Ideas on leadership, strategy and how work actually works
Transformation is messy. Leadership is harder than the frameworks suggest.
This is where I write about what I see, what the research says, and what I actually think. Some of it is practical. Some of it will challenge the way you think about work.
Topics range from making strategy real and building leadership capability, the quiet fear epidemic running through modern workplaces, what neuroscience actually tells us about performance, how AI is reshaping the way we work and lead, and why being a decent human being is still the most underrated leadership skill there is.
No theory for theory's sake. Just ideas worth your time.
The CI Paradox
The more organisations try to manage continuous improvement through programs, the less continuous improvement actually happens. Not because people aren't trying. But because by structuring improvement as a program, organisations separate improvement from the work itself.
AI isn’t the real threat to your brain. Your organisation is.
Everyone's suddenly worried about what AI is doing to our brains. But I've been watching what organisations do to them for years. The research is finally catching up — and the real problem isn't the tool you're reaching for. It's the system you're working in
The Capability Myth (and why your best people still can't do their best work)
Most organisations blame people for not thinking strategically—then wonder why training doesn't fix it. Here's the uncomfortable truth: it's not a capability gap, it's a systems gap. Discover how Design for Thinking helps you structure work around how brains actually function.
When Did Work Get So Damn Hard?
Something’s shifted in the working world. We’re busier than ever, but not moving forward. Work didn’t get harder — the way we work did. Here’s why it’s time to stop the spiral, strip back the complexity, and design work that actually works.
Brains & Bots: A Disciplined Loop for Better Strategy & OKRs
AI can help you move faster—when you use it well. Brains & Bots is a disciplined Human → AI → Human loop for strategy and OKRs: outcomes first, then AI to sharpen options and language, so you get impact without the rework.
Part 3: Brains on: ways of working
A practical way of working that keeps “brains on” while AI brings the speed. We start with a few habits: one main focus per person, protected deep-work blocks, one-line decision logs, clear AI boundaries, and tidy handovers. It builds self-efficacy and better results. Use AI as a power-assist, not an autopilot.
Part 1: Brains on: how to work with AI without switching your thinking off
AI can boost speed and creativity — if we keep our thinking on. This post shows five simple guardrails to avoid automation bias: frame the decision first, compare drafts and sources, check the source+date trail, run a counter-prompt, then make (and log) a human call. Use AI as a power assist, not a replacement for judgment.
Before we go faster: protecting our thinking in the age of AI
AI is moving fast. The real risk isn’t just bias—it’s our thinking. Here’s how to keep brains ‘on’ and pair speed with judgment