Insights
Being Let Go
Every leader has a ‘season’ in their role. The trick is to recognise when to move on rather than waiting for others to make the decision for you.
Keir Starmer might not have ‘rizz’; but does it matter as a leader?
Can leaders lacking charisma still be effective in transforming the fortunes of the people and the organisations they lead?
If your boss doesn’t ‘get’ you, it’s time to reframe your situation
High performing executives frustrated by senior colleagues should think about how they can reframe their situation (with the help of some action logic)
Graham Alexander remembered in The Times
On Saturday 20th April 2024, The Times published an article warmly remembering our founder Graham Alexander
How do you persuade a reluctant executive to meet with a coach?
There’s that old saying that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink. But what if you can’t even lead the horse to water in the first place?
Daniel Minis’ interview with the Institute of Coaching, McLean/Harvard Medical School
The Institute of Coaching, McLean/Harvard Medical School features The Alexander Partnership’s Leadership Consultant and Coach, […]
Don’t wait until you’re headed for the exit to plan your next career move.
The planning for your next career move starts today Talking to a client recently, they […]
Francesa’s graduation speech at the Meyler Campbell 2022 graduation
We at the Alexander Partnership are honoured that our CEO and former graduate, Francesca Lanza […]
The Alexander Partnership appoints Francesca Lanza Tans as CEO
The Alexander Partnership appoints Francesca Lanza Tans as CEO Francesca Lanza Tans will become […]
Tales from the Top
Tales from the Top is packed with insights, battlefield stories and real-life successes. The book […]
John Ainley: enabling leaders to be the best that they can be
How coaching can help new CEOs develop the skills to be “fully CEO ready”. There […]
Making a success of hybrid work
Making a success of hybrid work – empower employees, ensure leaders lead by example & […]
Servant leadership
As the nation continues to pay its respects to Queen Elizabeth II, it is interesting […]
A coach is not just for the ‘good times’
A coach is not just for the ‘good times’ One thing I’ve noticed over the […]
Effective coaching: it’s a middle distance run not a sprint
Effective coaching: it’s a middle distance run not a sprint Over the years, I have […]
Dealing with the paralysis of self-censorship
Dealing with the paralysis of self-censorship The arrival of spring is always an optimistic time […]
The power and importance of the deep acceptance of what ‘is’.
The power and importance of the deep acceptance of what ‘is’. The 13th Century poet […]
Planning for a life beyond the corporate hot seat
Planning for a life beyond the corporate hot seat It might be that many high […]
Mind the gap (and shape your response)
Mind the gap (and shape your response) Those of you who follow my posts might […]
Working 9 to 5, not a way to make a living… the rise of the hybrid working environment
Working 9 to 5, not a way to make a living… the rise of the […]
CEOs should target alignment – not consensus – for their decision making
CEOs should target alignment – not consensus – for their decision making I recently worked […]
When the working marriage is unequal, something needs to give
When the working marriage is unequal, something needs to give Most of us will have […]
Leadership: finding individual super performance
Leadership: finding individual super performance What characteristics define those leaders who outperform other leaders over […]
As a leader, you must stand up for what you believe in
As a leader, you must stand up for what you believe in What is leadership? […]
It’s all in your head…and your heart…and your gut
It’s all in your head…and your heart…and your gut In my later corporate life, I […]
From outsider to insider: three watch-outs for senior leaders joining a new company
From outsider to insider: three watch-outs for senior leaders joining a new company Joining an […]
Conversations that create real value
Conversations that create real value Are you sitting comfortably? Let me tell you a tale […]
CEOs: don’t let your stakeholders cry foul
CEOs: don’t let your stakeholders cry foul It’s hard to see football’s proposed European Super […]
The seven Cs of work: how to shape a hybrid home/office working model post-pandemic
The seven Cs of work: how to shape a hybrid home/office working model post-pandemic The […]
Time to bring the significance back to your working life
It was the 19th Century’s Frederick Winslow Taylor – one of the first management consultants […]
John Ainley: Don’t let the pandemic ‘flood’ your emotions
Don’t let the pandemic ‘flood’ your emotions On Christmas Eve, the area where I live […]
Hande Yasargil: New Year leadership resolutions
What a year it was! It wouldn’t be wrong to say that there was as […]
Philip Goldman: How can we make sure we don’t fall victim to Groundhog Day?
How can we make sure we don’t fall victim to Groundhog Day? Groundhog Day is […]
Hande Yasargil: Never ending battle: gender diversity
Never ending battle: gender diversity “This is a critical moment for corporate America. Companies risk […]
John Ainley: The relationship between the chair and CEO can make or break a business
Two’s company: the relationship between chair and CEO can make or break a business A […]
Lloyd Wigglesworth: The chair and CEO – friends or enemies
The chair and CEO – friends or enemies? If there is one critical business relationship […]
Lloyd Wigglesworth: The changing and increasingly challenging role of the CEO
The changing and increasingly challenging role of the CEO In seeking to understand what it […]
Philip Goldman: Finding a growth mindset
Forget all the seasonal negativity – it’s time to adopt a growth mindset In my […]
A view from the boardroom
The challenges and demands on the modern-day CEO: some of Britain’s top business leaders share […]
A view from the boardroom
Top leaders talk about what it takes to succeed (or fail) as a modern-day CEO.
