Series 1: From the Touchline – Leading Without Playing
This series explores what it truly means to lead from the touchline – that critical space where board members, Chairs, NEDs, and investors shape performance without directly controlling it. It examines the art of strategic influence, intelligent restraint, and perspective maintenance. Through practical disciplines and real-world insights, the series provides a framework for non-executive leadership that creates rhythm, clarity, and direction while maintaining the unique vantage point that allows leaders to see what others miss.
Series Introduction
From the Touchline – Leading Without Playing Series Introduction Not every leader belongs on the pitch. Some of the most decisive impact happens from the touchline, watching closely, listening carefully,…
You don’t need the ball to change the game
"You don't need the ball to change the game." Part 1 in the "From the Touchline" series The most effective leaders, Chairs, NEDs, Portfolio Managers, and often CEOs, aren't the…
Series 2: Strategy Without Illusion – Cutting Through False Alignment
When growth plans fall apart, it’s often not because the idea was weak, but because alignment was false. This series addresses how strategic confusion creeps in, energy fades, and execution stalls despite everyone initially nodding in agreement. It offers practical approaches for non-executive directors, Chairs, and portfolio managers to challenge alignment without undermining trust, distinguish between financial plans and real strategic direction, and establish the right rhythm of strategic check-ins that transform delivery and cut through wishful thinking.
Why Most Board-Approved Plans Never Deliver
Why Most Board-Approved Plans Never Deliver Series: Strategy Without IllusionMany boardrooms mistake agreement for alignment, and planning for strategy. This series explores why so many growth plans unravel and how…
Strategy Without Illusion: A Series for Leaders Who Want More Than a Budget
Series Introduction Strategy Without Illusion: A Series for Leaders Who Want More Than a Budget Series Introduction - Strategy without illusion. The numbers stacked up. A few tweaks, and the…
Series 3: Portfolio Performance – From Drift to Direction
For portfolio managers facing investments where performance is drifting, forecasts are being missed, and progress seems elusive. This series provides a measured, deliberate approach to implementing effective change without disruption. It examines how to identify real operational blockers, provide support that strengthens rather than sidelines management, build credible recovery roadmaps, and manage stakeholder expectations during underperformance – ultimately delivering a complete framework for portfolio intervention that restores performance without creating unnecessary noise.
Portfolio Performance: From Drift to Direction
Portfolio Performance: From Drift to Direction Series Introduction: When Good Investments Need More Than Time When you're responsible for a portfolio company where performance is drifting, forecasts are being missed,…
Series 4: The Lender’s Perspective – Control Without Chaos
This series addresses the challenges faced by relationship leads at specialist lenders when portfolio companies show signs of distress. When cash is tightening, forecasts are changing, and covenants are under pressure, the right kind of operational support becomes critical. This five-part exploration provides lenders with a framework for measured intervention that protects positions without forcing unnecessary distress, bringing stability, transparency, and controlled progress to troubled facilities.
Coming Next
Series 5: Value Creation Through Operational Excellence
For forward-thinking portfolio managers who understand that even the best strategy fails without proper execution. This series explores how to build the operational foundations necessary for investment success, whether in newly acquired companies or during critical transitions. Rather than theoretical frameworks, it offers practical approaches to translate strategic intent into operational reality, identify hidden risks, build resilience, and prepare contingencies without undermining confidence – maximising the probability of investment success through operational excellence.
Coming Soon
What Really Happens
Behind-the-scenes intelligence for business leaders navigating crisis. From someone who’s sat on both sides of the table – as a CEO facing these challenges and as the advisor others call in to assess the damage. This isn’t advice on what you should do. It’s intelligence on what really happens when businesses hit the wall.
Operational Leadership Articles– Getting things done
This category explores the real work of leading operations when it counts most, not in theory, but in action. Here you’ll find practical insights for leaders who are tasked with delivering results, often under pressure. The articles focus on turning plans into progress, aligning teams around execution, and navigating complexity with clarity and control. Whether you’re stabilising a business, driving performance, or simply trying to keep the wheels turning when resources are tight, this is where we unpack what it takes to lead operationally, and get things done.
Navigating Turbulent Waters – The Role of a Strategic CEO Coach
Navigating Turbulent Waters – The Role of a Strategic CEO Coach When a CEO is under pressure, the real need often isn’t for a ceo coach, or ceo coaching in…
Thinking of Changing a CEO?
The CEO Coaching Alternative: A 7x ROI Solution Before You Replace The Hidden Cost of CEO Turnover in PE Portfolios Nearly 50% of portfolio company CEOs are ultimately replaced during…
