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…
How do you lead by example?
I have been thinking about what it means to ‘lead by example’. It’s a relatively simple concept that was hammered into us as Royal Marines Officers. It makes the point that it’s not what you say, it’s what you do that counts. People follow the example you set through your behaviour – not your words.…
How to manage your Boss
Towards the end of my tour in Afghanistan, I found myself in Camp Bastion detached from my Company. The unit were about to launch an Operation so I was on the phone to my Boss giving him the latest on the planning situation. During one of our calls, he asked me to get a load…
Focus and Depth – NOT Efficiency – Lead to Success
I have been thinking about focus. Focus is essential if you want to achieve the vision you’ve set. I am assuming that you’ve set a vision because if you haven’t, what are you working towards? If it’s not clear – and by clear – I mean written down and visible, then it’s not a vision. It…
Why you don’t need to build resilience…
A few clients have been asking me if I can do anything on resilience… What can we do to improve it? How do we get more of it? I have been reflecting on resilience. What it means and why some people have it whereas others don’t appear to. I’ve been thinking about my time in the…
Why being ‘goal-orientated’ might not be such a good thing…
I am sitting down to write this relatively late in the day. Usually I write on a Wednesday and then review and publish on a Thursday. However, this week is a bit unusual as my wife gave birth to our son on Tuesday and we’re all a bit sleep deprived as we get into the new…
How do you challenge without creating misalignment?
Alignment vs Challenge When I left the Royal Marines, one of the biggest differences I noticed between the military and civilian world is the understanding of the difference between challenge and alignment. So I thought I’d share a view to help clarify the issue… Being challenging is important. When an issue or a decision is being discussed,…
How do you give feedback so that it strengthens a relationship?
Giving and receiving feedback is one of the most important lessons that you can learn. It opens you up to the perceptions that other people have of you – specifically your strengths and weaknesses. We all like to think we’re good at everything but in reality, that’s not true. If we think that, we’re hiding…
Why ‘It is fine’ is the worst piece of feedback you can receive…
A culture of feedback is one of the key elements that all high performing teams have in common. On an individual level – the ability to accept and respond to feedback is one of the most important skills a person can develop. But how do we create a culture of feedback? How do we…
How are Formula One teams saving the lives of new-born babies?
If you want to dramatically improve the performance of your team, then it is vital to look outside your industry Why? Because if you look outside your industry, you’re likely to pick up tools, techniques and practices (TTPs) that other people haven’t thought of yet – and it is these TTPs applied in your industry that…
Where are you on the ‘Ladder of Accountability’
A culture of ‘accountability’ is the most important element in ‘making things happen’. It doesn’t matter how good the vision is, or the strategy to deliver that vision – if you don’t have a culture of accountability you’re ‘wheel spinning’ – putting in tons of effort, making lots of noise but not actually going anywhere!…
Are your recruitment processes setting you up to fail?
If you want to build a high performing organisation – you’ve got to start by getting the ‘right people’. I don’t think that there are many businesses out there that would disagree with that statement. The success of an organisation in the long-term is dependent upon the ability to attract and retain talented individuals. We all…
The Recipe for Creating a High Performance Culture
I have been interested in high performing teams since I played water polo at University. This interest in working with people to achieve a common aim led me to a career in the Royal Marines – where I was exposed to a truly elite high performing culture. I have been preparing to write something on this…