‘Business as usual’ is no more (neither should it be ‘boards as usual’)
As the world learns to live with coronavirus – at least until the arrival of […]
When the challenge arises, pause and be a “force of nature” not a “selfish little clod”
George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “This is the true joy in life, the being used […]
Remote working shouldn’t lead to remote relationships
Guiding a business through the remote working lockdown has been demanding for every leader. […]
Leading in uncertainty
Leading in uncertainty with David Gregson – move from blame to aligned interests David Gregson […]
Reinventing your business model
As businesses begin the long journey out of COVID-19 lockdown, a strong theme emerging is […]
The next horizon: three big questions for HRDs
Every day we’re gathering stories and rich insight into what’s going on across businesses as […]
The need for clear communication from leaders
In this Talking Leadership podcast series – we talk to business leaders on key themes […]
Leadership teams should bottle the pandemic spirit
Last week’s VE Day marked the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe. It […]
The collision of megatrends
The collision of megatrends with Leo Johnson Leo Johnson Head of Disruption PWC Lloyd Wigglesworth […]
Hande Yasargil: Interview with Stanislav Shekshnia on boards and Covid
Company boards have a critical part to play during the COVID-19 crisis. Find out what […]
John Ainley: A new normal
There are many changes taking place in the workplace right now as a result of […]
Lloyd Wigglesworth: What are other CEOs doing?
Leading in a crisis – what are other CEOs doing? Has there ever been a […]
Covid 19: Leading for mental wellbeing through a crisis
Podcast with Dr Judith Mohring, Consultant Psychiatrist, interviewed by Lloyd Wigglesworth, Partner, The Alexander Partnership […]
Hande Yasargil: Crisis leadership demands that leaders of any gender exploit their masculine and feminine strengths
The best leaders in the COVID-19 crisis will draw on both their masculine and feminine […]
Becky Falkingham: Communication in a crisis
Communicate, communicate, communicate… Recall any crisis from the last few decades and there is […]
John Ainley: Ensuring remote meetings create maximum value
Six ways leaders can run a better Video Conference As more of us work from […]
Francesca Lanza Tans: Leading effectively from home
Leading effectively from home In this current climate, no one knows what tomorrow will bring, […]
Francesca Lanza Tans: Coronavirus measures
Coronavirus: the ten steps leadership can take to help vaccinate their business operations The spread […]
Hande Yasargil: Say goodbye to these seven habits
Women in the workplace: breaking free from the seven confidence blockers Recognising the blockers like […]
Jill Pett: Defining Leadership Presence
How to build leadership presence Recently the choir I sing in during my spare time […]
Becky Falkingham: Bilateral Leadership
Bilateral leadership: why it happens, the damage it can cause and what you can do […]
John Ainley: Managing workplace conflict
Conflict can be a positive for your organisation: my tops tips for managing workplace conflict […]
Becky Falkingham: Top time management tips for the busy CEO
Take back control: ten top time management tips for the busy CEO We all wish […]
Jill Pett: Don't let an absence of decision making blunt your leadership
Don’t let an absence of decision making blunt your leadership Of all the tools in […]
John Ainley: Energy
Do what gives you energy, not what depletes you According to various measures, we spend […]
Philip Goldman: Mindfulness
Controlling our emotions with mindfulness Most people either forget, or don’t know, that our complex […]
John Ainley: My interview with Meyler Campbell
John Ainley was interviewed for the Meyler Campbell newsletter. Click here to read.
John Ainley: Installing a "leader hero" type CEO is a short-term fix, which often ends in long-term failure
There are too many ‘leader hero’ type CEOs, with egos to match, who are brought […]
Jill Pett: "Reset for the 'new year'"
After the long summer break, September has a back to school feeling even for those […]
Philip Goldman: "Why having the right attitude is key to business success"
Psychologist and Nazi prison camp survivor Viktor Frankl, wrote in his book ‘Man’s search for […]
Lloyd Wigglesworth: "Head + heart + gut = the right decision"
Making decisions is a leader’s stock-in-trade. Everyone in the business expects a leader to say […]
Philip Goldman: "Pursuing higher intent leadership"
In my last post, I discussed the importance of leaders embracing their higher purpose to […]
John Ainley: Game, set and match for the inner game
I was lucky enough to be at Wimbledon for this year’s women’s singles finals between […]
SuperCoaching
SuperCoaching is the definitive guide to the philosophy, methodology and application of coaching in business. […]
John Ainley: Playing the inner game successfully
A client I work with who runs a business unit within a large organisation, recently […]
Philip Goldman: Business leaders must embrace their higher purpose
If there is one thing that Brexit has revealed – on both sides of the […]
Becky Falkingham: Where’s your cabin in the woods?
