‘Rs’ of crisis management eduction – proactively identifying potential R threats and implementing measures to prevent or minimise their impact.

2

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eadiness – developing comprehensive R crisis plans, establishing communication protocols, training employees and conducting drills to ensure the organisation is prepared to act effectively.

3

esponse – taking immediate, decisive action R during a crisis to protect people, manage information, contain damage and maintain essential operations, often focusing on quick facts and stakeholder communication.

4

ecovery – the process of restoring normal R operations, assessing the aftermath of the crisis, learning from the experience and implementing changes to build greater future resilience.

Relationships matter

AdobeStock

1

According to research by Michaela Merk, executive coach and professor at Audencia Business School, effective leadership under pressure depends less on control and more on the strength of relationships.

“While clarity and decisiveness are vital in a crisis, leaders succeed by combining direction with collective intelligence, trust and team empowerment,” she says.

In her book The Power of Relational Intelligence, she highlights the five core talents of relational intelligence – empathy, trust, passion, gratitude and authentic pride – that are needed to create a sense

The big issue

“The toll a crisis brings is when leaders feel they must lead, but they are also worried about their own positions”

17

The big issue

“A lot about successfully dealing with the crisis is simply about presenting the right response to the right people, and that doesn’t always have to come from the leader, but can come from the team”

18

AdobeStock

The big issue of belonging. What she and others seem to be saying is that the strongest teams are built before a crisis, with any crises simply acting as amplifiers that reveal leadership strengths and weaknesses.

For this reason, McSharry calls for a “systems and networks” approach to dealing with a crisis – that is, having the right systems and networks in place to create progress towards a solution rather than paralysis and fear. It’s an approach that has support.

“We train our designers to set expectations, and how to manage these, so f comeback occurs further down the line, things don’t seem like a crisis,” says Wenham. “A systematic approach is needed so you can fall back to processes that take the emotion out and allow people to focus on the problem in hand.”

For Veena Giridhar Gopal, who has more than 25 years’ leadership experience with global fastmoving consumer goods brands such as Pepsico and Diageo, theories about how to deal with crises come and go, but one thing remains the same: needing to maintain a sense of control.

“Control in a crisis is just an illusion,” she says, matter of factly. “Leaders have to accept they rarely have control, or control of everything.

All they can really do is try to address what is in their control.

“What can be changed depends entirely on their approach to the problem. Ultimately, leaders have two options – fix it themselves or strategise solutions with the team. Even with the latter, however, there will be times when a decision needs to be taken just to show that they are steadying the ship.”

An important aspect that Gopal says is often overlooked in a crisis situation is something only time can buy: experience.

“Going through crises, knowing what’s got you through a problem before, and having peer groups who have been through similar situations, is invaluable,” she says.

“Knowing things have previously been bad but can get better is a real strength. It gives a leader confidence, rather than arrogance, that they have a toolset that prevents them from ‘reacting’ and, instead, sees them reflecting first and then responding.”

This falls a little short of accepting the joke that the best way to get through a crisis is to not call something a crisis in the first place (in other words, just accept that change and disruption are daily things and inevitable), but some say there is a modicum of truth in just not labelling everything as a crisis.

“What is obvious is that one leader’s crisis is different from another’s,” says Fiona Wylie, founder and CEO of marketing consultancy

“The starting point looking at a crisis has always been the tension it creates between growth and discomfort” Brand Champions. “If one accepts this, then, sure, the solution could well be empowering those more capable of dealing with a crisis to act on their behalf. A lot about successfully dealing with the crisis is simply about presenting the right response to the right people, and that doesn’t always have to come from the leader, but can come from the team.

“What we’re talking about is taking things back to empathy, revisiting one’s toolkit around what works well, and, if appropriate, bringing in junior people – if only to show them how problems can be navigated, so that their resilience is built. Crisis is something that needs a reactive response. Not everything can be a crisis.”

Go forth and be calm

For some leaders, a crisis is something they thrive on and almost need to feel alive. Oyelola admits he probably sits in this camp. “A surfer needs a storm to have fun,” he says, with a smile. “It’s change that creates the waves. You need to be able to run with it to have fun.

“It’s not that I don’t worry about change or pressurised events, but you have to channel them so they don’t have an overpowering impact.”

Oyelola uses mind-mapping techniques to bring clarity to his thinking processes, but he also tackles fear head on: “I embrace it by not making it feel overwhelming.”

Of course, for others, a crisis may seem like a massive weight on their shoulders – but most experts believe that with the right, controlled and thoughtful responses, it can (and should) be made to feel like just another part of leadership.

“What leaders absolutely can’t do is think they can fake it to make it,” argues Battye. “If leaders can access safe support mechanisms, they absolutely must. The toll a crisis brings is when leaders feel they must lead, but they are also worried about their own positions.”

She concludes: “The best leaders step up and stay calm, but are still their authentic self because they can model a type of behaviour that keeps them curious to find solutions, even under the most intense pressure.”

Peter Crush is an award-winning HR-specialist journalist, writing about all aspects of leadership and the world of work.

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Debate GUEST OPINION

Alexander Cottingham

Tunnel vision Pressure can alter perception, so leaders must beware urgency bias

P

ressure does not make decisions harder by adding complexity, but by limiting options. As time narrows and consequences become clear, leadership becomes a matter of managing trade-offs rather than achieving optimal outcomes. The difference between decisive and reckless leadership is typically a matter of clarity, rather than certainty; an understanding of what matters, what can be tolerated and what cannot fail. Without a framework, urgency and loudness distort judgement.

Pressure tends to compress complexity, so leading in a highconsequence environment can push leaders to default to whatever frameworks are already present. Therefore, there is a need for leaders to understand where clarity comes from and how to obtain it, and how to risk assess options so the newest or most obvious decision doesn’t distract from the most important.

In stable conditions, leaders can afford to optimise; under pressure, however, this can result in missed opportunities, higher costs, lower rewards, etc. The solution relies on hierarchy – a clear understanding of what is nonnegotiable, what is tolerable and what is expendable. Without this understanding of priority, leaders can find themselves chasing the most visible problem at the time over the most consequential.

Some decisions can have permanent consequences, where others can be adjusted or corrected later with minimal cost. There will rarely be a perfect decision in a rapidly changing situation,

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“Leaders find themselves chasing the most visible problem at the time over the most consequential” so determining what decisions carry what level of risk and permanence can allow a leader to adapt dynamically, irrespective of what they are presented with.

Pressure can alter perception. Under stress, attention narrows, things can seem more urgent and prior decisions can direct new ones when no longer relevant. For example, pressure can tighten focus to drown out irrelevant noise. This can be useful, but if not managed can produce tunnel vision on the most immediate or fastest-moving issue, rather than

variables carrying greater strategic weight.

Essentially, motion can feel like control.

As variables shift and new information emerges, the impulse is to act quickly, because inaction feels psychologically unsafe, and the newest decisions become the focus over strategic ones. This is referred to as urgency bias.

Teams respond more to signals than to instructions, so a leader’s tone, pace and posture communicate more than formal authority. When uncertainty rises, people look for indicators of stability; if they do not find them, they create their own. A leader’s internal state, therefore, becomes operationally significant.

Leadership is often thought to be revealed in the moment, but, in reality, the moment only exposes what has already been built. When pressure rises, individuals do not become more strategic, disciplined or composed than they have trained themselves to be. They default to their established hierarchy of priorities and their ability to regulate thought under constraint. Strategic clarity is constructed long before the stakes escalate. When options narrow and time compresses, there is no opportunity to develop these capacities, only reveal them.

Alexander Cottingham is a doctoral researcher on operational national response strategies. He has a range of frontline experience in emergency services and critical care environments of high-risk, rapidly evolving and unpredictable situations demanding dynamic risk assessment and complex decision-making.

Debate GUEST OPINION

Sam Farah

Crisis composure There is no such thing as a naturally calm leader

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ome people, we say, are simply wired to be calm under pressure. They stay composed, make clear decisions and steady those around them. Sure, some individuals do have a natural advantage in high-stress situations, but mistaking calm performance for innate temperament is one of the most persistent and damaging myths in leadership.

The myth of the naturally calm leader does real harm, because it excuses poor behaviour by framing it as temperament (“that’s just how they are under pressure”). It leads organisations to over-value visible confidence while under-investing in teachable skills – and it discourages capable professionals from seeing themselves as leadership material because they don’t believe they have the ‘right personality’.

In reality, what we usually interpret as calm leadership is far more about performance than it is about personality.

It is the visible outcome of invisible work, done long before the pressure arrives.

I should know. I was one of those who was often mistaken for a ‘naturally calm leader’.

During my years leading BBC News teams across the Middle East and North Africa, pressure was not an occasional visitor; it was a constant. Breaking news, security incidents and intense political scrutiny were part of daily life. In those moments, I was rarely improvising or relying on my inherent calmness.

I was drawing on communication disciplines that had already been built

“Mistaking calm performance for innate temperament is one of the most persistent and damaging myths in leadership” and a reputation that I have consciously cultivated for calmness. The reputation does matter, because it influences how much tension a leader is able to take out of a situation even before they open their mouth.

I am not alone in leaning on performance over personality and projecting a ‘borrowed calm’ that I don’t entirely feel inside. Most leaders do, because it is simply more efficient. Behaviour is easier to change than temperament.

A competent leader who is naturally calm in a crisis will not necessarily perform better than a competent leader who has worked hard on acting composed under pressure. They would both have done the groundwork of knowing how decisions would be made in a crisis, who was empowered to act and what ‘good enough’ looked like when perfection was impossible. That groundwork helps sustain the appearance of calm composure, which is then cascaded down the ranks.

Grace under pressure is not a character trait to be admired from a distance, but a set of learnable behaviours.

A crisis does not reveal leadership as much as it exposes it – and what it exposes is usually not nature, but preparation.

Sam Farah is a leadership communication mentor and former head of journalism at BBC News’ World Service, as well as former editor-in-chief of BBC News Arabic, covering the Middle East and North Africa, where he led large multicultural teams through high-pressure global events. He is co-founder of Equitive UK, and his book, The Communication Advantage, distils decades of senior leadership experience into practical strategies for career growth and leadership communication.

Our next debate is looking at the topic of joint leaders and whether having two CEOs is better than one. If you have an opinion about this that you’d like to share, email louise.parfitt@cplone.co.uk for more information.

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Knowledge GUEST OPINION

Steven Dowd

Critical lessons When the map is gone, how do you lead?

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ost leadership advice assumes continuity: that tomorrow will look enough like today for experience, plans and frameworks to hold. Real crises don’t work like that.

In 2016, at the age of 36, a spinalcord injury left me paralysed from the neck down. One moment I was fully independent, the next I couldn’t move my arms or legs, or carry out the most basic tasks without help. Overnight, usual competence and control disappeared.

What followed wasn’t just a physical recovery process, but an unplanned leadership education in pressure, forced change and performance when certainty disappears.

One of the first leadership challenges I encountered was identity. When autonomy is stripped away, confidence built on past capability evaporates.

Titles, track records and good intentions suddenly matter far less than emotional regulation and decision-making under extreme stress.

In conversations I’ve since had with military leaders, a similar moment is often described when the plan has failed and the leader’s job is to stabilise the situation before attempting progress. In my case, that stabilisation was internal before it could ever be external. A critical lesson emerged early: clarity beats comfort.

In the high-dependency ward, uncertainty was harder to manage than pain. No one could tell me what recovery would look like or what independence might mean in this new environment.

Leaders face the same challenge in business crises, whether restructures, cyber incidents or market shocks, where

“Leadership is not proven when things go to plan. It is revealed when the plan is gone” pretending certainty exists simply undermines trust.

The leadership skill I had to develop quickly was naming reality clearly, without drama, while focusing relentlessly on what I could control. My recovery plan combined a big, ambitious goal (a promise to my wife that I would walk again by Christmas that year) with small, incremental ones (wiggling a big toe, sitting upright, showing up after setbacks).

That distinction – between resilience and recovery – matters for leaders.

Resilience is surviving impact.

Recovery is rebuilding capability in a changed environment. Too often, organisations try to ‘bounce back’ to what existed before disruption, rather than adapt to what now is so they can bounce forward.

Progress came slowly. Millimetres, not milestones. Failure was frequent and visible. Learning not to interpret failure as personal defeat, but as data, became one of the most transferable leadership lessons I’ve ever learned.

The business implications of this way of leading are tangible. Organisations that perform best under pressure are those that stabilise quickly, communicate clearly and adapt systems, rather than relying on individual heroics. In my work with senior leadership teams, the same patterns recur: reduced decision latency during crisis; higher trust during uncertainty; faster recovery after disruption; and stronger retention when people feel reality is named, rather than managed around.

Leaders who learn to operate effectively when certainty is removed build organisations that are more resilient, more inclusive and better equipped to evolve through volatile conditions.

Many leaders are exhausted not because they are weak but because they are trying to lead as if the old rules still apply. They don’t. Leadership is not proven when things go to plan. It is revealed when the plan is gone.

Recovery, whether personal or organisational, is not about returning to who you were. It is about becoming capable, credible and effective in who you are today.

Steven Dowd is a keynote speaker on challenge, forced change and crisis recovery, chair of an international disability sport non-profit, and a non-executive DEI strategy adviser to a FTSE 100 company. He brings lived experience of crisis and corporate life into leadership development.

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Knowledge

Turbulent times

Sara Barrie offers 10 lessons for leading in times of flux

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eadership has never been easy, but today’s leaders are facing a relentless pace, ambiguity and complexity that stretches even the most seasoned professionals. The world is in a constant state of flux and the qualities that once defined ‘good leadership’ aren’t always the ones that carry us through.

Over the past decade, I’ve seen how those who thrive in flux share one common trait.

They learn, adapt and evolve faster than the environment around them. They’ve moved beyond the idea that they must control uncertainty; that’s not attainable. Instead, they learn how to lead within it.

Here are 10 lessons I’ve learned that have been critical to supporting executives lead through times of turbulence, and emerge stronger and wiser for it.

1

It’s always about the people No matter how technical the challenge, it always circles back to people. Strategy sets direction, but relationships determine whether the work gets done and how successful it is.

I’ve coached brilliant leaders brought low by poor

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stakeholder dynamics, and lesser leaders elevated by cohesive, aligned teams.

The difference has been whether to invest time in understanding personal styles and preferences, and harnessing that diversity with ruthless intent.

