Ultra-High-Performing Teams facing the Test of Progress
Ultra-High-Performing Teams facing the Test of Progress Progress is often seen as evidence of a team’s success. However, this very progress presents challenge over time. As leaders are promoted and new leaders emerge, expectations continue to rise and evolve. What was effective in the past may no longer suffice. Last week in New York, I […]
Not counting the miles, only the smiles
Some weeks are busier than others. Occasionally, they bring unexpected clarity. A week of strategy workshops, executive coaching, board meetings, remarkable young people, an old Peugeot 205 memory, and a slogan my father, sister and I came up with many years ago reminded me that perhaps, after all these years, I have not been working […]
Corporate Reflux in an age of uncertainty
The uncertainty is real. The stagnation is optional. Corporate Reflux and the organisational tendency to stop digesting reality. An executive in the banana trade once gave me a piece of advice: “Take the first loss. It is always the best.” Many organisations are waiting for uncertainty to pass. I am no longer convinced it will. […]
What capability looks like in the age of AI
Last week’s Strategiser© Workshop with the top team of a global industry leader was a milestone. The analysis was solid, and the material was well prepared. But the real challenge was not the information itself; it was about encouraging the team to think beyond the data, trust their experienced intuition and confront the realities of […]
Why working across cultures can be easier than working across generations
It is often easier to manage someone from another culture than someone from the same street. Some of the most effective working relationships I see today are not between similar people. They are between people who, on paper, should struggle to understand each other. A slightly uncomfortable observation. Many Gen X managers find it easier […]
The MBA is not dead. But it is no longer an automatic ticket to employability
The MBA is not dead. But it is no longer an automatic ticket to employability. In December 2025, I wrote about the shifting value of the MBA and the growing gap between reputation and hiring reality. Since then, I looked more closely at what actually happens after graduation – combining survey data with follow-up conversations. […]
Learn to live life accepting the face of defeat
A good year deserves a proper pause I took a three-week break at the end of what was, objectively, a very successful year. 2025 was demanding, but many things came into place. I served passionate clients around the world. I travelled to beautiful places. I swam in new waters. I met people who make a […]
The true value of an MBA in today’s job market
The true value of an MBA in today’s job market: what employers, trainers and newly hired graduates actually see For decades, the MBA was the ultimate career accelerator. It promised transformation – new industry, new geography, new role and twice the salary. It was widely understood as a high-return investment that repaid tuition, opportunity cost and […]
Ultra-high-performing teams are built, not found. Skill – not talent – makes the difference.
When teams struggle, many leaders jump to the wrong conclusion: “We need stronger people.” “We need more experienced managers.” After two decades coaching leadership teams across industries and continents, I know this is almost never the real issue. Teams rarely fail because people lack intelligence or potential. They fail because they have not learned the […]
The New Currency of Leadership: Authenticity – introduction message
The New Currency of Leadership: Authenticity – introduction message The cement smile. The Tarzan pose. We have all seen them in meeting rooms: leaders working harder on the mask than on the moment. But masks drain energy, stall innovation, and destroy trust. Authenticity does the opposite. It builds resilience, upgrades compliance to followership, and […]