Category For people managers

The Adaptive Leader – book review

Adaptive Leadership is shown on the conceptual business photo

Agility, for most L&D teams, is less about sprints and more about decisions close to work, safe experimentation and leading through uncertainty. Matt Smith reviews Giles Lindsay’s book The Adaptive Leader, exploring adaptive traits and cross-cultural ambition, alongside a key…

Read MoreThe Adaptive Leader – book review

When AI does the first draft, who learns what good looks like?

Professional editor reviews and marks up printed documents surrounded by stacks of papers, notebooks, and writing tools. Red marker corrections and annotations are visible on manuscript pages

AI is erasing the practice layer of everyday work, and L&D must rebuild it. Dmitry Zaytsev says draft writing, rough analysis and early recommendations were safe spaces for learning judgement. As machines take those tasks, organisations need structured practice, decision…

Read MoreWhen AI does the first draft, who learns what good looks like?

When talent outpaces governance: What wrestling’s reckoning teaches the people profession

Trouble, aggressive executive suit and tie, Mexican wrestler mas

Allegations during wrestling’s 2020 Speaking Out reckoning show what happens when growth outpaces governance. Andy Evans argues misconduct is a systems problem, not just bad actors, and urges HR and L&D to build ethical capability: psychological safety, scenario-based training, independent…

Read MoreWhen talent outpaces governance: What wrestling’s reckoning teaches the people profession

Can you teach self-belief?

Notebook with text  I'M A FAILURE crossed off to  LEARNING, replace negative self-talk with positive thoughts, learn to build self-acceptance and embrace failure as part of growth and learning

Confidence is not fixed: it rises and falls with meetings, roles and the way feedback lands. Penny Haslam shares research with Northumbria University showing measurable gains from confidence training, plus three memorable tools to challenge self-talk. Lasting change needs commitment,…

Read MoreCan you teach self-belief?

New leader, old story: How teams decide before you speak

Businessmen whispering and sharing confidential information in office

Reputation walks into work before you do, and teams cling to old stories. Chris Dodd explores how labels form, why cynics shape perceptions, and how leaders earn credibility socially through visibility, listening and consistency. Behaviour, not title, rebuilds trust, lifts…

Read MoreNew leader, old story: How teams decide before you speak

Align, coach, reflect, consolidate: A leadership rhythm for turbulent times

Tough Times Ahead text in lightbox with alarm clock on pastel background.

During upheaval, leaders often cling to process, but progress comes from staying close to people. Karl Green sets out a practical cycle: align the senior team on direction and commitments, coach through uncertainty with actionable feedback, pause for a midpoint…

Read MoreAlign, coach, reflect, consolidate: A leadership rhythm for turbulent times

The Platinum Workforce – book review

alphabet letter with the word question What's Next? next step concept

In The Platinum Workforce, futurist Trond Arne Undheim maps how AI, IoT and biotech could reshape jobs and spawn new roles. Catherine Dock reviews the book’s practical role frameworks, credible case studies and warnings about disruption for white-collar work, and…

Read MoreThe Platinum Workforce – book review

Trust is biased, and your team is proving it

Broken Trust Illustrated with Cracked Concrete

Trust breakdowns rarely start with incompetence. Maryam Rezaei argues they begin with bias, familiarity and the meanings we attach to tone, silence and directness. She explores psychological safety, real listening and what repairs trust: new experiences, not explanations. For L&D…

Read MoreTrust is biased, and your team is proving it

Compliance theatre is over: Accredited online learning is the grown-up option

E-learning concept with person using a laptop computer

With budgets squeezed and the UK Employment Rights Act 2025 raising the stakes, distance learning is no longer second best. Nathan Tod argues accredited online qualifications can satisfy compliance, boost retention and cut costs, if L&D stop treating learning as…

Read MoreCompliance theatre is over: Accredited online learning is the grown-up option

Decision armour is the new normal: Supporting clear thinking across a changed workforce

Translucent blue glass thought bubble with small bubbles, isolated on transparent background

Design work that protects thinking under pressure, and decision quality follows. In this article, Amy Brann and Dr Jessie Gulsin share neuroscience-backed ways for L&D to reduce cognitive load, reframe resilience for shifting values, and strengthen connection in hybrid teams.…

Read MoreDecision armour is the new normal: Supporting clear thinking across a changed workforce