In remote and hybrid environments, where connections can erode quickly, the best leaders create trust deliberately and don’t leave it to chance.

2

Anticipate the ‘might’ Leaders often talk about ‘planning for the future’ – but my honest thought is that there isn’t one future.

Multiple futures might unfold depending on the decisions made today.

Great leaders don’t predict; they widen their perspective based on what might happen. What might we influence, prevent or accelerate?

A technology client of mine built a business by thinking beyond the data, innovating ahead of the upcoming governmental and legislative agenda, and seizing opportunities before they became reality. That’s what anticipating the ‘might’ looks like in flux.

Knowledge

3

Confront your shortcomings Self-awareness is a leadership superpower – but it requires courage. The leaders who grow fastest acknowledge their weaknesses, biases and blind spots. They reflect on feedback rather than reacting to it. They accept that embarrassment is part of learning. Vulnerability doesn’t diminish authority; it strengthens it.

4

Build ‘Team You’ No-one succeeds alone, especially in instability. The leaders who thrive build strong personal ecosystems of trusted advisers, challengers, mentors, coaches and peers who keep them honest and grounded. Corporate loyalty can be conditional; personal support is intentional.

In those pressured, career-defining moments, Team You is the difference between breakthrough, bust or burnout.

5

Context is key A behaviour that made you successful in one era may derail you in the next.

I once worked with a European leader who thrived in an autonomous culture until a new group CEO demanded uniformity. The leader hadn’t changed; the personal and business context had. The mismatch created tension and eventually a painful career pivot.

Contextual intelligence is knowing when to adapt, when to grit and stay the course, and when to quit, accepting that a situation no longer plays to your strengths.

6

Learn from failing and share the learning Failure isn’t the opposite of success; it’s the process of success.

The most effective leaders I coach talk openly about their mistakes. They normalise intelligent failure as the price of progress and use it to strengthen decision-making and innovation. When leaders share learning rather than presenting perfection, people speak up, experiment, and help innovate a new and better future.

iStock

7

Difference matters My experience shows that many organisations (but by no means all) have moved away from valuing corporate clones and the dangers of ‘groupthink’. They have realised that difference isn’t a challenge; it’s a competitive advantage.

Research shows that diverse teams outperform on profitability, creativity and innovation. But it goes deeper than representation; it’s about mindset. The leaders who succeed in flux know how to manage diverse stakeholders, align competing interests and build coalitions, even with critics and competitors.

Being politically savvy isn’t manipulation; it’s understanding motivation. And difference doesn’t complicate leadership; it elevates it.

8

Find your inspiration In flux, energy is everything – and inspiration feeds energy. I draw inspiration from walkand-talks with clients, powerful conversations, breakthrough coaching moments, and those small, meaningful events that shift perspective.

During the current geopolitical uncertainty and the rapid turnover of the old guard, leaders need fresh thinking and innovation.

Inspiration isn’t indulgence; it’s fuel. Without it, leadership becomes mechanical. With it, leadership becomes meaningful.

9

Go where the joy is We talk a lot about resilience, rarely about joy. But joy isn’t frivolous. It’s a basic human need. It creates momentum. It helps leaders motivate, connect and sustain presence through difficult times. In the toughest of times, noticing

“The leaders who grow fastest acknowledge their weaknesses, biases and blind spots. They reflect on feedback rather than reacting to it” moments of lightness builds hope and energy. Joy is strategic, especially in flux.

10

Invest in you This is perhaps the most important lesson.

Leaders often postpone their own development, telling themselves they’ll ‘focus on it later’. But, in flux, deferring your growth is risky. The world moves too quickly.

Investing in yourself – whether through coaching, learning, reflection or strengthening your network – protects your adaptability.

Leadership today is about adaptability, curiosity and courage. It’s about questioning assumptions, challenging outdated playbooks and being willing to evolve when the context demands it.

In times of flux, the leaders who succeed aren’t the ones who know all the answers; they’re the ones courageous enough to keep learning.

Sara Barrie is an award-winning master coach with more than a decade of global coaching experience following a successful executive career. She works with C-suite leaders, boards and senior teams across FTSE and Fortune-listed companies, entrepreneurial businesses and in the third sector. Known for her commercial edge and insight-driven approach, she coaches leaders in elevating performance and delivering real, sustained impact.

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Knowledge

Power up Connection is the currency of leadership, says Uthaya Prakash Santhanam

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n today’s fast-paced, unpredictable and digitally accelerated world, one truth stands out: networks are key drivers of progress for leaders. Organisations and leaders that thrive are not necessarily those with the largest budgets or highest titles and authorities, but those who cultivate diverse, dynamic and robust networks.

No leader can operate in a silo; lasting impact is created when leaders connect and collaborate.

These networks – spanning teams, functions and organisations, and within and across industries – serve as powerful sources of innovation, influence, learning and resilience. For modern leaders, navigating complexity and disruption, networks are no longer optional. Social media has transformed the way we connect, allowing networks to span across borders and cultures seamlessly.

Networks build influence beyond authority

In traditional hierarchical structures, authority was the primary source of influence. Today, most organisations operate in matrix and boundaryless atmospheres, where formal authority is insufficient to lead effectively. Influence now stems from the ability to mobilise people, secure buy-in, and inspire collaboration across teams and functions. Leaders with strong networks expand their visibility and credibility, lead through trust rather than positional power, and open doors to opportunities that would otherwise remain invisible. Leaders can build strong networks through their social media presence, by demonstrating an approachable leadership style and by engaging through various conventional channels.

Networks accelerate learning and insight The modern workplace is characterised by rapid change and a shrinking half-life of skills. Knowledge that is relevant today may be outdated tomorrow.

In this context, networks function as accelerators of learning and insight, providing leaders with access to expertise, ideas and emerging trends far more quickly than formal organisational structures alone.

Leaders embedded in strong networks are able to learn faster than their peers, gain early visibility 26

into market or technological shifts, and harness cross-disciplinary thinking that drives innovation. In essence, a network acts as an extension of a leader’s intelligence, providing a continuous source of learning and foresight.

Networks strengthen resilience

Periods of disruption – whether organisational restructuring, crises or personal transitions – highlight the stabilising power of networks. Leaders with robust networks tend to recover faster from setbacks because they have access to support, resources and alternative paths. They maintain confidence and adaptability even in times of uncertainty, leveraging their connections to navigate challenges effectively. Networks create resilience by ensuring that no leader or employee must face complex problems in isolation, fostering a culture of mutual support and collaborative problem-solving.

They offer a huge fall back support space for leaders.

Networks increase career mobility and opportunity

High-performing individuals often discover opportunities for advancement, stretch assignments or cross-functional projects through personal and professional networks rather than job postings. A strong network can advocate for an individual when they are not physically present, connect them to mentors, sponsors and influential decision-makers, and provide access to roles or projects that may otherwise remain hidden. For employees, networks unlock mobility and accelerate career growth. For organisations, networks strengthen succession pipelines, ensuring talent flows efficiently to where it is needed most and building a resilient leadership bench strength.

Networks drive collective innovation

Innovation emerges when diverse perspectives intersect. Organisations with well-connected ecosystems across teams, functions and industries innovate faster and more effectively. In thriving networks, knowledge flows freely, silos dissolve, collaboration becomes intuitive and experimentation accelerates. By intentionally cultivating networks, organisations unlock collective intelligence, creativity and insight benefits that hierarchical structures often suppress.

“Networks create resilience by ensuring that no leader or employee must face complex problems in isolation, fostering a culture of mutual support and collaborative problem-solving”

Knowledge

Building robust networks The future belongs to the networked leader

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In a world of rapid technological change and evolving human expectations, leaders who succeed will be those who treat leadership as a networked sport.

Success is no longer defined solely by technical expertise or formal authority; it is measured by the quality, diversity and depth of one’s networks.

Being well connected provides access to ideas, people and opportunities, amplifying impact, influence and resilience.

The power of networks is, ultimately, the power to shape the future. For organisations seeking agility, innovation and sustainable performance, investing in networks – both internal and external – is one of the most strategic decisions they can make. Networked leaders not only drive their own success, but also strengthen the collective capability of their organisations, ensuring that people and businesses thrive in a complex, uncertain and rapidly evolving environment.

Uthaya Prakash Santhanam has more than 20 years of transformative experience spanning the Asia Pacific, North Africa and Middle East regions. Renowned for his expertise in organisational change management, cultural transformation and digital transformation, his ability to distil complex ideas into actionable insights has established him as a trusted and influential voice in leadership and HR communities worldwide.

While networks are powerful, they do not form by chance. Building meaningful networks requires intentionality and effort. Indications of strong networks are: • Reciprocal: characterised by mutual exchange, not one-sided benefit • Purposeful: aligned with personal and organisational goals to maximise impact • Active: maintained through regular engagement rather than one-off connections • Diverse: spanning functions, industries, geographies and backgrounds to bring multiple perspectives.

Leaders can strengthen their networks through several practical approaches: 1. Participate in cross-functional projects: working beyond departmental boundaries naturally broadens exposure and connections 2. Join professional communities and industry forums: external networks provide new ideas, benchmarking opportunities and exposure to best practices 3. Invest in mentorship and sponsorship: giving and receiving mentorship expands relationships while building credibility and influence 4. Engage with thought leaders and emerging talent: cultivating relationships with diverse thinkers accelerates learning and innovation 5. Stay curious and open to new relationships: openness and approachability attract new connections and enable continuous growth.

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Knowledge GUEST OPINION

Stuart J Green

Beyond resilience Leading when there is no ‘normal’ to return to

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or years, resilience has been held up as the defining quality of leadership under pressure. Leaders were encouraged to absorb shock, steady their organisations and return to normal as quickly as possible. In an earlier era of episodic disruption, this advice made sense.

Today, it no longer does.

The premise of resilience is that a stable baseline exists – one to which we can return once the crisis passes.

Yet the pressures leaders now face are cumulative and continuous.

Geopolitical instability, supply chain fragmentation, technological acceleration and climate disruption do not arrive one at a time. They overlap, amplify one another and evolve faster than organisations can reset. There is no longer a ‘before’ to restore.

In this context, leadership focused solely on bouncing back risks pulling organisations towards a past that no longer fits the present.

What is emerging instead is a shift from resilience to regeneration.

Resilience is fundamentally defensive. It is about endurance – holding together under strain.

Regeneration, by contrast, is generative. It treats pressure not only as something to survive, but as information.

Where resilience asks ‘how do we get through this?’, regeneration asks ‘what is this moment asking us to become?’.

The distinction is subtle, but profound. A resilient system resists disturbance. A regenerative one adapts, reorganises and creates new

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‘‘A resilient system resists disturbance.

A regenerative one adapts, reorganises and creates new capacity because of disturbance.

The difference is not mindset alone, but practice”

capacity because of disturbance.

The difference is not mindset alone, but practice.

Regenerative leadership begins with recognition: the willingness to see reality clearly, without minimising or rationalising discomfort. In pressurised situations, leaders often feel compelled to project certainty.

Regenerative leaders do something

quieter and harder – they create the conditions for truth to surface, even when that truth is inconvenient.

Next comes subtraction. Under pressure, organisations tend to add more controls, more initiatives, more reporting. Regeneration requires the courage to let go. To dismantle processes, products or priorities that no longer serve, even if they once did.

Only then can recomposition occur. This is the creative phase, where leaders ask how existing capabilities might be recombined to meet emerging needs. Pressure becomes a design constraint, not a dead end.

For leaders navigating constant strain, regeneration does not begin with a sweeping transformation. It begins with attention.

A simple practice can be enough: a short, regular space where leaders ask “what truth are we not yet facing?” and resist the urge to solve immediately or defend.

In a world where pressure is permanent, the capacity to see clearly and respond deliberately may be the most reliable leadership advantage left.

Not resilience alone, but regeneration – the ability to grow new futures from present strain.

Stuart J Green is a leadership and strategy consultant who helps navigate disruption and turn crisis into regenerative growth.

He is the author of The Regenerate Leap: How Leaders Transform Crisis into Enduring Growth.

Knowledge Leader Q&A

4

What are you focusing on from a leadership and management perspective?

I’m focusing more on ‘leading change’, reminding people that we ‘start with why’ and the need for a communication strategy, adapted to our stakeholders’ needs. Leadership is a lonely floorplate – you are making critical decisions that can be life changing, so knowing how to think through the options to ensure we have the best knowledge available to make our decisions is key.

In the hot seat

5

Andy Adams MBE, former police chief superintendent and director of Keeponwalking

1

What does leadership mean to you?

I’m a fan of Professor John Adair, who said “the test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already”. Leadership is about creating an environment of trust, where those I work with feel safe, inspired and want to work with me. When we create the right environment, teams will not just survive, but thrive. My former police chief officer said “as leaders, we exist for others”, which fuelled my desire to support and develop future leaders.

2

What are your main leadership and management challenges?

I was fortunate to meet Professor Adair on the Windsor Leadership programme, and his openness to ideas (and circles – Team/Task/Individuals – theory) encapsulated for me that leadership is continuous learning. At an individual level, that’s a challenge for leaders – juggling our responsibilities to our team with our responsibility to develop ourselves. Strategically, we are living in a fast-changing world. We must adapt with stealth to understand our respective markets and ensure better-informed environmental scanning, while also ensuring our stakeholders are on board.

“When you reach the top, remember to send the elevator back down for others”

3

How does the landscape of your sector affect those challenges?

In my previous law-enforcement world, I was mindful of tensions, responding to these while looking at technology to support frontline officers. Currently, my work with the Leoron Institute, a global corporate training and edtech company in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, has exposed me to new opportunities.

Some disciplines, particularly health and oil, have totally embraced the value of AI, while focusing on net-zero options. Bringing back to the UK some of this learning helps create competitive advantage for those that I work with. In the learning and development sector, the pace of change means that we need to be adaptable and laser-focused on supporting leaders to create impact.

How do you develop emerging leaders?

It has always been a big focus of my work that ‘when you reach the top, remember to send the elevator back down for others’. I agree with Professor Michael West [University of Lancaster/King’s Fund] and with the fictional Ted Lasso that we need to listen with fascination and remain curious to truly understand the needs of others. I am grateful to those who helped me readjust post-policing.

I’m keen to pay back and help unleash opportunities for others.

6

What is your biggest leadership lesson over the past year?

