For a private equity (PE)-owned business, a well-designed planning session for the year ahead can deliver more than just a "plan" The last quarter of the year is the high season for finalising budgets and business plans. Having had the opportunity to deliver a number of leadership events around this time, I have seen first hand how valuable the session is for getting the team ready to inspire, mobilise and implement. A planning session for a PE-owned business has the same int

Soup or Salad I once had a conversation with a friend back in my AIESEC days about the difference between a soup and a salad. Global is a soup, every ingredient blended into one flavour. International is a salad, a new and powerful combination where you can still see and recognise each ingredient. That image has stayed with me, because it sits at the heart of every global initiative: the balance between scalability / standardisation and local ownership / originality. Helping

A group of colleagues engages in an intense discussion, examining the outcome of analysis. Before you read: six things this article covers AI produces volume. Human judgement still determines value - and that muscle can quietly and rapidly atrophy. Speed is not the same as quality understanding. Doing the analysis is part of how we learn. Fluency with AI and dependency on AI can look identical. The difference is whether we could still own the output created by AI. We are used

A team applauding their friendly leader. There's a version of senior leadership that keeps itself at a careful distance. Polished. Corporate. Slightly untouchable. And then there's what I witnessed recently - leaders who were present and genuinely in the room. Curious. Interacting. Not performing authority, just exercising it naturally. Working across multiple leadership teams this past few months - in different continents: Asia, Europe and America - the through-line in the b

Many organisations spend significant money on their leadership meetings - venue, external event organiser, production, giveaways, travel, and more. Feedback is often collected from participants, yet organisations still wonder: what are the real benefits and impact? Here are a few areas I always focus on with my clients to make their leadership events truly meaningful. Grow, Connect, Create - Before the Event The pre-event period is more than logistics - it’s an opportunity fo

A Case Study on Leadership Alignment and Team Reconnection "See how a global manufacturer turned underperformance into growth, strengthened leadership alignment, and reconnected teams across continents. Part 1 shares the case study; Part 2 reflects on the lessons learned for leaders driving complex change." Context A global manufacturer of electronic components faced sustained underperformance, fragmented operations, and low trust between business units and the centre. Years

Case Study Overview This two-part case study explores how a global manufacturer in mission-critical electronics reversed underperformance, strengthened cross-site collaboration, and re-established a unified organisational identity. Part 1 shares the case study; Part 2 reflects on the lessons learned. Part 1: The Case Study – the facts: the challenges, approach, actions, and measurable outcomes achieved across strategy, transformation, and culture. Part 2: Reflections – insigh

Just like a Formula 1 pit stop, strategy only works when every team member knows their role, acts with precision, and moves together. When I work with leadership teams, one of the first unspoken questions many ask is: “Will this strategy actually happen, and make a difference?” The truth is, a strategy is only worth having when it is turned into action - when it becomes a tangible game plan that teams can prioritise, engage with, and deliver, even amidst the demands of day-t

A strategy can look brilliant on paper, but without a compelling narrative to bring it to life, it is likely to be ignored, misunderstood, or dismissed as abstract statements. A strong strategy narrative, owned by the leadership team, does more than inform, it inspires, unites people, and (re)energises them. A compelling strategy narrative is more than a slick presentation It is relevant, credible, and grounded in reality. It speaks to the shared beliefs and priorities of the

Quick tips to make the most of the first team meeting of the year