Give Your Brain a Holiday Too
Arthur C. Brooks has made a compelling case that we are overusing the analytical, task-driven part of our brains — what he calls left-hemisphere thinking. It’s the mode built for executing, judging, and solving. It’s also the mode most of us live in from the moment we open our inbox to the moment we close the laptop. The always-on nature of leadership rewards this kind of thinking. It does not leave much room for the right-hemisphere territory of meaning, mystery, and connection — the part of us that asks why rather than how.
Leading without making a racket
So, what’s happening on the tennis court…what helps performance and what hinders it. When it comes to skill and fitness levels, I’m sure there is very little to choose between the top 10, 20 players in the world. So, what gives some players the edge? And what principles might be transferable to leadership and performance in the world of work? Timothy Galwey’s “Inner Game of Tennis” is a widely acclaimed guide to mental performance and is very helpful in unravelling this question.
Dancing in This Moment: The Heart of Executive & Team Coaching
One of the coaching practices I return to again and again is:
“Dance in this moment.”
Not the next moment.
Not the prepared question.
Not the coaching framework in my head.
This moment.
Stop Managing Generations. Start Managing Behaviour.
It’s understandable why leaders fall back on generational explanations. They are tidy, easy to repeat, and can seem to make sense of complex workplace dynamics quickly.
But they can also quietly undermine performance.
The Feedback Gap – Why Good Intentions Aren’t Enough
Most managers I work with are not avoiding feedback because they don’t care. They are avoiding it because they care too much and don’t quite know how to begin.
The cost of that avoidance is higher than most managers realise.
Rethinking Remote & Hybrid Work: What Should Leaders Be Asking Themselves?
This week, I’m hiring a new assistant but a virtual one as it suited both the candidate and aligned with our own organisational goals so it got me thinking………
At SkyRed Leadership, we know there’s no one‑size‑fits‑all answer to remote or hybrid working. Every organisation has its own culture, operational needs, and customer expectations. But the world of work has shifted — and leaders are being asked to think more intentionally about what flexibility could look like in their context.
SkyRed Leadership Turns One — Reflections on Our First Year and the Bold Road Ahead
SkyRed Leadership proudly celebrates one year of redefining what brave, human, purpose‑fuelled leadership looks like — alongside our ambitious clients and partners. It has been a year of growth, learning, deep collaboration and powerful leadership moments, and I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together.
Why Bringing Your Whole Self to Work Is a Leadership Strength — Not a Liability
I often say that leadership is not something you learn once — it’s something life teaches you again and again. For me, one of the most career defining lessons arrived in 2003, during a period of profound personal change.
Balance vs. Burnout for Female Leaders
One question we’re hearing more often in Executive Coaching with female leaders — particularly those identified as top talent — is this: “Can you really have it all?”
When Expertise Isn’t Enough: Navigating the Leap from Specialist to Leader
A brilliant technical expert — an engineer, accountant, solicitor, IT specialist, HR professional — excels in their role. Naturally, the next step is a leadership position. It’s the expected career path.
Yet this transition is far from straightforward.