It’s been an incredible year of growth for me and the company, marking a return to some form of normality after a life-changing accident. The injuries sustained helped remind me what’s important. As leaders, how we manage our time and energy gives permission to others to do the same. We must remember that our words, conduct and actions matter all the time. Maya Angelou said: “People will forget what you said., people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Remember this as a legacy to your leadership.

Andy Adams MBE is a former police chief superintendent, who now runs a company focusing on leadership, organisational redesign/ turnaround and coaching. He is a Companion of the IoL. We’re looking for members to feature in the Hot Seat! Email louise.parfitt@cplone.co.uk

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Edge interview

Fashioned with purpose The vision for Jo Tutchener Sharp’s fashion brand, Scamp & Dude, came while she was recovering from major surgery. Ten years on, that vision still holds true – and it’s the secret of her success Writing Martin Bewick

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larity. While talking with Jo Tutchener Sharp, founder of fashion brand Scamp & Dude, it becomes… well, ‘clear’, that one of the secrets of her success is the clarity of her vision for her business. Her story, and the story of Scamp & Dude – which she has told many times before – is clear, certain, purposeful, unshakeable. Why aren’t all business back-stories so straightforward, so simple, so clear? Clarity is a thing. A good thing.

Ten years into the journey, Scamp & Dude’s origins remain the true heart of its brand, and are intertwined with the life story of Tutchener Sharp, who was made an OBE in the New Year Honours List for 2026. Yet she and the company have come a long way.

In 2016, Tutchener Sharp was in a hospital bed, having undergone brain surgery. She missed her little boys. She wished she could have given them a little something to watch over them while they were apart – a superhero toy they could snuggle up with, perhaps. The thought inspired her to create Superhero Sleep Buddies, soft toys that could bring comfort to children who have to be apart from their loved ones. Then she had another thought: what if, for every Superhero Sleep Buddy sold, another could be donated to a child who had lost a parent or was seriously ill themselves? Once she left hospital, Tutchener Sharp got to work.

The Sleep Buddies weren’t the end of her

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ideas, however. Next came a kids’ clothing line with a lightning-bolt Superpower Button to give kids confidence and strength when apart from their loved ones. Then came a move into womenswear, with a range of Super Scarves that built on the original sense of purpose: for every Super Scarf sold, another would be donated to a woman with cancer. The goal was simple: ‘To wrap every woman starting chemotherapy in comfort and warmth – like a blanket with superpowers.’

What followed was real-world impact. To date, more than 85,000 scarves have been donated to women starting chemotherapy. More than 10,000 Superhero Sleep Buddies have been donated to children. In total, Scamp & Dude has donated more than £4m in cash and products in its first 10 years.

At the same time, the company has also gained B Corp certification.

Back to the beginning

Not everyone recovering in hospital after an operation decides to launch a business. For Tutchener Sharp, however, the life-saving surgery proved to be life-changing in a number of ways.

“The experience gave me a new fire in my belly, a need to grab life with both hands and just go for it. It made me have no fears. Would I have had the guts to start a fashion brand before that? At that point, when I’d thought my life was at its end, I realised I could do anything. I asked myself,

Edge interview

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Edge interview

‘if my life had ended, would I have been happy with how I’d lived? What good had I done? How had I helped anyone? What difference had I made?’ I’d had a successful PR company, and my dad said, “you’ve employed 50 people, you’ve given them a means to pay their mortgages”. But it wasn’t enough.”

All in a good cause Super Scarves More than 85,000 donated to women starting chemotherapy.

Superhero Sleep Buddies More than 10,000 donated to children who have lost a parent or who are seriously ill themselves.

Brand power More than £4m given in cash donations and Scamp & Dude products.

Charities Donations, products and support have helped more than 30 charity organisations, including: Maggie’s; Go Grab Life; Future Dreams; Young Lives vs Cancer; Choose Love; Child Bereavement UK; Willow Foundation; Refuge; Mind; Diabetes UK; Parkinson’s; Our Dementia Choir; Wonder Foundation; Black Women Rising.

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Tutchener Sharp recounts the timescale: undergoes brain surgery in January; registers the name Scamp & Dude in March; finds a factory to make the clothes in July; launches her first collection in Liberty in November. It was, she says, “a crazy 11 months. Bonkers. But I was absolutely laser-focused.

I knew I was going to be able to help the kids with my Sleep Buddies – and yet it was so unbelievably hard at the beginning. I was the designer, wholesale manager, production manager, garment tech, marketing manager, website designer, social media manager. I was literally doing everything.”

The driving force behind all that work was Tutchener Sharp’s deep sense of purpose. Scamp & Dude, she says, was always going to be a business in which purpose came before profit, but that doesn’t mean her business sense was left behind with her former career in PR. “We want to grow each year, because the more we grow the more people we can help,” she says.

“But it’s not about us making this much profit, this much turnover. Our biggest achievement is the purpose, our mission, our goals. That was very clear to me and it didn’t budge. I think why we’ve done well over the years is because we are based on truth and not a trend. It’s about trying to use fashion as a force for good.

Edge interview

“That means the whole of your company has to follow your values. Everyone at Scamp & Dude knows what we’re about and we’re careful with who we bring into the company. We make sure they’ve really bought in to what we do. That also helps us attract customers who have similar values. It’s like that saying, ‘your vibe attracts your tribe’.”

Growth spirals

Scamp & Dude’s tribe has grown, which means the business has “spiralled” too. The brand’s debut women’s sweatshirt sold out online and in Liberty straight after its launch. More were made. More sold out. Joggers and pyjamas followed. Celebrities, including Davina McCall and Alison Hammond, have designed scarves for the brand. Scamp & Dude also quickly moved into bricks and mortar.

“I opened the first store really early on,” says Tutchener Sharp. “It was a teeny-tiny shop in Highgate and it happened for two reasons. First, Instagram was launching a shopping feature and asked if Scamp & Dude would do a pop-up in Covent Garden, along with a few other brands.

I absolutely loved it. I loved meeting the customers and I loved the idea of the shop. I was also taking on my first employee and needed somewhere for her to work. She couldn’t work on my kitchen table. One of

The Scamp & Dude Superhero Sleep Buddies were created by Tutchener Sharp to bring comfort to children who are apart from their loved ones, following her own stay in hospital, when she was away from her children

my old stockists was closing her shop and asked if I wanted to have it as an office. I realised that if I also used it as a shop, the takings would cover the costs of the office. Genius!”

That first store closed during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Tutchener Sharp left London, but when the pandemic ended, the itch was still there.

“I wanted to get into shops again, for me and customers to be able to see and touch the clothes, and to meet up with people. My husband joined the company at that point and we opened a store in Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The morning we opened, I was getting messages saying the queue was around the block. I had no idea it would be like that. It was great to be able to speak to everyone, asking where they’d come from. Online is still by far our biggest shopping channel, but the shops give our community spaces to visit and meet. They’re also great for new customer acquisition, as around 65% of instore customers are new.”

Brand as community

Let’s pause to note how Scamp & Dude is a great case study in brand marketing. From the purposeful concept to the name (playfully invoking pet names of Tutchener Sharp’s children), to the product photography, the Bowie-style 33

Edge interview

“As a leader, be yourself.

Inspire people. Get people on the journey with you. I think that’s the best way to lead”

lightning flash that speaks to a target audience, the celebrity endorsements, the charitable giving, the sustainability initiatives… it all hangs together so comfortably, so naturally. And none of this is by chance. It tells a story clearly and very ably.

A brand, as all marketers are taught, is more than a company name or logo, or the strapline of a marketing campaign. It’s about the customer’s overall perception of what a company does. It’s about reputation and trust. It’s a differentiator; a way to help customers make easier choices; and the emotional connection customers have with a company. It’s the cumulative experience – and, for Tutchener Sharp, when these all come together and work well, what’s born is a sense of community.

“The community side of things has always been so important to me,” she says. “That’s the kind of person I am. I love interacting with people. When I launched the brand, I loved chatting to our first customers. When I launched social media, it was me running Instagram and Facebook, and replying to comments. I was building this community, and it felt natural and right to want to be close to them all.

Now, it’s such an important part of the brand.

“We get letters from people who’ve received the scarves in hospital. Our team read all the messages and it gives everyone a boost. We got a poem from someone who had been given a scarf, about how she was feeling and what it meant to her.

It just blows your mind. We’re grounded constantly by things like that and it means we don’t forget why we’re doing all this.”

When customers see each other wearing clothes with the brand’s signature lightning flash, they often give each other a knowing nod, says Tutchener Sharp.

“Sometimes, they even go over and say ‘Scamp and Dude!’. There’s a little bit of solidarity. It’s about feeling part of a club and having that connection.

We’ve managed to bring together this community of like-minded people who have shared values. So, yes, it’s a living example of how a brand can work. I think we’ve created a movement as well, not just a brand.”

Scamp & Dude’s private Facebook group now numbers around 15,000 of its most loyal customers.

“It the hardcore customers who really love the brand,” says Tutchener Sharp. “And they all get to know each other. They’ve built relationships and arrange to meet up, including at our stores, where 34

Edge interview we’ve opened separate areas, called the Bolt Room, that groups can book for an hour or two to try on items. We put on Prosecco and nibbles for them. It’s all part of the movement we’ve created. It’s about bringing people together.”

Building on business skills

While Scamp & Dude started life from a hospital bed in 2016, Tutchener Sharp’s business acumen extends further back, to her career in beauty PR. She describes these as very different parts of her life, and yet it’s easy to see how that earlier career may have provided foundations for her current success.

“I set my PR business up from scratch and built it into a £5m turnover company. So, yes, I already knew what it took, and how hard you have to work to start and run a business. It’s definitely not for the faint-hearted – and that goes for both of my businesses. There are sacrifices you have to make and there are times you never switch off.

“With Scamp & Dude, having a business before definitely helped me. But setting up a PR agency wasn’t as daunting as setting up a fashion brand, because my whole career had been in PR. With fashion, I had no background in it at all. I had so much to learn – and that’s what I did. I fed my brain with business books and constantly listened to podcasts. I learned everything I could and loved learning it. I saw it as an opportunity.”

Later, fashion retail magazine Drapers described Tutchener Sharp as a disruptor – someone who was innovating, challenging the status quo. It’s not how she would describe it.

“A lot of it was gut instinct,” she says. “I don’t think I was a disruptor; I just didn’t really know what I was doing. But I do believe there are ways of doing things differently and I believe in being authentically yourself. That’s another thing that I’ve always stuck to; I’ve never pretended to be anything that I’m not, which is really important.

I try to make everyone else do that as well.

Don’t be afraid to be you. I’m definitely not some high-powered businesswoman. I’m very much myself and think that’s a good way to be.”

Lessons for the future

After the steep learning curve of the past decade, Tutchener Sharp says her education in business, and life, continues. When she looks back to the early days of Scamp & Dude, there are lessons, too.

“I’m still learning so much,” she says. “But I’ve also learned a lot about myself. I’m probably a lot stronger than I thought I was. But also – and maybe because of the speed that everything’s happened – you have to check yourself. I know what can be done, and when you’ve been that hungry to drive everything along and hit those mission numbers, you can get a little impatient.

I know the team are totally behind what we do, and

Ethical business • B Corp certified • Warehouse rated Breeam Excellent and Energy Performance Certificate A+, a net-zero carbon facility with solar thermal heating, rainwater harvesting, EV charging and smart lighting.

• Scamp & Dude is a member of the UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT), which is committed to delivering sustainable growth for the UK fashion and textile supply chain.

• 82% of its latest fashion collection is made using responsible materials and processes.

• Denim products are rated with an Environmental Impact Measure score – a responsibility MOT that

tracks their impact on water, energy, chemicals and people.

• Warehouse carbon emissions cut by 50%, improved energy efficiency and reduced transport emissions thanks to nearby carrier hubs.

• Scamp & Dude adopted the Ethical Trading Initiative’s Base Code of Conduct, founded on International Labour Organization conventions and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

• Scamp & Dude’s pre-loved resale marketplace is available to its Charge Your Bolt members – ‘giving your wardrobe heroes a second chance to make someone feel incredible’.

that they are on this road with me, but I need to remember they’re probably not going to be on it as much as I am.

“There are also a few things I wish I’d done differently. Now, when I look at the numbers of how quickly we were growing, I realise I could have taken on help, rather than thinking I could do everything myself. I should have bought someone on earlier.

That’s something I would change.”

Yet, ultimately, it has been Tutchener Sharp’s personal fearlessness and determination that has been the guiding presence behind the company’s success. The advice she would pass on to other business leaders reflects those attitudes.

“Don’t see the barriers,” she says. “Think you can do anything, but make sure you’ve taken the time to really learn about what you’re doing. And never assume anything. Look into everything.

Research everything. Then, as a leader, be yourself.

Inspire people. Get people on the journey with you.

I think that’s the best way to lead.”

The big lesson, however, is about more than just hard work and personal conviction. It’s about vision.

While Scamp & Dude’s offering has evolved over the years, the clear brand purpose has held strong since that very first day, when it was dreamt up from Tutchener Sharp’s hospital bed.

“It’s about integrity,” she says. “When you’ve got integrity, people want to come along and ride with you.” Tutchener Sharp’s journey has been all the more successful for it.

Martin Bewick is a writer and editor at CPL One. 35

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Workplace GUEST OPINION

Professor Michaela Merk

The invisible power The five cornerstones of relational intelligence

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s artificial intelligence (AI) promises to optimise everything from processes to decisions, one question increasingly arises: what remains truly human in leadership?

The answer is relationships – or, more specifically, what I call ‘relational intelligence’, that invisible power that keeps teams together when everything else is falling apart and enhances performance when technology reaches its limits.

Relational intelligence is not soft benevolence. It is a strategic force, grounded in 15 years of research with leaders worldwide. It’s the ability to understand, adapt and nurture human interactions across cultures to build lasting trust, thereby enhancing individual and collective performance.

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Empathy guides decision-making In uncertain times, figures can be reassuring, but they never tell the full story. Empathy, however, detects subtle signals: fatigue, loss of meaning, hidden tensions. Leaders who can read these cues make better, faster and more sustainable decisions. This is not armchair psychology, but managerial lucidity – the ability to understand what employees cannot express.

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Trust accelerates execution When trust is there, teams move forward without needing permission at each step. It lessens friction, streamlines cooperation and saves precious time during crises. Conversely, a lack of trust is expensive, causing delays, conflicts and disengagement. The most resilient companies are not the most authoritarian, but the most dependable.

flows, talent remains and results follow.

