Leaders must create an inspiring environment for people
Effective leaders inspire teams by focusing on continuous improvement and excellence rather than abstract goals like profit margins or market share. A vision of becoming world-class at what you do—from leadership to customer service—creates meaningful purpose that drives both team engagement and sustainable business growth.
Leaders must take an interest in their people
Effective leaders must understand what truly motivates their people rather than assuming everyone shares their ambitions. By recognizing diverse sources of meaning—from patient care to personal growth to job security—leaders can engage broader parts of their organization and inspire genuine commitment.
“What are the top skills headteachers need to create a good culture?”
Effective headteachers create positive school culture by providing clarity on expectations, demonstrating genuine care and forgiveness, and articulating an inspiring vision. These skills build both culture and climate while fostering the mastery, autonomy, and purpose that motivate staff and students.
“Teachers seem to need to earn respect more than in the past. Is this a good thing?”
Teachers today must earn respect through effective leadership rather than relying on authority alone. According to a former headteacher, this shift encourages more positive school cultures with clear expectations, ultimately improving student behavior and engagement compared to fear-based approaches of the past.
“We need to be careful about making assumptions around transferability of skills.”
Leadership skills aren’t automatically transferable across different school contexts, warns former headteacher Andy Buck. While some leaders excel at turning around failing schools, others thrive in different environments—and success in one setting doesn’t guarantee success in another, even for proven leaders.
“Are schools putting out children better able to survive and thrive in the world?”
Schools today produce better-educated children than ever before, but debate continues over whether they’re equipping young people with the practical workplace skills needed to thrive. Leadership expert Andy Buck explores how curriculum focus, school culture, and societal values all shape whether education truly prepares children for modern life.
“What leadership lessons can organisations learn from schools?”
Schools teach valuable leadership lessons about building trust and mastering nuanced delegation. Expert Andy Buck explains how effective leaders empower staff through nine levels of delegation, asking employees their preferred autonomy level, and developing middle leaders as crucial to organizational success.
Why compassionate leaders do come first
Compassionate leaders who practice self-compassion develop greater resilience and motivation while avoiding the harmful effects of chronic self-criticism. Research shows that self-directed anger and resentment trigger prolonged cortisol release, impairing problem-solving and damaging long-term health—making self-compassion essential for effective leadership.
Employee perspectives: an accountant’s view on KPMG’s HR team
A former KPMG accountant shares her perspective on working in finance and HR practices, discussing the mental stimulation of the role, challenges with changing regulations, and how employers can support employee development through qualifications and work-life balance initiatives.
Reality v aspiration: women in senior roles
While boardroom diversity is widely acknowledged as important, a significant gap remains between aspiration and reality for women in senior roles. Companies must build long-term pipelines of female talent and use targeted relationship-building approaches rather than traditional executive search, as women are less likely to self-nominate for roles they perceive themselves as unqualified for.
System selection: creating the right process
Learn how to create an effective HR system selection process that avoids common pitfalls and leads to the right choice. This guide outlines key steps from requirements analysis through vendor evaluation, helping HR professionals navigate a complex decision that typically occurs only once.
Speaking truth to power: the dialogic culture
Ashridge Executive Education research identifies four organizational cultures that influence whether employees speak truth to power, with the dialogic or “starlings” culture characterized by limited hierarchy, collaborative decision-making, and open dialogue—though leaders must prevent it from becoming an ineffective talking shop.
Speaking truth to power: the empowering culture
Ashridge Executive Education research reveals how organizational cultures shaped by leaders’ dialogue practices influence whether employees feel safe speaking truth to power. The study identifies four culture types—directive, adjudicated, empowering, and dialogic—each with distinct challenges for fostering honest communication and employee voice.
Speaking truth to power: the adjudicated culture
Research from Ashridge Executive Education identifies four organizational cultures, including the “adjudicated” or “owl” culture where leaders act as wise judges weighing competing viewpoints. In this model, leaders must balance encouraging healthy debate with preventing destructive competition while managing the “losing side” after decisions are made.
Speaking truth to power: the directive culture
A directive organizational culture revolves around one all-powerful leader with a single vision of truth. While this command-and-control approach can work during crises, it risks silencing critical feedback and suppressing ideas that could improve competitiveness and organizational survival.
Inclusion is the glue: 5 ways to create a holistic diverse and inclusive company
Recruiting diverse talent is just the first step. True organizational success requires inclusion—the “glue” that transforms diversity into innovation, creativity, and competitive advantage by fostering psychological safety and trust among team members.
Be yourself! Individualism in the workplace
Employees perform better when organizations recognize and leverage their unique skills and talents. Research shows that workers who feel their individual strengths are valued report higher engagement, while those whose abilities go unrecognized are more likely to seek jobs elsewhere. HR leaders can improve retention by avoiding rigid job classifications and encouraging cross-department growth opportunities.
“Make diversity and inclusion a business topic, not just an HR topic.”
AXA’s Group Head of Engagement discusses why diversity and inclusion must be integrated into business strategy, not isolated in HR. The company prioritizes gender parity, inclusive culture, and diverse marketplace practices through initiatives like its Sponsorship Tandem programme for developing female leaders.
Work teams need these six things to be successful
Successful work teams need six key elements: shared purpose, clear decision-making processes, defined roles, strong communication, trust, and psychological safety. Research shows employees who fit well with their job, team, and organization have greater satisfaction, retention, and performance.
How to take control of your company culture
Employees stay at companies because of culture, not just salary. Learn how to intentionally shape your company culture by engaging employees, training managers effectively, and acting on feedback to reduce turnover and boost performance.