Twice a year, Bill Gates retires to a cabin in the middle of a forest […]
Philip Houghton: The more creative leader
Seven ways to stimulate creativity in your business We are entering an age in which […]
Jill Pett: The best leaders know when to change direction
As the interminable Brexit saga drags on with – at least at the time of […]
John Ainley: Most businesses fail the feedback test
While his team may not have seen off France in 2018’s FIFA World Cup final, […]
Jill Pett: Ten tips for succeeding as a woman in a male environment
1. Focus on what you can control – your responses and your attitude There may […]
Philip Goldman: When ‘no’ needs to become ‘yes’
Earlier this year my wife went into hospital for a relatively minor operation. Unfortunately, complications […]
John Ainley: Why every leadership team needs an objective view
No business has it all. Take two clients I’ve worked with recently. One is a […]
Philip Houghton: Culture Development & the Road Less Travelled
While there are a number of foundational practices – such as explicit culture leadership from […]
Philip Houghton: Culture development and the top ten foundational practices
As the pace of business change accelerates and strategic differentiation becomes increasingly short-lived, it is […]
John Ainley: Don’t let your mind talk yourself down
If you were helping a child who said they weren’t very good at something how […]
Jill Pett: Do you ‘walk the walk’?
I once went to a retirement dinner for the CEO of a well known blue […]
Becky Falkingham: The rise and rise of the nurturing CEO
A majority of the CEOs I work with have a more nurturing style of leadership […]
Francesca Lanza Tans: Recovering and maintaining your energy levels is not a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a ‘must have’
There are times in high performing organisations where things can break down and go wrong. […]
Philip Houghton: Three questions on culture every leadership team must answer
Establishing the right culture in an organisation is vital for long term success. Along with […]
John Ainley: Why networking when you’re in work is just as important as when you’re looking for work
It’s an irony that when someone is out of employment and looking for a job […]
Jill Pett: Beware of the ‘phantom’ decision maker
When did you last hear someone in your organisation suggest an initiative or an action […]
Philip Goldman: As a leader, how confident are you?
Successful leaders are confident leaders but confidence in itself can be an elusive quality; something […]
Philip Houghton: Successful culture change begins with the CEO
Many leaders recognise the ongoing and urgent need to build more agile organisations; especially if […]
John Ainley: The truth is out there (but your leadership conversations might not find it)
In every executive team it is critical that open, honest conversations are the bedrock of […]
Jill Pett: Being human – why business leaders need to show the human touch
One of your team suffers a family bereavement, illness, or is going through tough times […]
John Ainley: Your organisation is a shadow of you
‘You must be the change you want to see in the world’ said Gandhi and […]
Becky Falkingham: A happy leader is a good leader: how happy are you?
To be an effective and well respected leader it follows that you need to be […]
John Ainley: No one enjoys working for a ‘meddling’ CEO
One question I’m often asked by CEOs I work with is, ‘how do I know […]
Philip Goldman: Be your own Inner Game Coach. This is how you do it.
For leaders to survive and thrive, they’re going to need to increase their capacity to […]
Philip Houghton: Business leaders use conversation to drive success: here are 5 things they do
2017 was another busy year. Looking back, you covered lots of ground, delivered plenty of […]
Philip Goldman: The best global leaders are now forming ‘leadership cohorts’ to succeed. Here are 4 things you need to know:
Creating ‘leadership cohorts’ can help leaders think differently. Here’s 4 things to know if you […]
John Ainley: Why a team charter can deliver better decision making
On a riverside meadow near the Thames in 1215, King John – under huge pressure […]
Philip Goldman: What skiing taught me about making better decisions in business
1. Creating the space for ‘safe uncertainty’ can help you make better decisions Some years […]
Philip Goldman: Want to be a better leader? It’s all a question of physics
When the physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton first came up with his three laws […]
Becky Falkingham: Top ten ways for a CEO to stay connected
Knowing what’s really happening on the ‘shop floor’ is a critical requirement for every leader […]
John Ainley: Is your leadership blinkered by the ‘experience blindfold?’
It was the French philosopher René Descartes who argued, “If you would be a real […]
Keith Krasny: Forget ‘strong and stable’ – leadership is about knowing your weaknesses
The Guardian Small Business Network. Theresa May uses the strongman model of leadership – but […]
The challenge of shaping organisational culture
How best to build, develop or change a successful culture and the critical roles of […]
Philip Goldman: Creating An Olympic Mindset
– how business leaders can harness the mental approach used by Olympians to transform their […]
John Ainley: Team success depends on trust and strong relationships… in business & in politics
Team success depends on trust and strong relationships… in business & in politics If there […]
So you want to be the chief executive?
Views and advice from some of the UK’s top current and former CEOs on what […]
A time to think again about Leadership
Is it time to challenge many of the assumptions that we hold about what it […]
What’s going on in our boardrooms?
What is troubling industry leaders? And what do they make of the changes to the […]
Briefing companies on stress related suicide
Philip Goldman of The Alexander Partnership is advising companies on stress and its impact on […]
John Ainley: The loneliness of the CEO, and the dangers for their businesses
Midweek view: Many CEOs ‘don’t know what they don’t know’ and are struggling without the […]