Recognition is a value multiplier.

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Pride in belonging fosters loyalty Employees who are proud of their work and their organisation are naturally its most powerful ambassadors. Pride turns a role into a part of their identity, a job into a personal commitment and a team into a family. This explains why some brands attract, retain and inspire people beyond remuneration.

“Crises are not managed solely from an Excel spreadsheet, but through relationships”

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Passion withstands pressure Under stress, processes break down.

Passion, however, remains strong. It connects individuals to a purpose greater than themselves and turns effort into commitment. Teams that understand why they are fighting tend to last longer, innovate more and weather storms better.

Passion is not a luxury: it is fuel for going the distance.

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Gratitude boosts commitment Recognising effort, loyalty and collective intelligence is not a superficial gesture. It is an act of leadership.

Gratitude reinforces dignity, fuels motivation and anchors loyalty. In organisations where it is practised, energy

Observe before acting These five powers cannot be improvised.

They are cultivated daily through how we listen, make decisions, say no, say thank you and create meaning. One fundamental principle I advocate is simple: observe before acting. Venture into the field, understand the realities of life and grasp the true human dynamics. Crises are not managed solely from an Excel spreadsheet, but through relationships.

In a world where AI can analyse, predict and optimise, the real difference lies elsewhere: in the ability to connect.

Tomorrow’s leaders will not be those who know everything, but those who know how to foster connections, trust and collective momentum.

Michaela Merk is a professor at Audencia Business School in France, where she heads the MSc in Sustainable Luxury Management. She is also an international coach, public speaker and podcast host, specialising in leadership and customer experience through relational intelligence. She is the author of The Power of Relational Intelligence: 30 Golden Rules for Effective Leadership and HighPerforming Teams.

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Workplace

From pitch to shared purpose Dave Kitson on building psychological safety in a team, be it in the Premier League or in the office

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he saying goes that in the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.

In the microcosm of professional football, a game I played for 13 years, leadership seemed to come and go with the seasons.

There were great moments of individual leadership that culminated in some kind of collective success. And there were many times when the manager’s ego collided with the beginner’s guide to psychology, and what fell out was something else entirely.

Are you in or are you out?

Once, on a pre-season training camp in the Alps, our manager told us that the next day we were all going to be kayaking down a treacherous ravine. People had died on those waters. Anybody who didn’t want to do it was instructed to stand to one side. Five players decided that their bodies were their livelihoods and the assets of the company for which they worked. They weren’t going to go kayaking down a mountain, thanks.

Those five never played for the manager again. They were frozen out.

With the logic that if they weren’t in it with us they were against us, they certainly couldn’t be relied upon to play in a Premier League match when the chips were down – and the chips were often down.

If they weren’t motivated enough to do what everybody else was doing, then they were worthless. That is the worst case of God complex I have ever come across in 30 years of studying leaders.

No silver bullet Dressing rooms, you see, are laboratory conditions for studying leadership.

In men’s football, a man comes before you and says: “I am your leader; here is what you will each do.” When things go right and when things go wrong, the man’s face appears on television. For us, the man’s face comes into the dressing room, and he rants and raves as we sit there. Sometimes he makes sense; sometimes we just switch off. Even though he says he is a leader, he is no longer the leader.

It’s the same in every leadership role. The most common mistake I have come across is the God-like notion that it is down to the leaders to motivate everybody else. It is not. It’s a condescending idea. It comes from the leader’s needs, not anybody else’s.

It is almost impossible to motivate everybody with the same methods.

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Workplace Each person has their own individual needs and real leadership is understanding what those needs are. Too often there is a rush to reach for the gun with the silver bullet. It doesn’t exist.

If people feel their basic needs are being met, self-motivation follows.

From self-motivation a healthy culture can grow for as long as any organisation remains relevant.

Certainly, in football, there have been times when clubs have known success because of the dictatorial style of the manager. It doesn’t last. Sustained success remains through a shared culture to which everybody signs up. The most successful clubs nourish and sustain themselves no matter who the manager is.

There are leaders everywhere.

You’ll never walk alone I’m not a Liverpool fan, but in an industry not short of case studies in failure, it stands out as the exception.

Liverpool FC were promoted back to England’s top division in 1962. Since then, there have been periods of unrivalled success, there have been successive years of very ordinary football, and there has been unimaginable tragedy.

During all that time – 64 seasons of football – Liverpool have never finished lower than eighth. There has always been the motivation to compete and achieve. Some years there are very talented people working for the club, some years less so. The embedded culture ensures that inevitable dips are relatively short-lived and success remains within touching distance. Everything is geared towards making individuals better by giving them purpose, clarity and constant validation and feedback.

Football clubs are fluid and pulsing organisations in which pressure is the modus operandi. The focal point, of course, is the first team. It’s the part of the club from where every metric for success is ultimately drawn. Everything that a football club does is faced towards the first team achieving its goals. That, in turn, is useless unless the first team is facing back.

When forward Sadio Mané left Liverpool after six seasons, he sent every one of the club’s 150 staff a personalised note and a gift. That’s the culture.

“The most common mistake I have come across is the God-like notion that it is down to the leaders to motivate everybody else”

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Culture v strategy Not too far down the road in Salford, there are players falling over themselves to leave a football club that has recently appointed its 14th manager in 10 years.

Some of these players earn hundreds of thousands of pounds every week. Some are as famous as the little tick on their boots. Some were even born and raised in the city. None of it has made a blind bit of difference.

Meeting basic human needs, fostering self-motivation and understanding culture are fundamental principles universally applicable to every business.

That man in the changing room undoubtedly has the power to lead, but it is his empowerment of the team and those around him that achieves the standout results. Over the long run, culture will always beat strategy.

In 1971, legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly returned home to a hero’s welcome. Around 100,000 supporters filled the streets to hear their leader speak from the steps of the town hall: “I have drummed it into our players time and again that they are privileged to play for you. And if they didn’t believe me, they believe me now.”

Hours earlier at Wembley Stadium, Shankly and his team had lost the FA Cup final. But Shankly, the leader, had not lost sight of the culture that would sustain his club and the city – no blame, no finger pointing, no sense of ending.

Just a forward-facing culture in which employees and customers, players and supporters, felt as one.

Dave Kitson is a former Premier League footballer. He is the author of The Sunday Times number one bestselling book I Am The Secret Footballer and the creator of InAMinute© team culture. He delivers corporate talks and workshops.

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Workplace

Serve to lead Caroline Wade MBE on transitioning from the

British Army to the NHS – and the leadership lessons we can learn from both institutions

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our years ago, I transitioned into a senior leadership role in the NHS, following a 20-year career in the British Army.

While the organisational cultures differ significantly, the underlying leadership values feel remarkably aligned.

Leadership in the British Army and the NHS takes place in environments defined by high pressure and moral complexity. At the heart of both are leadership values shaped by a clear purpose and a deep-rooted commitment to achieving outcomes through people. The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst’s motto is ‘Serve to Lead’, emphasising the same selfless commitment expected of NHS colleagues who prioritise patient care above all.

Combat boot to court shoes My transition from the British Army to the NHS was more than simply swapping combat boots for court shoes; it was an opportunity to understand leadership in a different way.

The correlation between employee engagement and organisational performance is widely evidenced.

I have observed that effective leaders understand their teams and their dynamics, using an adaptive approach to consciously select the most appropriate style. They increase positive engagement by creating shared goals, building trust and open communication.

As such, leadership is arguably the most important factor in determining organisational success.

In the NHS, hierarchy is less visible without rank worn on your clothes, which is front and centre in the army, but it is no less real. Communication is less directive, and decision-making prioritises consultation and engagement. Yet colleagues don’t move on a two-year posting cycle, so time spent investing in relationships can have a positive longer-term impact.

The British Army’s Leadership Code1 translates the values and standards that underpin its culture 40

into seven core leadership behaviours. These behaviours are embedded within training and development woven into career pathways, to ensure consistency in approach, understanding and expectation.

Principles and characteristics The new NHS Management and Leadership Framework,2 delivering on the recommendations of the Messenger Review,3 seeks to professionalise leadership by setting out the principles and characteristics that leaders and managers are expected to meet, shaped by policy and guidance that underpin the purpose of the NHS.4 Using such frameworks, the NHS and the British Army seek to cultivate leadership behaviours that shape high-performing teams working collectively towards achieving a common goal.

For both, the stakes can be high, with complex decision-making and ruthless prioritisation the norm. While the language used to describe leadership and culture differs, the essence is the same: values-based leadership, where decisions and actions are guided by core principles and shared values, where the task and the team come ahead of the individual.

What could each learn from the other? The British Army emphasises extensive through-career leader development, with dedicated time away from the day job; this creates space for learning and thinking, with limited distractions. In the NHS, leader development largely takes place alongside business-as-usual activity. To realise the benefits of the new Management and Leadership Framework, colleagues will need time to learn, develop and reflect – and in an organisation of 1.3 million people, this challenge cannot be understated.

A lesson I have learned from the NHS is the importance of compassion in leadership.5 There were times in my army career when I could have

Workplace

“The reciprocal learning between these institutions shows that strong leadership transcends organisational boundaries – shaping cultures, strengthening teams and, ultimately, improving outcomes for the communities they serve”

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demonstrated more compassion, understanding that being kind does not always equate with being nice and that showing vulnerability can increase your leadership impact. Compassion is not a value overtly visible in the narrative and stereotype of the British Army, yet this trait is exemplified in the way many people conduct themselves. Leadership in the British Army will continue to evolve, and at times of significant workforce challenges,6 I wonder if it may become more open to the merit of developing a compassionate leadership culture.

Setting the tone and shaping culture What is common to both organisations is that the way a leader conducts themselves sets the tone and shapes culture. Leadership isn’t static: as a leader, you are never complete, and a key principle of any leader’s style should be to be curious and open to change.

The transfer of leadership experience between the British Army and NHS is well trodden, and positively influences both institutions. In both, effective leadership is rooted in shared values, a clear sense of purpose and a commitment to people. While the cultural contexts are distinct, leadership principles converge around service, integrity and continuous development. As leaders

navigate increasingly complex environments, the ability to blend adaptability, compassion and professional discipline becomes ever more critical.

The reciprocal learning between these institutions shows that strong leadership transcends organisational boundaries – shaping cultures, strengthening teams and, ultimately, improving outcomes for the communities they serve.

Caroline Wade is director of human resources and organisational development (OD) at Chesterfield Royal Hospital. She joined the NHS after a 25-year career in the British Army, where she latterly held senior HR and OD appointments. Prior to this, she gained extensive experience in HR, logistics and training in the UK and overseas, including several operational tours. She was made an MBE in 2018 for service to improving the lives of the armed forces community. She is a member of the women’s veterans’ network Sisters in Service: sistersinservice.org.uk

1 bit.ly/ES26AN 2 bit.ly/ES26AN2 3 bit.ly/ES26AN3 4 bit.ly/ES26AN4, bit.ly/ES26AN4a, bit.ly/ES26AN4b 5 bit.ly/ES26AN5 6 bit.ly/ES26AN6 41

Workplace

Removing the barriers Dr Marcelle Moncrieffe-Newman shares

leadership lessons for building inclusive organisations in which everyone can thrive

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eaders talk a lot about ‘bringing your whole self to work’, yet, for many people, this remains more slogan than reality. Whether because of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, class or any other protected characteristic, too many talented people still navigate workplaces where they are tolerated at best, marginalised at worst. The research underpinning my book One Step Forward, Two Steps Black shows how discrimination can be quietly woven into everyday norms – in hiring, promotion, performance conversations and informal networks – and those same patterns are visible across multiple dimensions of identity. If leaders genuinely want organisations in which everyone can thrive, they must move beyond performative diversity statements and redesign systems so equity is built in, rather than bolted on.

Lead with an explicit commitment to equity The first leadership lesson is to replace vague ‘inclusion intentions’ with a clear, organisation-wide commitment to equity and anti-discrimination.

That means acknowledging that bias exists in your organisation – across race, gender, disability, age and

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more – and treating this as a core business issue, not a reputational risk to downplay.

Practical actions include: • Developing an equity and inclusion action plan that covers all protected characteristics, with specific goals, owners and timelines • Conducting disparity audits across recruitment, pay, progression, performance and attrition, disaggregated by multiple characteristics and their intersections • Setting representation and progression targets, and tracking them as rigorously as financial key performance indicators (KPIs), with clear accountability at board and executive level.

This shifts leadership from ‘we support diversity in principle’ to ‘we are responsible for changing outcomes – and here is how we will be measured’.

Centre lived experience and intersectionality Policies and values are only meaningful if they match employees’ lived experiences. My research into anti-Black workplace culture highlights how subtle exclusion, microaggressions and ‘cultural fit’ narratives can block careers, even in organisations that claim to be inclusive. Similar patterns

Workplace

“My research into anti-Black workplace culture highlights how subtle exclusion, microaggressions and ‘cultural fit’ narratives can block careers, even in organisations that claim to be inclusive” play out for disabled staff, LGBTQ+ colleagues, women, religious minorities and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Leaders can close this gap by: • Creating safe, well-resourced mechanisms for people to share experiences of discrimination and exclusion without fear of retaliation • Listening for intersectional realities – for example, how a disabled woman of colour or an older LGBTQ+ employee may experience layered barriers, rather than treating each characteristic in isolation • Naming modern forms of discrimination (microaggressions, selective incivility, coded comments) in policies and treating them as serious conduct issues.

When leaders treat lived experience as core evidence, not anecdote, they unlock the insight needed to design workplaces that work for everyone.

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Build equitable employee journeys, not parallel tracks My research found that discrimination often shows up as a ‘two tier’ employee experience: one group moves smoothly through career milestones, while others face stalled progression, constant scrutiny or being forced out. This can be true for Black and ethnically diverse employees, for older workers, for those with caring responsibilities, for neurodivergent staff, and more.

Leaders can redesign employee journeys by: • Making career pathways transparent, with criteria and processes that are published, explained and open to challenge • Reviewing performance ratings, promotions, development access and exits by protected characteristic and intersectionality, and addressing patterns of bias • Replacing one-off ‘awareness’ sessions with expert-led development on anti-discrimination, integrated into leadership frameworks.

A thriving organisation is one in which no group routinely has to work harder just to be seen as competent or ‘a good fit’.

