Category Leadership

TJ interviews: Dr Alex Zarifis on how AI is forcing leaders to rethink how people learn, work and create value

Dr Alex Zarifis

Dr Alex Zarifis says UK firms will only unlock AI value when leaders redesign processes and business models, not just add tools. He urges transparent communication to build trust without blind faith, and argues agentic AI will push leaders towards…

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The Adaptive Leader – book review

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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…

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

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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…

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

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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…

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

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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…

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The missing step after restructuring: Lessons from a government department reset

Wooden human figures inside blue and yellow gear shapes. Mergers and acquisitions, teamwork, integration, and corporate collaboration concepts.

Turn restructure into a practical reset, not a quiet drift. A government department team used an anonymous participant survey, output-driven working day and a virtual follow-up to agree priorities, decision routes and co-ordinate working rhythms. The result was measurable gains…

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L&D in the age of reinvention: Four imperatives for the CLO

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Chief Learning Officers are being asked to reinvent organisations, while AI rewires jobs and careers. The route is unlearning: letting go of ladders, fixed roles and ‘training as an event’. Dr Helmut Schuster and Dr David Oxley set out four…

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When leaders run on empty, strategy turns into firefighting

Coronavirus and economy news headlines

Workplace stress is surging, executive burnout is a systemic risk to organisational performance. In a DUSTy polycrisis world, traditional wellbeing initiatives barely touch the root causes. Steve Macaulay sets out a practical HR and L&D roadmap to redesign roles, build…

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The risk radar that stops culture biting back

Try - Fail - Success. Purpose and movement to success despite obstacles.

Most leadership programmes scale fast on assumptions that only unravel in the room. A genuine pilot surfaces hidden beliefs, resistance and the workplace conditions that make behaviour change stick, before the full investment lands. Jimmy Burroughes argues against biased, stacked…

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L&D’s biggest influence barrier is access to decision-makers

Influence

L&D can’t make impact visible an important from the side-lines. The TJ Readiness Enablers Index shows that the biggest bottleneck to meaningful change is access to decision-makers about strategy, budget and priorities. While L&D has momentum, readiness is inconsistent, and…

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