This is the first of two blogs inspired by Adam Kahane’s timely second edition of Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don’t Agree With or Like or Trust . It draws on some reflections from my personal life; the follow-up blog will focus more on work and systems leadership. I am a strong believer that our work and personal lives are not separate. How we show up in the world is deeply entwined, and the skills we draw on in one part of our lives inevitably s

It’s Time to Reframe High Performance: From Individual Excellence to Collective Impact For years, the conversation about high performance has centred on individuals, high‑achieving leaders, star performers, and personal productivity. In some ways the plethora of new years resolutions based on personal goal setting is a reminder of the ego-centric world we live in, particularly in Western cultures. Increasingly the evidence is clear: individual brilliance alone does not creat

How listening to your staff can help drive the change your school truly needs.   Listening is often seen as the poor relation in the communication toolkit, lagging behind reading, writing and even speaking in how we teach, model and value it in schools. I’ve been a huge advocate for oracy for years, yet even I can admit that listening has sat quietly in the background for too long. It’s time to bring it to the forefront, especially in school leadership. Look at the global pol

When we think about coaching, many of us picture one-to-one conversations: helping an individual reflect, set goals and unlock new ways...

What is a culture of professional curiosity? Let’s start with a couple of working definitions. Professional curiosity  is the deep,...

Between 2015 and 2018, I had the privilege of designing and leading five cohorts of a citywide EAL Champions Programme across more than...

Creating a Culture Where Staff Thrive and Pupils Love to Learn I write this blog from a position of learning. Learning from a range of...

As I coach increasing numbers of school leaders, listen to their stories, their thoughts, and what keeps them up at night, common themes...

While this blog is tailored for school leaders, its insights will resonate with leaders across various fields. It’s a reflection on my...

Bridging your delta in personal growth Bridging Your Delta in an Ever Changing World. In this blog, I expand on the 8 step My Delta...

Self-Awareness and Leadership Identity Leadership is often described as a journey, and like any journey, it requires a clear map and...

In leadership, the idea of "beginning with the end in mind" has long been considered essential. A clear vision and well-defined goals...

In a world characterised by rapid change and constant unpredictability, the concept of "safe uncertainty" has emerged as a powerful...

Why is quality professional development more important than ever? High-quality professional development focused on sustainable impact is...

"You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water." – Rabindranath Tagore. Everyone has a delta—a unique space...

Everyone has a delta—a unique space between where they are and where they want to be. Welcome to my first blog post, where we delve into...