Make talent, succession and reward truly inclusive Leadership pipelines and reward systems are rarely neutral. Informal sponsorship, selective stretch

opportunities and narrow notions of ‘potential’ can disadvantage people who do not match the dominant profile, whether because of race, gender, disability, age, socioeconomic background or other factors.

Leaders can change this by: • Auditing talent and succession processes to see who is identified as ‘high potential’, who receives sponsorship and who is overlooked, and why • Designing sponsorship and mentoring programmes for underrepresented groups, with clear outcomes and senior leader accountability, while keeping participants connected to mainstream talent systems • Reviewing pay frameworks, starting salaries and bonus schemes for patterns of inequality, and setting out robust plans to close gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps.

Positive action, used lawfully, can help address underrepresentation across more than one characteristic, but it must be purposeful, data driven and evaluated for impact, not used as a cosmetic gesture.

Organisations in which everyone can thrive are not created by chance. They are built when leaders choose to confront uncomfortable truths, redesign systems with equity at the centre and hold themselves, and each other, accountable for outcomes, not just intentions.

Dr Marcelle Moncrieffe-Newman is the author of One Step Forward, Two Steps Black: Navigating Anti-Black Workplace Culture. She is a distinguished HR executive, speaker and consultant, specialising in workplace culture, race and leadership.

Equip every leader to be an inclusion expert Culture is shaped most powerfully in everyday decisions made by leaders and HR teams. My research found that when leaders and HR teams lack confidence or diversity, it can unintentionally reinforce privilege, especially in how it handles grievances, disciplinaries and ‘fit’ decisions. Inclusion can no longer be delegated to a single champion; it must be treated as a core leadership competence across the organisation.

To build organisations in which everyone can thrive, leaders should: • Invest in specialist equity, diversity and inclusion capability, and

ensure HR professionals receive in-depth training on discrimination law, systemic bias, intersectionality and lived experience-informed practice •R eview the diversity of the HR and leadership populations themselves, recognising that representation in decision-making roles signals credibility and builds trust •U se data from employee relations, recruitment and career progression to challenge ‘business as usual’ and redesign processes that consistently disadvantage particular groups.

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Workplace GUEST OPINION

Ian Brett

Flight path Lessons in leading under pressure, direct from an RAF cockpit

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debrief everything under pressure – not just failures, but successes, too.

A good debrief is structured. The team reconnects around the shared objective, different perspectives are heard to build a common picture, key lessons are identified and clear actions agreed. Responsibility for improvement is then assigned. This builds accountability, trust and continuous improvement, ensuring that pressure becomes a teacher rather than a threat.

s a former RAF fighter pilot, I often had to make crucial decisions at speed, in environments where the margin for error was measured in seconds. High-pressure performance was not about heroics in the moment or a big personality; it was about preparation, clarity, teamwork and self-awareness. Flying a fighter jet is an exercise in sustained pressure that can also hold valuable lessons for leaders in the workplace.

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Be clear, directive and calm In the world of flying, roles, responsibilities and intentions are always explicit, as any uncertainty could lead to catastrophic consequences. Equally, in business, there is no room for vague language. Under pressure, people need clear direction, not mixed messages.

During crises, rapid change or major operational challenges, teams look to their leader for certainty. This doesn’t mean pretending to have all the answers, but it does mean providing clear intent, as well as calm, confident communication.

This dampens panic and steadies people when emotions run high.

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Train for the worst on your best day Fighter pilots rehearse emergencies relentlessly in simulators so that, if an unwelcome scenario occurs, the response is second nature. Pressure reduces cognitive capacity, while familiarity builds the muscle memory needed to act rapidly.

Most organisations plan for success but rarely rehearse failure, hoping it will never happen or assuming they will ‘deal with it when it does’. This is not about being a herald of doom, but

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4 “In combat, you trust your colleagues with your life. That trust is built through training, consistency and honest debriefing”

preparing for stressful scenarios makes a measured response far more likely when the unexpected occurs.

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Debrief ruthlessly, learn relentlessly After every mission in the RAF, we debrief – not to assign blame, but to learn.

Rank disappears and everyone is expected to contribute. What actually happened?

What went well? What nearly went wrong?

What must we do differently next time?

This discipline is one of aviation’s greatest performance multipliers and one of the most underused tools in our organisations. High-performing teams

Build trust in times of stability In combat, you trust your colleagues with your life. That trust is built through training, consistency and honest debriefing. Under pressure, there is no time to navigate tricky relationships, so leaders must cultivate the same trust during periods of stability. When people believe their leader is fair, prepared and transparent, they are more likely to follow decisively when the stakes are high.

In this sense, training in selfawareness through development tools is vital, both for individuals and teams.

Understanding personal strengths, weaknesses and blind spots deepens appreciation of one another when things are going well, and strengthens collective performance when pressure hits.

As in flying, strong leadership in highpressure business environments is about preparation, clarity, structure, learning and awareness. Performance is earned long before the moment arrives and refined by what we learn when it is over.

Ian Brett is a learning and development consultant at Insights, Jungian typologist, and former RAF fast-jet fighter pilot and instructor.

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Spotlight

Attitude, not altitude Many of life’s lessons are learned way outside your comfort zone, as Jo Bradshaw, expedition leader, leadership coach and keynote speaker, discovered later in life. Tracey Lattimore finds out more

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ountaineering was never part of Jo Bradshaw’s grand plan.

“I never classed myself as adventurous,” she says. “I never even wanted to climb a hill.” Yet the 54-year-old, who earlier in her life had a massive fear of heights, has not only reached the summit of Everest (she’s the 36th British woman to do so), but has now completed the Seven Summits – the highest mountains on each of Earth’s continents.

“I climbed Kilimanjaro as an assistant leader in 2008. I’d cycled at altitude before, but it was hard,” she explains. “Any first time at an altitude more than 3,000 metres is quite challenging, because it’s so new. We all know our bodies really well at sea level, but you take away half the oxygen and it becomes a slightly different beast. It’s all about your attitude, not the altitude – and I think that’s life, full stop.”

Facing her fears Leadership lessons for Bradshaw began early in life. Having been bullied at school, she was very much a loner, preferring the outdoor life and being surrounded by horses. But economic realities hit home and she decided that earning a proper wage was the way forward. Moving up the management ladder in retail eventually led to a business adviser role, which meant she had to do presentations and lots of networking events. She was terrified.

“They didn’t tell me that at the interview – and if they had, I wouldn’t have taken the job, because I would have felt, ‘I can’t do that!’ But now I’d think – ‘I wonder if I can?’ It’s the change in mindset.

I feel like I’m just catching up with life now.”

Bradshaw didn’t know it at the time, but that early leadership experience would come into its own further down the line, and would be a stepping stone towards her life as an expedition leader.

During a slow day in the office, she came

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across an advert for a charity parachute jump and, despite being a “very risk-adverse individual”, she signed up. That moment opened the door to a life full of adventures. A cycling expedition to Peru followed and, after a few more trips with the same company, Discover Adventure, she was asked to work for them.

“I did enjoy my job, but I didn’t love it. I felt like I was just treading water,” she explains. “So when Discover Adventure offered me a job, I was more than halving my salary, moving 120 miles from Milton Keynes to Salisbury, and needed to sell my fancy car. But I also needed to try this new way of life and see how it went.”

Leading the way Bradshaw began leading expeditions as part of a team, to places such as Vietnam and the Great Wall of China, having sharpened her skills as a client and an assistant on a number of other treks and cycle rides. She already had all the business and people skills, as well as logistics experience, and she had an understanding of the terrain.

“I may have been new to the industry, but if they hadn’t believed I was capable of leading, they would not have put me in that position,” she says. “I felt confident about it because I had led in business. I’d stood up in front of teams and given briefings – and the majority of leading on expeditions is leading people who are in a state of anxiety.”

Bradshaw’s acumen would serve her well in the following years, most crucially during her first attempt to climb Everest. Having worked her way up to the challenge with a number of 6,000m peaks and her first 8,000m peak, she took on the task as a client, rather than leader, in 2015, led by climbing partner Rolfe Oostra.

The pair acclimatised themselves at Base Camp, practising on the ice fall and getting used to

Spotlight

“The majority of leading on expeditions is leading people who are in a state of anxiety”

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Spotlight

Leading a group up Yala Peak, Nepal (left) and Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (below)

their environment before heading up to Camp One at 6,000m. This was 800 vertical metres and two miles away from Base Camp, through a labyrinth of crevasses sometimes tens of metres wide.

Having had a good journey up to Camp One, the pair were organising their tent when disaster struck. “The ground underneath us went ‘whoosh’ and felt like it was disappearing. Then it started shaking and we dashed out of the tent. I thought it was a crevasse opening up and I didn’t want to be sucked down there wrapped in a tent. It was not how I wanted to go – not that you have a choice.

“We were being avalanched from both sides.

Camp One gets avalanched quite a bit, just because of where it is. It’s not a safe place to be. But on that day, it was the safest place to be.”

A radio call from their camp manager explained that there had been a massive avalanche at Everest Base Camp, wiping out a big chunk of it and killing three of their local team. The death toll was 19.

Astonishingly, no-one else died on any other part of the mountain. Had it been at night, Bradshaw and Oostra would have been at Base Camp, and the story might have been very different.

“I have reflected on the ‘what ifs’, and they are not helpful. You can reflect on what-ifs to improve an expedition, but don’t go down the disaster rabbit hole,” she says.

Finally taken back to Base Camp by helicopter, Bradshaw was asked if she’d consider trying Everest again – and she said yes straight away.

So, in 2016, Bradshaw and Oostra returned and finally succeeded in reaching the summit of Everest.

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A matter of trust Bradshaw understands all too well how the best lessons are learned from things that don’t go to plan. During an expedition she was leading in the Sahara Desert, she was the first to fall really ill, which caused panic in the group. Thankfully, experienced local guide Lahcen Imzilen was on hand to take charge.

“It was his backyard,” explains Bradshaw.

“I should have set up from the beginning of the trip that the local guides were our co-pilots, and I learned a big lesson from that. As much as the clients need to trust me to begin with, they absolutely need to trust the local team.”

Bradshaw’s trust in her colleagues means that her expeditions are managed to the highest level, because the team works together and has complete confidence in each other’s abilities. She gets her clients into a position where they don’t actually need her for ‘summit night’ – she’s just there as backup. Although the ultimate responsibility lies on her shoulders, every person on the team brings

Spotlight something different, from local knowledge to mountain awareness.

“On summit night, I’m usually at the back so I can see what’s going on at the front. If I need to take someone down or somebody’s ill, I might not be able to catch the main group up, so they need to be confident with the people who are around them.

We’re not just there as mountain guides; essentially, we’re people managers.”

Taking responsibility Building trust in the group is key to a successful expedition, as well as to creating a sense of confidence and team.

“I can’t make people trust me,” Bradshaw says.

“But it’s knowing that the company has put me there for good reason – that they know I’m capable of leading the expedition, that I have experience doing it, and that I’m a good person.

“Just being myself is important. If I don’t know the answer to a question, I go and find out, rather than make it up. As a leader that’s really important, because if I try to make it up and it’s not right, that level of trust is going to disappear.”

One particular incident that comes to mind for Bradshaw is when, early in her expedition career, she was leading an expedition to Everest Base Camp for a charity. There were, she explains, “a lot of alpha males” on the expedition, who were trying to get people on their side to discredit her. “I don’t understand what they were trying to discredit, because I was the one with all the experience,” she laughs. “But at the time I wasn’t confident enough to confront it.” A lot of their attitude was, she believes, down to their own anxiety and being in an environment they weren’t used to.

That particular expedition taught her to nip things in the bud straight away. “If I’d had the

Bradshaw’s top tips for success

1

Listen to people you trust When people are questioning what you’re doing, whether it’s a big climb or audacious expedition, it’s often because they wouldn’t do it themselves.

I know now if I come up with an idea, trusted friends will ask: “How can we make it work?”

2

Find your purpose What’s your ‘why’ of being here? It’s really important on an expedition, particularly when you get a group of individuals who have different agendas.

What is the common purpose?

3

Speak with confidence No-one has my story. No-one else has my perspective on what I’ve done, what I’ve been through, the life I’ve lived. If I’m not speaking with confidence, nobody’s going to believe what I’m saying.

confidence at the time, I would have taken them to one side and said, ‘OK, talk to me’. But I was still very much ‘the customer is king’. I think on that occasion I was being swayed by their behaviour and wasn’t being authentically myself.”

Looking inward Many leadership lessons for Bradshaw have been learned by being on the side of a mountain, including authenticity, humility and vulnerability.

And strength has many facets, she says – it can be seen in many different ways.

“It’s not just about physical strength, because there’s all sorts of ways of being strong,” she explains. “Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. It is something I ask my clients to do, so why not do it myself?

“I have learned over the years how to calm my emotions so that I am there for my clients. If I need a bit of help, I will choose the right person to go to at the right time, rather than stewing on it.”

Bradshaw also explains how she’s reframed imposter syndrome, because she feels that a syndrome is something you always have, and it sounds quite heavy.

“To me, they’re moments of self-doubt. That reframing just lightens everything up. I’m going to have moments of self-doubt and nerves whether I’m waiting to go on stage and talk to 500 people or talking to executives in a training room. Knowing that I have been asked to be there means I am the right person for the job, and to take a breath and crack on with confidence.”

Bradshaw experienced self-doubt particularly in the early days, when she was new to the adventure world. Many of her peers and co-leaders had been in the industry since they were young, and she’d come into it just before she turned 40.

“Sometimes I felt not worthy of being here,” she explains. “There’s a high percentage of men in the industry, and when you’d get on an expedition – particularly with the name ‘Jo’ – I have received comments of, ‘I thought you were going to be a bloke’. Or I have been on expeditions where the local guides would automatically respect my male counterpart, whereas it would take me a lot longer to gain that respect and trust.”

She pauses. “I learned so many leadership lessons in my business life before adventure, but working in challenging environments with people who are in a state of anxiety really hones your skills pretty quickly.”

Find out more about Bradshaw’s adventures at jobradshaw.co.uk Tracey Lattimore is an editor and journalist at CPL One. 49

Future focus

Joined-up thinking

Nicole de Fontaines, executive director at CEMS, shares 10 insights for leaders on adopting AI

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he rise of generative AI has been staggering. During the past year, ChatGPT’s audience has more than doubled and is now expected to surpass one billion monthly users in 2026, even as rival platforms close the gap rapidly.1 Meanwhile, 99% of Fortune 500 companies now use AI in some form.2 To investigate ‘next level’ leadership capability in this AI age, CEMS undertook a series of in-depth interviews with representatives from our corporate partners, business schools and alumni for a new report. These are global experts, whose roles are to anticipate trends and prepare leaders for an uncertain future. From these interviews, some clear insights for leaders emerged.

