Hi there, There's no video this week, as I've been on holiday with my lovely family, and life has been busy since I have come back. But I wanted to share something with you, a story that might feel familiar if you've ever found yourself questioning your direction or wondering what comes next in your leadership journey. There I was, kneeling in the mud of our newly landscaped garden in Lincolnshire, trying to fill empty flower beds and wondering what on earth I was doing with my life. Six...
19 days ago • 4 min read
Hi there, Last week, I had a manager tell me something that simply captured what so many others tell me: "Helen, I spend more time chasing my team than actually leading them." If you've ever felt that knot in your stomach when you realise you have no idea if that important project is on track... or found yourself hovering over your team's shoulders because you're terrified something will slip through the cracks... you're not alone. Here's what's really happening: You're not a bad manager....
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hi there, You're delivering results, hitting your targets, but here's what managers like you tell me: "I sit down for a one-to-one, and it turns into a a big status review. I leave thinking, 'I should have coached them, but I’m not sure how to go about it.'" Sound familiar? The truth is, coaching conversations are what separate managers who get promoted from those who stay stuck. And it's not because you don't care, it's because you haven’t learned the best questions to actually ask yet. Why...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi there, You know what good leadership looks like, don't you? You've got a mental list of all the things you should be doing - more coaching conversations, better delegation, strategic thinking time. The problem isn't that you don't know what to do. It's that you never seem to have the time to actually do it. You've watched the videos, read the articles, maybe even attended those workshops about accountability and strategic thinking. But here's what's happening: you're trying to layer all...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi there, Imagine this: You've got a one-on-one starting in five minutes. You haven't prepared a thing. Your mind is racing as you frantically scroll through emails trying to remember what your team member is working on. Sound familiar? Well I have definitely been there; but here's what might surprise you, being unprepared might actually be the best thing that could happen to this meeting. Why? Because most of us have one-on-ones completely backwards. We think we need to show up with a...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi there, Sometimes I can crack my videos and these newsletters out easily. This one has been a real labour of love, and I've learned so much along the way. Ever since I’ve been experimenting with AI I’ve been thinking about how I could create an assistant for team management that would help you all lead better. You know a personal assistant who knew everything about every person on your team, could spot opportunities to match the right people to the right work, and helped you prep for every...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hi there, You've explained it once… twice… maybe three times. And somehow that important task you gave your team? It's still not done right. So you chase. You check in. You send that email. That Slack message. 🤨 And before you know it, you're doing the thing you thought you'd already delegated. Sound familiar? "How do I make my team more accountable?" is one of the most common questions I get asked in leadership workshops. This isn't about poor performance. It's about poor clarity, and even...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi there! Well it’s been another mad week in the AI world. So much development and progress in such a short space of time. The CEO of Anthropic (which makes Claude) put the fear of god in me this week, especially as a parent of teenage children. He predicted that AI will take 50% of white collar entry jobs in the next 5 years. The AI Leadership Challenge This pace of change, and the equal worry about what will happen, is truly something else. But when it comes to leadership there is something...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hi there, This week I'm continuing my Leadership and AI series, focusing on one of the trickiest parts of being a manager – influencing stakeholders and managing up. You know that moment when you're about to walk into a meeting with a senior stakeholder, and there's that little voice in your head saying, "I really hope this lands." You've done your preparation, you've got your presentation sorted, but somehow you're still not sure if they'll actually connect with what you're saying. Well,...
4 months ago • 3 min read