Leadership
Six leadership essentials for a changed world: From the legacy of Andrew Kakabadse
Professor Andrew Kakabadse’s leadership insights remain vital for today’s HR and L&D professionals. Drawing from decades of research and consultancy experience, Steve Macaulay distils six essential principles that equip leaders to thrive in a complex, unpredictable world. These lessons demand a fresh, values-driven approach to development, governance, and organisational culture. Leadership and governance expert Professor Andrew Kakabadse, who died recently. His work is particularly relevant for L&D and HR professionals today: these core essentials are highly focused on meeting the…
Build a future-ready leadership pipeline with targeted development
Steve George argues that developing senior leaders takes strategic, tailored support. Drawing on CIPD insights, he outlines how coaching, real-world stretch assignments, and structured feedback build resilience, agility and judgement. He shows why needs-led design, multi-tier pathways and succession planning help L&D create engaged workforces and future-ready leadership pipelines today. Change is a constant in today’s working world and during uncertain times, employees look to senior leaders for direction, clarity and confidence. But leading through complexity takes more than experience…
The leadership shift: What truly matters to Europe’s C-suite and L&D leaders
Leadership development is becoming a strategic priority for European organisations navigating digital, cultural, and economic change. Toru Takahashi explores how L&D is shifting from content delivery to capability building, urging C-suite leaders to rethink traditional models and prepare for a future where adaptability, purpose, and cultural intelligence really drive success. Leadership development is receiving renewed attention across Europe as a core component of organisational adaptability. As companies manage parallel transitions in digitalisation, sustainability, workforce models, and global expansion, questions of…
When reviews backfire: How smart managers turn damage into growth
Appraisals gone wrong can leave employees feeling anxious, rejected and disengaged. Drawing on psychological insights, Srideep Sarkar and Anu Sarkar explain how managers can navigate these moments with care. Learn how to rebuild trust, restore confidence and transform even the toughest performance conversations into catalysts for learning, resilience and growth. Performance appraisals are meant to provide clarity, motivation, and a roadmap for growth. But for many employees, they bring frustration, disappointment, and even self-doubt. This is aptly indicated by a…
The myth of leadership versus management: Why the best managers do both
Too often, leadership and management are treated as opposing forces. But what if the real value lies in knowing how and when to switch between them? Paul Matthews explores how modern managers can blend both to get results without the drama, and why clinging to old distinctions just doesn’t work We often hear that leadership is somehow superior to management – as if one is purely about vision and inspiration, while the other is only about checklists and control. But…
Human before leader: Rethinking leadership for a new world of work
Think leadership is just about performance? Think again. Sara Hope and Emily Cosgrove show how empathy, connection and courageous conversations are helping leaders ditch the old-school playbook for a new approach. With research-backed results and real-world impact, human-centred leadership is the power move for thriving teams in today’s fast-changing world The landscape of leading and managing in organisations today seems to be shifting at an ever more rapid pace. Political changes and economic fluctuations have pushed us into an…
Embracing cultural humility: A dynamic shift in leadership
🌍 Cultural competence is out – cultural humility is in! True inclusive leadership isn’t about mastering diversity but embracing lifelong learning. 💡 Dr Lesley Aitcheson explores how shifting to cultural humility fosters respect, trust and meaningful connections in today’s workplaces. 🚀 Lead with humility, thrive with diversity! In today’s interconnected and dynamic workplaces, the ability to navigate cultural differences is a critical skill for leaders and a key element in modelling an appreciation of diversity. Historically, the concept of ‘cultural competence’ has been widely promoted…
Leadership at every level: How trust sparks transformation
🔓 Unlock the true potential of your workforce 💡 Too often, rigid structures stifle creativity and initiative. When you empower employees with trust, autonomy, and ownership, they step up as proactive leaders. 🚀 Self-accountability, collaboration, and innovation flourish—driving growth for both individuals and the organisation. Allison Maslan explains more! Having trouble unlocking the true potential of your organisation? Too often, traditional structures limit the flow of energy, creativity, and initiative. Stop treating your employees as parts of a machine. When…
Leadership showdown: The devil of a manager wears Prada
From fierce to friendly. How different leadership styles shape careers, workplace culture and business success – by Steve Macaulay and David Buchanan This article explores how different leadership styles work in various contexts, why some are more accepted by employees than others, and whether your preferred style aligns with your organisation’s mission and culture. By highlighting these contrasts, we help you assess what works best for you – insights that L&D can transform into valuable training opportunities. Leadership at the…
Unleash the Inner CEO – book review
An insightful read that encourages embracing change and harnessing the power of leadership for success – reviewed by Gaëlle Watson Book: Unleash the Inner CEO – Make distributed leadership a reality Author: Jeremy Blain Beyond the title of leadership, this book is about reinventing the workplace for the digital age. It clearly addresses the C-Suite of organisations, focusing on the most strategic elements of leadership transformation. The tone, vocabulary and examples are tailored to appeal to senior leadership teams. Bain passionately…
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