1

Focus on augmentation, not automation Integrating human judgement with machine intelligence will tend to unlock new levels of productivity, creativity and innovation. This means framing AI as a tool to enhance human capability, not replace it.

Sherif Kamel, dean of the Onsi Sawiris School of Business at The American University in Cairo, and deputy chair of CEMS, shares that “the future will not be about humans or machines, but about co-existing and collaborating with machines to unlock new potential. Ultimately, shaping the future of AI is a shared responsibility.”

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2

Redefine the digital skills that matter Curiosity, creativity, critical thinking and perseverance are among the traits that will help leaders and teams to solve complex problems and thrive in a world where AI takes care of the repetitive.

“As we navigate this future, we must remember that technology may change the tools we use, but it does not change who we are. Our ability to think critically, adapt resiliently and connect meaningfully remains our greatest advantage,” says Kamel.

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Invest in practical experience Going beyond theory to experiment with AI in real business scenarios can help employees to develop judgement and critical thinking that cannot be automated.

According to Aleksandra Kjemhus, CEO of Blackdoor Technologies and AI strategist, by embracing the mindset of a tech explorer, we stop fearing AI and start harnessing it. “Knowing how models are trained, what data they rely on and what their limitations are gives you a major advantage by demystifying the technology, and helps you collaborate with it intelligently.”

Dr Kourosh Bahrami, CEO of tesa, also explains that “what matters most is continuous, hands-on learning, where people apply AI and digital tools directly in their daily work within a structured environment.”

Future focus

4

Know your culture and values A deep knowledge of culture, processes, values and brand identity is crucial to generate AI output that enhances your organisation’s uniqueness.

“When you bring a new employee into your team, they start without a deep understanding of your company’s mission, culture or tone of voice. The same is true for AI,” says Kjemhus.

“These models know nothing about your internal data, your brand identity or your processes. To work effectively, AI models need to be ‘onboarded’, much like a new colleague.”

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Learn what’s ‘under the hood’ AI tools are immensely useful, but understanding their limitations is key. AI doesn’t ‘learn’ like a human colleague; it identifies and predicts patterns – always convincingly, but sometimes incorrectly.

Kai Riemer, professor of information technology and organisation at the University of Sydney Business School, explains: “People may use technology proficiently without understanding how it works or making thoughtful choices.

“Leaders must go beyond prompting a chatbot, to grasp what’s happening under the hood. This particularly matters because they are making technology choices not just for themselves, but for others, and have a disproportionate influence in the workplace.”

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Think first, prompt second As a leader, it is important to structure your own thinking before turning to AI, in order to evaluate what’s useful, refine outputs and make better decisions.

In CEMS’ report, Guillaume Delacour, global head of people development at ABB, explains that people at his company are encouraged to think first and prompt second. “Build your own ideas, structure your thinking, and only once you’ve hit your limits, turn to AI. That’s when it becomes a truly valuable partner.”

Bahrami adds: “If convenience erodes judgement, we risk losing the fresh perspective and scrutiny that safeguard sound decision-making.”

“When you bring a new employee into your team, they start without a deep understanding of your company’s mission, culture or tone of voice. The same is true for AI”

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Make sure learning is continuous It is important to unlearn outdated habits and relearn new ways of working to stay relevant. “To succeed in an AI-driven world, we must cultivate resilience and adaptability to adjust to these oftenunpredictable adaptations” explains Kamel. “Our ability to learn continuously, unlearn outdated practices and relearn new ones will be the defining skill of this century.”

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Think bigger and bolder It is possible to plan now for how AI agents will integrate into future strategy. This means exploring where they can drive value, reimagine workflows and build competitive advantage – before competitors do. Utku Barış Pazar, former chief strategy and digital officer at Beko, says: “Right now, these agents tend to be clumsy and error prone. But, within two years, they will be fast, reliable and essentially free employees. When that moment comes, the only thing that matters is how you use them. If you don’t have an answer – for yourself, your team or your company – someone else will, and they will set the pace for the future.”

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Champion critical thinking While AI can boost efficiency, rewarding independent thinkers who can question assumptions, assess outputs and solve complex problems is crucial. “Employers do not want robots who need to call on ChatGPT every time someone asks a question. They want independent thinkers who can use tools effectively, without being defined by them,” says Evelyne Léonard, professor at the Université Catholique de Louvain.

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Be ambidextrous The future belongs to leaders who can balance empathy with data, creativity with analysis, and innovation with ethical responsibility. In the age of AI, this mindset is crucial.

According to Bahrami: “An algorithm may present one version of reality, but it is never the only one. The skill lies in questioning, reframing and combining perspectives to produce new value.”

As Delacour concludes in his article for the report: “Those who master both strong human and digital skills will have the incredible opportunity to become the best professionals that the corporate and academic worlds have ever seen.”

To access the CEMS report go to bit.ly/ES26AI3 Nicole de Fontaines is the executive director at CEMS – The Global Alliance in Management Education.

1 bit.ly/ES26AI 2 bit.ly/ES26AI2 51

Q & A

Future focus

In conversation In this series, an emerging leader and their leader sit down together to talk about their ambitions, and to find out more about the different paths to leadership. In this issue, the chat is between Flexzo Al’s founder and CEO Jack Henderson and senior leader Alister D’Souza Alister D’Souza (AD): What has been the biggest challenge in your time as a leader?

Jack Henderson (JH): Learning to remove emotion from decision-making. Early on, it’s easy to let personal feelings influence how you assess performance or respond to challenges. Over time, I’ve learned the importance of analysing situations objectively, looking at data, outcomes and behaviours rather than reacting emotionally. That doesn’t mean ignoring people or lacking empathy – it’s about separating how something feels from what the organisation needs. This allows you to make clearer decisions and use that insight to motivate people effectively.

JH: Do you think young people today are encouraged to be leaders?

AD: There are more opportunities than ever, but there’s more that could be done to support young people today.

Many are highly dedicated and eager to take on more responsibility, but they can sometimes be overlooked because of their age and not always given the chance to step into leadership roles early on. In many cases, young people are given responsibility, but not always the guidance or support needed to help them lead effectively. There’s also a common misconception that leadership only comes with seniority. Speaking from my own experience of stepping into a leadership role at 21, progressing into a senior management position, sitting on a national board and becoming a global ambassador, I’ve seen first hand that leadership is about mindset, capability and impact, not just job title or age.

AD: Has anything about leadership surprised you?

Alister D’Souza

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JH: What surprised me most is the sheer power of delegation and collaboration. Many leaders initially feel they need to be involved in everything, but true leadership is about empowering others to take ownership. When people feel trusted, they perform better. When collaboration is encouraged, bringing individuals together across functions or perspectives, productivity and morale increase significantly. Some of the strongest outcomes I’ve seen haven’t come from individual brilliance, but from teams working well together.

Future focus Jack Henderson

JH: What support would be useful?

AD: Mentorship is key. Having access to experienced leaders who are willing to share real, honest experiences, including challenges and mistakes, makes leadership feel far more achievable and less intimidating. It helps emerging leaders understand that leadership is a learning process, rather than something you must get right immediately. Creating safe spaces where young people can ask questions and build supportive networks is equally important. In my experience, young people greatly benefit from being invited to leadership events and shadowing leaders to gain a genuine understanding of what leadership looks like in practice.

AD: How is leadership today different from 10 years ago?

JH: One of the biggest changes has been greater cultural awareness. Leaders today must be more conscious of how language, tone and behaviour are interpreted across different backgrounds and cultures. There’s also a stronger expectation around inclusivity, wellbeing and transparency.

Leadership is no longer just about directing work; it’s about creating environments in which people feel heard and able to perform at their best.

Leaders now also need to be more agile and open to feedback. The emphasis is on collaboration and empowerment, rather than hierarchy, ensuring teams feel a sense of ownership over outcomes.

JH: What qualities are important for a leader?

AD: The ability to adapt while staying grounded in purpose. Effective leadership requires the confidence to make decisions under pressure while remaining open to learning, feedback and challenge. Empathy is equally critical; understanding different perspectives helps leaders build trust and bring people with them.

I’ve seen how inclusive leadership results in better outcomes and stronger teams. Being authentic and celebrating successes create an environment in which people feel valued and motivated. People don’t expect leaders to have all the answers, but they do expect honesty.

AD: What qualities do you think are key?

JH: For me, they are self-awareness, observation and motivation. Self-awareness allows leaders to understand their own strengths, weaknesses and impact on others. Observation helps leaders read situations and people accurately. Motivation – knowing how to inspire individuals and teams – is what ultimately drives performance.

JH: As someone already in a leadership role, how do you continue to develop?

AD: As a young senior leader, I’m intentional

about continuously developing my leadership style through reflection and exposure to different environments. Working across various roles has reinforced the importance of adaptability.

The principles that guide how I lead are clarity, inclusivity and accountability. I believe in setting clear direction and expectations, while creating an environment in which people feel comfortable contributing, challenging ideas and learning. I place a strong emphasis on listening and use that insight to make decisions. For me, effective leadership is about enabling others to perform at their best, take ownership and grow with confidence.

AD: What advice would you give to someone considering a leadership role?

JH: Learn, listen and study. Leadership isn’t just instinctive, it’s a discipline. Learning about organisational behaviour and motivational theory gives you tools to understand why people behave the way they do. Pay attention to how your team interacts, what motivates different people and how your leadership style impacts others. Great leaders adapt. They don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach.

Jack Henderson is the founder and CEO of Flexzo AI, leading the organisation’s mission to transform healthcare workforce delivery through technology and innovation.

He brings a modern and inclusive approach to leadership, driving sustainable growth and meaningful impact.

Alister D’Souza is a senior leader with experience across the NHS, the Better Hiring Institute Parliamentary Health Subcommittee, the National Apna NHS Executive Board, and Flexzo AI. Passionate about workforce transformation, AI and leadership development, he continues to advocate for empowering the next generation of leaders.

We’re looking for people to take part in ‘In conversation’.

Please email louise.parfitt@ cplone.co.uk to express your interest.

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Future focus

Networking, reframed Emma Maslen considers how to use your network

to accelerate your growth

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hroughout our lives, we meet people we connect with personally and professionally, yet we rarely think about these relationships strategically. When we begin to recognise them as valuable sources of insight and guidance, we unlock the true potential of networking – and the power of building a ‘personal board’ of trusted advisers.

Much like a corporate board, a personal board is a group that can be consulted on key decisions in a person’s life. The concept is about having regular contact with others who can share ideas, coach and drive you towards your goals. It encourages you to take control of your progress, your connections and the support you seek.

Building a peer group like this is valuable at any stage of your career. While many assume networking is only useful when looking for a new job or opportunity, your connections can provide meaningful avenues for growth and development, in your current role and beyond.

“While many assume networking is only useful when looking for a new job or opportunity, your connections can provide meaningful avenues for growth and development, in your current role and beyond” 54

Assemble and regularly engage with your personal board Imagine you have the services of a corporate board at your disposal – the brightest minds in business to help you advance your hopes, dreams and career.

You can make this a reality by identifying the right group of advisers and drawing on their guidance, advice and alternative perspectives to tackle the challenges you face. They could be senior or junior to you, working in parallel industries, or personal connections who know you well. These are people you can speak to whenever you need help in deciding where to go next and what actions to take.

It’s essential to stay in touch with your personal board. Regular engagement keeps them aligned with your goals and current priorities. If you go too long without contacting them, they might forget the context of your story or miss an important development in your career, so set reminders or schedule check-ins with each member, even if only for a brief chat. It’s both important and polite to keep them updated on your progress when you’ve asked for their advice.

Expand and evolve your network Once you start to think purposefully about using your network to achieve things, it should come as no surprise that you find you already have useful connections in place. Typically, these are the people you’ve always relied on – your immediate friends, family and colleagues, gathered naturally over time.

While these organic relationships can be great in providing advice and encouragement, taking time to expand your network can significantly enhance the guidance and help you receive.

Future focus

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Platforms, such as LinkedIn, all provide fantastic opportunities to connect with people you don’t yet know. With a few simple online searches, you can easily reach a more diverse group.

Additionally, by thoughtfully asking your existing contacts for introductions, you can gain access to trusted connections within their circles.

Your personal board needs to evolve as your career progresses. If your journey happens to take a different path, the people advising you today may not be the ones advising you in the future. Treat it as a dynamic asset and adjust the board members as your goals or responsibilities change.

Unlock feedback One of the biggest benefits of having a personal board is the opportunity to gather feedback. This is useful for anyone – young, old, new, tenured, corporate or entrepreneurial.

By introducing structured feedback sessions, you can gain crucial insight into your strengths and weaknesses to supercharge your development. Some avoid this process, worrying about what they might hear about themselves and what might reinforce their inner critic.

Fearful or not, it’s always worthwhile taking time to check how others perceive you. All feedback

“The world is made up of a wide range of people, and to influence and lead others, you need to reflect diverse views, not just your own” is good for your development plans, as perception is key to progressing.

Capitalise on learning opportunities Personal boards can broaden your horizons, plugging knowledge gaps and creating new learning opportunities. They provide a multitude of soft and hard skills that can be called on as you move through your career.

They’re especially helpful for developing skills that can’t be learned from a textbook but are best gained through observation, knowledge sharing and practice. By connecting with people who excel in areas you’re still mastering, you get practical insights that can accelerate your growth while also building relationships that can support collaboration and help close skill gaps in the future.

Our networks are full of people who have walked the path before us, most of whom are eager to share their experiences. Tap into their knowledge to learn practical skills and study real-world scenarios that can’t be found anywhere else.

Turn insights into reflection Your personal board can provide a safe space where you can discuss challenges, brainstorm strategies and weigh options as well as risks. For instance, it gives you access to perspectives outside your organisation, helping leaders avoid groupthink and break free from the ‘corporate echo chamber’.

Reflecting on these different viewpoints will allow you to make more balanced decisions, spark new ideas, and be a better leader. After all, the world is made up of a wide range of people, and to influence and lead others, you need to reflect diverse views, not just your own.

