– William Ernest Henley, ‘Invictus’

My experiences, both professional and personal, are what I draw on in my work as a leadership developer. I have worked and consulted with blue-chip organisations such as Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, Tesco and Aviva. Like everyone else, I have enjoyed success, but also experienced redundancy and joblessness. I’ve been fortunate to experience the joys of parenthood; and also suffered long-term illnesses (ulcerative colitis and depression) – all of which have offered me invaluable insights into what it is to be human in a complex, connected and demanding world.

I have a strong belief that we can all improve the way in which we ‘lead ourselves’, and that doing this invariably helps us to lead and manage other people with greater empathy, and more effectively.
The New Leadership:

“This programme will help you work on your ‘whole’ person, and on how your habits and self-image impact on your life, both positively and sometimes in less helpful ways.”

As Victor Frankl wrote, human beings are ‘meaning-making’ and ‘meaning seeking’ creatures. We all have hopes, dreams, desires – personally and professionally – but life’s challenges can get in the way. Our own thinking and habitual behaviours can also stifle our progress. My role is help to remove those ‘blockers’, reframe peoples’ thoughts and develop new behaviours, using well established tools to raise levels of self-awareness and improve time efficiency in and out of the workplace.

Over the past 15-years I have worked in medium-sized consultancies, mainly specialising in learning and development. I have managed and led very large and small teams or permanent and contractors, in time pressured and budget constrained situations; and where high-quality solutions weren’t simply judged by my clients, but often by external bodies.

My main strengths throughout my career have been an ability to build and maintain long-term relationships with people, and also to have a commercial and pragmatic approach to problem solving. Being able to demonstrate a return-on-investment was always a key focus in my work.

Training:
Includes a variety of psychometric tools (e.g. behaviour profiling, personality, emotional intelligence, aptitude and intelligence, team profiling, etc.), BSc in Management, MA in Coaching.

Of course, I must also mention that I have been through TNL’s Personal Leadership Programme!

Previous career:
Prior to management consultancy, my previous career was in financial services, selling financial products (such as pensions, investments, protection, and mortgages), and recruiting and managing teams. I ended up in a ‘third-tier’ management position, overseeing a region of over 300-consultants, and also responsible for training and developing people and ensure they were compliant.

Likes:
Meeting and working with people. Learning from anyone and any situation. Variety and challenge.

Dislikes:
Being stuck in the same office doing routine work every single day would be almost unbearable for me.

Admires:
Authenticity, Humility, Creativity, Persistence, Good Manners and Respect for everyone.

Disapproves:
Arrogance, Closed-mindedness, Poor Manners and Rudeness.

Reads:
A lot! I’m like a magpie when in a book shop, always attracted to something ‘new and shiny.’

I read quite widely, anything historical (especially about Ancient Rome, London, World Wars I and II), biographies (Cicero, Churchill, Dickens), therapy (Frankl, Rogers, Yalom, Matt Haig), classic novels (Austen, Emily Bronte, Hardy, Lawrence, Orwell, Huxley, Steinbeck), 1960’s ‘Brit Lit” (Barstow, Reid-Banks, Sillitoe, Osborne), modern literature (William Boyd, Iain Banks, Robert Harris, Pat Barker, Ian McEwan), sports books (cricket or Arsenal related), and finally music (especially about Elvis. The Rolling Stones or AC/DC).

Eating and drinking:
Most things, but reasonably healthy food, and less and less meat and more vegetables as I get older. As a baker’s Grandson, I have a weakness for freshly baked bread. My guilty secret: chocolate.

I have a penchant for English craft ales, and red wine, especially French (Chinon, Bordeaux, Claret)

When I’m not working:
Spending time with my beautiful teenage daughters and my family and friends, playing guitar, listening to music, walking my dog (Harry), running (long distances!), cycling, boxing, reading, and trying (but largely failing) to write a book of my own!

Life goals:
My goal is to create a life from which I don’t need a vacation.