Avoiding Ambushes: Leading Change Effectively
In private equity-backed businesses, change isn’t just a part of the job — it is the job. Delivering a value creation plan inevitably requires rapid evolution: new systems, restructured teams, revised strategies, and different ways of working. The challenge isn’t whether change is necessary — it’s how to execute it in a way that sticks.…
Discipline Wins: How Leading Measures Drive Performance
When I was going through Royal Marines training, the Physical Training Instructors had a mantra: “Give 100%, trust the process.” There was no talk of passing the Commando Course. No discussion about the final test or what it would feel like to wear the green beret. Just relentless focus on the next hill sprint, the…
The Theory of Winning – Part Two
If you’re reading this, you probably read last week’s epic on the OODA Loop – thank you – and I appreciate you coming back to find out how you can best implement this philosophy into your organisation. Last week, I explained how the OODA Loop works. I talked about the impact of mental models on…
The Theory of Winning – Part One
Is there a theory of winning? Is there a way in which you can consistently stack the deck in your favour and win under any circumstances? History has proven that favourites don’t always come out on top – why not? Is this simply a question of luck or is there a strategy to winning that can…
How do you solve the Accountability Problem?
It doesn’t matter how good the strategy is. If you have an accountability problem, the wheels are spinning. You’re making lots of noise and expending lots of energy but you aren’t going anywhere. I have written about accountability before. The accountability ladder is a tool that leaders can use to get their teams to reflect…
How to recruit a High Performance Team?
Ask any business leader, ‘What makes a top performer in your industry?’ Chances are you will get an answer that focuses on soft skills as opposed to the individual’s hard skills and experience. The ability to create an inspiring vision, communicate it to their team and focus people’s attention on the relentless pursuit of that…
Professor Richard Holme’s 10 Diseases of Leadership
Professor Richard Holmes identified ten diseases of leadership. These are common bad behaviours that leaders can slip into. The good news is that if you’re self-aware, these issues can easily be corrected with some minor adjustments in behaviour. However, if left unchecked, they can cause significant damage in the long-term. Leadership disease #1: Lack of…
The Toxic Triangle – the Environment and Followers of Toxic Leaders
Last week I wrote an article on Toxic Leadership. It clearly resonated as within a few days it had been viewed a couple of thousand times. This week I am going to write about the two other elements that make-up the Toxic Triangle, susceptible followers and a conducive environment. What is the Toxic Triangle? Toxic…
The Junior Officers’ Resettlement Guide
The Junior Officers’ Resettlement Guide was first written in July 2012 when Matt and I left the Royal Marines. We wanted to create some handover notes that would help Lieutenants/Captains leave the UK Military and transition into a successful second career. We have received some very positive feedback since then so thought it might be helpful…
The Six Characteristics of Toxic Leadership
The majority of the articles that I have written are focussed on good leadership. This one focuses on the other end of the spectrum – Toxic Leadership. The reason I’ve done this is because ‘you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with’. You need to be aware of the…
How George Foreman changed to become World Champion at 44
George Foreman: An Inspiring Example of Personal Change The late 60’s and early 70’s are regarded as the golden age of Heavyweight Boxing. Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman were in a class of their own. Ali dominates the headlines – and rightly so, he remains ‘the greatest’ and defeated all the big names…
Why I start the day at 9pm…
We’ve all done it. You set the alarm for 0600 with grand aspirations to get up and workout like a Navy Seal before eating a healthy breakfast and cracking on with your day. Then the alarm goes off, it’s dark and cold outside, you’re tired – and those good intentions simply evaporate. Recognise the pattern?…
Why Sales Leadership is so Hard
Sales is a tough career. From the moment you start, you’re judged on the numbers. There is no where to hide. When you start out in sales, you’ve got to learn how to do it quickly or you’ll be looking for another career. Sales is ‘sink or swim’ and your numbers indicate whether your head is above…
Don’t f**k up the culture
When Peter Thiel invested $150m in Airbnb, the founder asked him, ‘What is the most important piece of advice for us?’ His response – ‘Don’t fuck up the culture…’ When asked to elaborate on this, he said one of the reasons he invested in Airbnb was the culture. But he had a cynical view that it…