Whatever stage you’re at in your career, it’s the right time to make the most of the people around you. Your network is there to guide you, and when you use it strategically, you can unlock opportunities for personal growth, speed up your progress, and reach milestones that might otherwise take much longer to achieve.

Emma Maslen is the founder and CEO of award-winning sales strategy consultancy inspir’em and author of The Personal Board of You Inc. Emma has more than 25 years’ experience in the technology sector, working for household names such as Sun Microsystems, BMC Software, SAP Concur and Ping Identity.

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OF MEMBERS SAID THEY ARE BETTER EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH CHALLENGES. Share your story.

Contact ciara.conway@leadership.global

leadership.global or call 01543 266886

Sector focus

A North Star for leadership Louise Parfitt chats to Ryan Scott about life in the Royal Navy and a new initiative to develop its future leaders

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“I

would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the navy. I would not be as confident; I would not be so open to embracing new things; I would not be as resilient.

It offers a different perspective on life – and the doors it can open are just incredible.”

Ryan Scott is a senior non-commissioned officer at the Leadership Institute of the Royal Navy (LIRN). When we speak, it is his first day back after leave and he is slightly jetlagged still, but nothing can dim his enthusiasm for a career in the navy.

He is especially passionate about the LEadership ADvocate (LEAD) Network, a new initiative to help the LIRN develop a modern leadership model for the navy.

“When General Sir Gwyn Jenkins was appointed as the new First Sea Lord [highest ranking officer and professional head of the navy] last year, he set a 100-day challenge for different areas of the navy,” Scott says.

“Our challenge was to deliver a new leadership model – changing how we assess and promote people, how we equip leaders with the skills and support needed to foster high-performing teams, and how we define leadership excellence and develop leaders at all levels, regardless of where they sit in the organisation. This work is designed to ensure our leaders are assessed, developed and supported effectively to meet the demands of war-fighting excellence.”

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Sector focus Following extensive research and feedback gathering by the LIRN, the LEAD Network was set up.

“It is a coalition of people from across all ranks and areas of the navy, both military and civilian, who are forging what leadership is going to look like in the future,” Scott explains.

“Essentially, what we are trying to do is provide internal, external and tri-service leadership growth for people through offering new connections, opportunities and experiences.

“The tri-service aspect of it is really important, especially for our junior members, to give them that exposure to other branches of the armed forces and to support them in their leadership journey right from the very beginning.”

So far, the LEAD Network has sent people on courses at the army’s Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. It has also created places on its advanced leadership apprenticeship course for Royal Air Force personnel. Future opportunities include leadership roundtables with some of our senior leaders, including the Second Sea Lord.

“It’s been really powerful because we are sharing knowledge about how leadership works in the army, RAF and navy, and learning from each other,” Scott says. “Part of what we are trying to do is ensure we bring leadership best practice into the navy from other areas of defence and the civilian sector.”

Rewards and learning There has been really high interest in the LEAD Network – 150 advocates have joined since it was launched in November. The network is currently in the middle of planning the First Sea Lord’s Leadership Symposium, which will be held in London in May. “One of the biggest bits of feedback we gathered was that junior people can feel disconnected from the most senior officers,” says Scott. “At the symposium, we are going to have junior cohorts and the head of the navy in the same room, discussing the challenges and opportunities for emerging leaders. It will be a really inspiring day about psychological safety and empowerment as we look at building teams for war fighting in the future.

“We are also launching our first Leadership Awards at the symposium. These will celebrate high-performing individuals and reinforce the Royal Navy’s commitment to our leadership culture and behaviour. Nominations can be made by anyone, for anyone – whether peers, team members or team leaders – and are open to the whole force. Our LEAD Network members are heavily involved in helping us shape this awards offer.”

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Ryan Scott receiving the Commanding Officer’s Termly Award from Britannia Royal Naval College

The symposium and Leadership Awards are not the only things that have been created. In November, LEAD Network members were invited to nominate five people from different disciplines in the navy to attend the IoL Leadership Awards, in recognition of their leadership performance.

“Part of my role is to improve how we reward and recognise talent, so offering people a place at the IoL Awards celebrations was a really amazing opportunity to be able to do this,” says Scott.

The LEAD Network has also established a relationship with Women Empowering Defence (WED) – an organisation committed to increasing the participation and advancement of women in leadership in defence and security.

At a recent WED event about nurturing emerging talent, the LEAD Network was invited to

Sector focus

send 10 people along, helping to share knowledge and build networks.

Retention challenges So, why the need for such an initiative? Part of the reason is to increase recruitment and improve retention: the Ministry of Defence has said it is facing a “workforce crisis” 1 as a result of continuing recruitment and retention issues.

The LEAD Network can help the Royal Navy by driving a modern, people-focused leadership culture through visible advocacy, continuous development, and stronger connection between the Leadership Institute and the whole force.

Also, says Scott, “although the navy is good at assessing and assuring units and platforms – be it a ship, a submarine, an air station or a Royal Marine unit – from a culture point, it can miss the personal story. There is a need to understand in detail the challenges individuals face, the support they need to stay in the navy and what would help them step up to a leadership role.”

Scott understands this well, because he had a brief time away from the navy. After enlisting straight from school, he enjoyed a seven-year stint, which he describes as “brilliant”, but, by 2015, he says he was exhausted and wanted to do something completely different.

He decided to try life in the civilian world, getting a job in the motor trade. At first, he quite enjoyed it – being at home, having every weekend off – but he found corporate culture stifling.

“Managers were not as engaged with staff as they are in the navy. If you wanted to make changes, there were more hoops to jump through.”

After six months, he realised this life was not for him. “The realisation was like falling off a cliff – I just really missed the navy. But I was unsure what I missed. Being at sea? The sense of pride in wearing the uniform? The people and the camaraderie? I wanted time to consider my options, as I wasn’t sure if I would be jumping back in too soon. I thought I’d join the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) and see if that would scratch the itch.”

Opening doors Scott loved it – in fact, the more he did with the reserves, the more he wanted to do. In 2017, he got a full-time role with the RNR, but he noticed that there was no opportunity for reservists to spend time at sea. He thought this was mad, so spoke to his captain about creating a sea-time training programme for reservists, giving them two weeks’ experience onboard a ship.

“This programme has now become mandatory,” he explains. “We’ve sent nearly 300 reservists to train at sea around the world. It’s

been great for three reasons: to help bridge the gap between the reserve force and regular force; provide people who are better operationally prepared for deployment; and inspire people to join up.”

Scott discovered one of his key passions is providing people with opportunities, and he moved to become leading seaman in the Greater London South East Area Engagement Team. “We were essentially an outreach team who spoke to young people in schools, colleges and community groups about life in the navy. It was phenomenal.

“I haven’t got many academic qualifications, so my career and leadership journey has been about the opportunities – meeting people, trying different things, new experiences – all of which the navy has given me. It was really empowering to share with young people what the navy has given to me and what it could offer them.

We changed lives when we spoke to them, no doubt about it.”

New horizons Scott has ambitions to be a warrant officer in a couple of years – he says he will be young in this rank, but is always keen to break the mould and try something different. He also has big ambitions for the LEAD Network.

“The dream is for the LIRN to be a North Star for leadership,” he says. “In two years’ time, I would like the LEAD Network to have a sustained portfolio of opportunities for its people and to have evolved to be delivering good leaders back to the navy. I want it to become essential to any chain of command – where people come for a leadership support network, where they can learn and develop. That’s where I have my sights set.”

What makes a successful leader in the navy?

Scott says: “People assume leadership in the navy means being able to give orders, be at the front of the team and be in control all the time, especially when the pressure is on.

“Those skills are important, but not everyone has them at the start – people need the chance to grow and achieve them.

“To be a leader in the navy at any level, you need to have emotional intelligence and empathy. The rigour

behind leadership is understanding your individuals.

“The captain on the ship when I was in the reserves was a phenomenal leader. He took the time to understand his people – who they were, where they are from, how they got there and what their skill set is – and how to get the best out of them. For me, he embodied what ‘good leadership’ looks like – he led effortlessly because he took time to invest in his people individually.”

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Sector focus: Armed forces

Forces to be reckoned with?

The Ministry of Defence has said it is facing a workforce crisis across the UK’s armed forces as a result of continuing recruitment and retention issues.

Let’s look at the numbers

1. Are the UK armed forces big enough?

Total armed forces personnel

3.07m

A different view:

India

0.2%

2.54m China

1.5m

North Korea

In 2018, 0.2% of the UK’s population served in the military – the same proportion as in India and China

1.45m Russia

1.4m USA

180,000 UK

.

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Sector focus: Armed forces

-3%

2. Hitting the target?

Army

-8%

Navy and Royal Marines

All three branches of the UK armed forces are currently below their target size:

3. Mind the gap

-3%

Royal Air Force (RAF)

4. Could increased public awareness help?

66%

1,140

Net decrease in number of personnel in 2024/5

of the UK public wants to see military strength increase

72%

feel positively about the armed forces (up 11% since 2017)

26% Only a quarter feel they get enough information from the armed forces

5. The action plan

5.9%

of trained personnel left the forces voluntarily in 2024/25, before the end of their agreed engagement or commission period

£18m

Government budget for recruitment advertising in 2025-26

100,000

3 into 1

The Army’s Future Soldier initiative will target a combined force of more than 100,000 (73,000 Regular Service Personnel and 30,100 Army Reserves)

A new tri-service Armed Forces Recruiting Service (AFRS) aims to centralise recruitment across the Army, Royal Navy and RAF

Sources: Royal British Legion, Ministry of Defence, The House of Commons Library, World Bank, PwC, UK Defence Journal

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Wellbeing GUEST OPINION

Lesley Cooper

Maintaining wellbeing in times of stress To tackle workplace stress effectively, leaders must make the practice and prioritisation of wellbeing a core focus

W

hen constant work demands, employee questions or other challenges arise, effective ‘microboundaries’ are vital to protect you and your team’s wellbeing.

Humans were not designed to be ‘always on’, and constantly reacting to work demands can quickly drain leaders and their teams. To combat this, embed small, intentional practices into your routine and model those behaviours for your team.

Even during your busiest week, it is essential to maintain your nonnegotiable commitment to wellbeing.

For me, prioritising movement is crucial. I often find that 10-15 minutes of exercise boosts my physical, emotional and mental energy, and sets me up to meet the next wave of challenges. This could be a walk outside or more formal exercise, such as a short run, yoga, pilates or modest strength training every day. It doesn’t have to be long, but it does need to happen. It is important not to listen to the voice in your head shouting ‘too tired/rainy/hot/ early/late’ and push yourself out of the door anyway.

Another strategy is to engage in activities that break the linearity of work by taking short breaks of at least 10 minutes every 90-120 minutes, to shift focus. It can be as simple as using the stairs instead of the lift, taking time to connect with a colleague ‘human to human’, switching attention to a less-focused

“Humans were not designed to be ‘always on’, and constantly reacting to work demands can quickly drain leaders and their teams” task, or listening to your favourite music. Leaders should actively practise and promote intentional recovery within their teams by setting the example themselves.

Communicate and encourage clear availability expectations. Be explicit about your own availability.

Clear boundaries reduce unnecessary urgency, protect focus and support sustainable performance.

As a leader, it is essential that you can spot the early warning signs that stress is becoming destructive. I have found that there are several signs to watch out for, such as skipping breaks.

Some people default to skipping regular breaks or missing lunch, either subconsciously or because they believe it makes them appear more productive – but this can accelerate burnout.

Another indication is when workplace stress spills into personal life. When our wellbeing is suffering, this tends to displace our work-life balance, perhaps straining our personal relationships and preventing us from socialising or investing time in our passions.

It can be difficult to maintain supportive leadership during stressful, high-pressure periods while ensuring that your team is supported. I find it is crucial to facilitate ways for people to be heard and set a standard that encourages open sharing. Regularly checking in with team members helps identify challenges early and demonstrate that their health and wellbeing are a priority.

Support services, including professional counsellers, therapists and coaches, should be easily accessible. However, these services alone are not enough.

A healthy culture requires primary intervention to analyse organisational trends, determine root causes and actively prevent recurrence.

Lesley Cooper is the founder and CEO of WorkingWell and author of Brave New Leader.

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Wellbeing

Protecting wellbeing in the workplace When the pressure is on, effective leadership and the protection of mental wellbeing become even more important. Cathy King asks three experts to share their advice on how to achieve both

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L

eading effectively when under pressure presents significant mental and physical challenges. For insights and advice, we turned to three experts: Cassie Davison, an award-winning hospitality veteran and author of Stand Out Hospitality; Rochelle Trow, an HR executive and coach, and author of Anchored; and James Woodfall, founder of training provider Raise Your EI and co-author of The Heart of Finance.

When work demands constant attention, what are effective strategies for maintaining ‘microboundaries’ so that your wellbeing – and that of your team – is protected?

Cassie Davison (CD): For me, micro-boundaries are rooted in pride, not perfection. True leadership focuses on the bigger picture and protecting core values, rather than achieving immediate perfection. Trying to be everywhere at once is impossible and harming to long-term leadership.

Constant availability can often foster dependence, so protecting my time is an act of trust. Teams need to know they are trusted – otherwise, how do they learn? Quick intervention by leaders removes ownership. Establishing and maintaining boundaries safeguards my leadership, team and business sustainability. It means employees create capability rather than reliance, and resilience rather than fragility.

Rochelle Trow (RT): As an entrepreneur with multiple priorities, micro-boundaries are about being intentional with my attention. One of the most important habits I protect is how notifications work across my devices. I’ve disabled all audio notifications. This means that I consciously open the app and choose to engage when something needs my attention. That single decision changes my relationship with urgency and distraction. At the end of each day, I re-prioritise. I review what’s urgent, what’s important for the bigger picture and if anything doesn’t add value. This daily recalibration protects my energy and my colleagues. It allows us to stay focused without becoming reactive.

James Woodfall (JW): I think of attention as a finite leadership resource that needs to be protected.

There’s strong evidence that multitasking does not work. When we split attention, performance drops and stress rises. No one is a good multitasker, despite what we like to believe. For me, microboundaries are about reducing unnecessary task switching. That means clear rules around email, such as specific times when I check it, and long stretches when I don’t. If something genuinely needs an immediate response, people will call. Most emails do not require instant replies. Switching off is vital. I never check emails in the evenings or at weekends; that’s family time. My inbox can wait until Monday, meaning my downtime isn’t polluted by work-related cognitive noise.

Wellbeing

iStock

What are the early signs that stress is becoming destructive, and how do you avoid burnout?

CD: For me, the shift from productive to destructive stress shows up as decision fatigue and emotional narrowing. When everything feels heavy, even small decisions start to feel disproportionate and curiosity is replaced by rigidity. I also notice that I become more self-critical and feel an exaggerated sense of responsibility. I have learned to give myself permission to slow down, and it is still something I have to remind myself of daily. When those warning signs appear, I reduce non-essential decisions, seek perspective from trusted peers and prioritise rest over output. Burnout rarely arrives suddenly; it builds quietly when early signs are ignored. Stepping back is not a failure of leadership; it is often the moment leadership actually starts working again.

RT: Early warning signs are usually subtle. They’re the same whether you work inside an organisation or run your own business. For an entrepreneur, the reality is that decisions never stop and pressure can be relentless. My body is the first signal when stress is tipping too far. Another is slipping into autopilot – still working, still responding, but no longer making conscious choices. When I notice that I’m overwhelmed, I recognise it, and instead of pushing through, I recalibrate, which often means silence and time alone. I am then able to be explicit about my limits – what I can do, what needs to shift and what can wait. That clarity is what stops sustained pressure from quietly turning into burnout.

JW: In my experience, stress rarely announces itself clearly; it creeps up behind you. I often feel like I’m coping well until I’m not. For me, the earliest warning signs are physical: headaches, muscle tension, back pain and persistent fatigue tend to show up before I consciously feel overwhelmed.

I’ve learned to treat those physical signals as early data, not something to push through. When I notice them, I immediately review the fundamentals: sleep, nutrition and exercise. A coach once said to me: “Have you noticed how everyone else seems more stupid when you’re tired?” What he meant is that fatigue makes us reactive, impatient and emotionally contagious in unhelpful ways. That’s often the clearest sign that decision fatigue is setting in.

How do you maintain supportive leadership during stressful, high-pressure periods?

CD: Supportive leadership under pressure is about presence and steadiness, not heroics. In people-led environments, teams do not need leaders to have all the answers; they need to feel seen, supported and anchored. Pressure increases when everything feels urgent, so part of my role is helping teams understand what matters now and what can wait.

I pay close attention to emotional cues, not just performance. Checking in, listening properly and acknowledging strain builds trust. I also try to model

the behaviours I want to see, setting boundaries, taking breaks and being open about capacity. In high-pressure periods, people do not need more direction – they need to feel safe enough to think.

RT: Supportive leadership is about how I show up with my agents, publishers, designers, colleagues, family and wider support network. When pressure is high, I name it. Fear can be loud, particularly around income instability. If I don’t acknowledge that openly, it leaks out in other ways. Staying supportive means staying regulated. I pay attention to what’s happening in me and make a conscious effort to remain calm, because my energy affects those around me. I focus on being clear rather than silent; honest rather than contained. I also don’t apologise for needing space. Being truthful about what I can and can’t offer in that moment protects relationships and prevents resentment. Supportive leadership is about living with integrity, so pressure doesn’t get passed on to others.

JW: I often use the airline oxygen-mask analogy: you have to stabilise yourself before you can support others. During high-pressure periods, I’m very deliberate about managing my own state first and boundaries becoming even more important, not less. Supportive leadership doesn’t mean absorbing everyone else’s stress. When leaders project calm, it signals to others to slow down, think clearly and perform well under pressure. I believe that emotional containment is one of the most underappreciated leadership skills.

Cathy King is a writer at CPL One.

“By actively What one non-negotiable habit do you protect for wellbeing, even during your busiest week? demonstrating the value that you place on your own wellbeing, you give others permission Rochelle Trow: My daily gratitude practice, recorded as an audio entry. I beginto by noting how many days I’ve lived and how many I still have if I live to 90.

It do the same” Cassie Davison: Sleep is my true non-negotiable. Hospitality is an industry in which it is easy to just keep going; in which busyness is often mistaken for effectiveness. In reality, leadership without proper rest leads to impaired judgement and reduced patience – both fatal to good leadership. When we create space to slow down and switch off properly, that’s when real breakthroughs tend to happen.

grounds me. I reflect on what brought me joy and gratitude, what challenged me, and what’s worrying me. It helps me stay orientated, honest and present.

James Woodfall: Exercise is my non-negotiable. Exercising in the morning sets me up mentally for the day. There is good evidence that how we experience the start of the day shapes our stress tolerance later on. If you do something mentally or physically demanding early, everything else tends to feel more manageable in comparison. I’ve learned the cost of letting this habit slip. If I stop exercising during busy times, I quickly see the negative effects. Exercise stabilises my mood, enhances decision-making and prevents stress from building up.

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Wellbeing

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable Helen Wada offers advice on leading calmly through high-stakes situations

W

e all know the feeling. There is a big meeting coming up.

A potential new client, a board discussion or a difficult conversation with someone else in the business. What is usually our confident, capable self begins to wobble.

Perhaps not quite jelly-like, but close enough.

Your stomach tightens. You feel restless. You sense that this conversation matters more than most and that getting it right really matters.

The conversation feels important. And so, almost inevitably, we feel uncomfortable.

When more is riding on the outcome, confidence often dips, even for experienced leaders. Yet these are precisely the moments when confidence, presence and judgement matter most.

It is all very well to talk about getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. But what does this really mean in practice? And how do leaders reach a point where they can enter highstakes conversations calmly, confidently, and be ready to lead?

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Discomfort in these moments is not a sign that something is wrong. More often, it reflects the complexity of the situation and the fact that something meaningful is at stake. These conversations rarely come with clear scripts or guaranteed outcomes. They require judgement, presence and the ability to navigate uncertainty in real time.

Seen through this lens, discomfort is not something to eliminate before the conversation begins. It is a natural response to responsibility and consequence, and an inevitable part of leadership when the stakes are real.

How are you feeling?

Acknowledging feelings of discomfort is the first step in learning to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Before leaders can manage the dynamics of a difficult conversation, they need to notice what is happening internally. The tightening in the stomach, the urge to rush, the instinct to defend a position or fill the silence. These reactions are natural,

Wellbeing

“Leaders often focus their energy outward on the agenda, the outcome or the dynamics in the room. Yet the most significant influence they have is the internal state they bring into the conversation” but left unchecked they can narrow thinking and undermine judgement at precisely the moment clarity is most needed.

Awareness creates choice. By recognising their internal response, leaders are better able to regulate how they show up, rather than being led by instinct or habit.

I find it helpful to think about navigating these moments through a small number of human capabilities that offer a practical way to steady yourself, stay present and lead from within.

Next steps Finally, keep your focus on the next steps. In moments of discomfort, it is easy to become absorbed in the emotion or detail of the discussion.

Stepping back to reconnect with the purpose of the conversation helps restore clarity. What does this conversation need to achieve, and where do all parties need to get to as a result?

Playing back what you have heard, summarising key points and reminding others of the shared goal can help keep the conversation on track, even when it begins to drift.

Next time a high-stakes situation arises, focus on presence and on letting go at the door. Trust the preparation you have done and the value you bring.

Enter the room as a peer, grounded and assured, ready to respond thoughtfully to whatever unfolds.

Act at your best heading in, and adapt in the room to what lies ahead.

How you show up Start by paying attention to how you show up.

In pressured situations, leaders often focus their energy outward on the agenda, the outcome or the dynamics in the room. Yet the most significant influence they have is the internal state they bring into the conversation.

Acknowledge how you are feeling and take a moment to breathe. Simply noticing nerves or discomfort can help reduce their intensity and prevent them from driving behaviour unconsciously.

It can also be helpful to remind yourself why you are in the room. What experience, perspective or responsibility have you been trusted with? Our brains are naturally wired to focus on threat and risk, which means negative thinking can easily take hold under pressure. Maintaining a sense of selfworth and value therefore requires conscious effort.

In these situations, I often ask myself a simple question: “what three words describe how I want to be experienced in the room?” Writing them down and saying them aloud creates a quiet anchor and gives something steady to return to when uncertainty rises.

iStock

Understanding others You might also pause to consider where the other party, or parties, are coming from.

Understanding others and their perspective is a critical capability for leaders, particularly when navigating uncertainty.

When the direction of the conversation is unclear, a well-judged question often creates more insight than repeatedly restating your point of view.

Mindset matters Mindset matters when entering high-stakes conversations. Before stepping into the room,

I find it helpful to pause and ask two questions.

The first is commercial: “Where do I need to get to?” What outcome or decision truly matters here?

The second is relational: “How do I want to approach the conversation to give it the best chance of reaching that outcome?” Not in terms of tactics, but in tone, presence and intent.

Taking a step back before entering the room allows you to be clear not only about what you want to achieve, but how you want to be in the conversation. Many leaders recognise the feeling of being in flow, when thinking is clear and responses feel grounded.

High-stakes situations call for that same quality of presence. Not in spite of the pressure, but because of it.

Helen Wada leads The Human Advantage®, a leadership development and executive coaching business, helping professionals to lead from within and sell with confidence.

She is also author of Human-wise: How to lead from within and sell with confidence.

Act and adapt When adapting to uncomfortable situations, the starting point is to acknowledge the emotion rather than suppress it. Discomfort is not something to hide or fight against, but something to work with. Taking a moment to breathe and reconnect with your senses can help steady both body and mind. This is about arriving in the room on your A-game, ready to engage fully with whatever unfolds.

I often return to a simple reminder: trust the process. These are adult-toadult conversations, even when emotions run high. If discussions become heated, slowing the pace of your voice, asking thoughtful questions and allowing silence to do some of the work can help restore balance.

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Book club REVIEW

Which books should be keeping leaders and managers awake at night?

Edge reviews some of the most intriguing titles around

Kind –

The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work Authors Graham Allcott Price £20, Bloomsbury

How important is kindness at work?

The title alone made me want to read this book; we all need kindness in our personal and professional lives.

Allcott, an author, speaker and entrepreneur, opens the book with a heartfelt personal story, which

The Belonging Paradox – How to Solve the Global Empathy Crisis Author Danny Gal Price £12.99, LID Publishing

Can we blend our uniqueness with togetherness?

I was intrigued by the title, curious to understand what ‘the belonging paradox’ is. Gal defines it as “the ongoing tension between our need for connection and our desire for individuality”.

Gal, a leadership coach and social entrepreneur, takes us on a fascinating

underpins the sentiment of what I can only describe as an amazing book that is kindness-centric.

It is organised into three parts. Part one analyses the science of kindness, taking a deep dive into the research and performance outcomes when kindness takes centre stage at work.

Part two introduces ‘the three myths of kindness’ – the evil-genius myth, the pushover myth and the do-gooder myth, which aids clarification of what kindness is and isn’t in the workplace. Part three gifts us the eight

principles of kindness, reminding us in principle one that kindness begins within.

This brilliantly written book includes illustrations, exercises, questions for reflection, challenges, case studies and even impactful quotations. It combines research with real-world scenarios seamlessly. I thoroughly enjoyed every page; it resonated with me on a deep level and I can understand how it has won several awards.

We all need kindness role models, and this book will help shape better leadership, culture and performance.

I totally recommend adding this book to your leadership collection.

journey of self and societal discovery.

Structured into 15 chapters, the book packs an immense amount of content, research, stories and curiosity onto every page.

The opening chapters focus on empathy: the psychology behind it, collective empathy disorder and the empathy deficit – eye-opening content.

I found chapter four, titled ‘Listening’, extremely insightful: the explanation of the four levels of listening – downloading, factual, empathetic and generative – and the importance of listening to ourselves heightened my own awareness.

The mid chapters explore belonging on an individual level, in relationships and within organisations. The final chapters look at belonging in a global societal and conflict context, including an effective and practical guide for connective leaders.

Gal’s knowledge, wisdom

and experience are displayed in every aspect of this book. It will have you thinking deeply and inspire you to become more connected and empathetic, on every level.

About the reviewer Belinda O’Neill is a business, leadership and wellness consultant, and founder of Be Inspired To Be. She is an award-winning author, speaker, event facilitator, podcaster and educator. She is also a business and community ambassador, and a judge for the National StartUp Awards.

Belinda was highly commended for Institute Advocate of the Year 2025.

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And finally...

Your questions answered

Ask the experts Welcome to Edge’s own agony aunt column! Leadership experts Beth Stallwood and Sarah Langslow are here to offer advice on all aspects of leadership dilemmas.

In this first column, they discuss team expectations I have been accused of having too high expectations of my team. How can I know if the expectations I have are realistic for team members’ roles?

Beth: My initial reaction is “Who accused you?!”

Feedback from others is so important, yet one comment rarely tells the full story – it’s just one data point.

I’d also suggest there’s nothing inherently wrong with high expectations! Some questions to reflect on: do you trust the person who gave you this feedback; is this issue something you recognise within yourself as a development area or has it come as a surprise; what other data sources could you add to build a more accurate picture? For example, is the team meeting its objectives? Are deadlines being met? Are sickness and stress levels in the team increasing?

Reflecting in this way might help to unpick where you’re at and what needs to happen next.

Sarah: My first thought is “Have you talked to them?” A common source of friction in teams is where leaders have expectations that are imposed rather than discussed with their team members. Are you open to feedback from your team members that they don’t have capacity, or that they need additional support or resources?

Do you help them work through what could be deprioritised to meet a new, more urgent deadline? The small act of checking in and being willing to create an agreement (rather than simply an expectation) can make a big difference. And don’t forget Hofstadter’s Law: any task you’re

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Beth Stallwood (left) and Sarah Langslow

planning to complete will always take longer than expected – even when Hofstadter’s Law is taken into account! Humans have a chronic tendency to underestimate the amount of time things will take to complete. Without honest, open dialogue with your team, any mismatch between your expectations and their reality risks creating frustration, resentment and, potentially, burnout.

Beth: That gap between expectations and reality is where enormous amounts of gloom are found for everyone involved. Close the gap and you’ll probably find more joy, better outcomes and improved working relationships – a triple win!

If you have a question for Sarah and Beth, please go to bit.ly/Edge26AA

Beth Stallwood is a speaker, leadership coach and award-winning author of WorkJoy: A Toolkit For a Better Working Life, who’s on a mission to bring more joy into our working lives.

Sarah Langslow is a speaker, executive coach, leadership development specialist and bestselling author of Do Sweat the Small Stuff, who helps leaders build the self-awareness, confidence and skills to be exceptional.

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