Insights
Practical thinking on leadership, capability, and performance.
Capability is still managed against roles that are evolving rapidly
Most organisations can tell you what specific roles cost. Far fewer can tell you what skills those roles actually require this year, compared to last year, let alone whether that mix still lines up with the organisation's current priorities. That evolution is something to take seriously on its own terms, without assuming which roles are hit hardest.
The Cost of Being Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Continuous partial attention isn't new, but it’s rarely discussed as a leadership problem rather than a personal productivity one. Here's where the term came from, what the research says it costs, and what helps overcome it.
The gap between saying skills-first and being skills-first
Skills-based talent management isn’t just a trend. Skills architecture is being baked into system plans as we speak. The question is whether there is a gap between what’s being said, and what’s really happening.
You May Be Asking the Wrong Question About AI
Most leaders are asking whether AI will replace their jobs. The better question is which skills are already being replaced, and what your people need to build next. Organisations that answer that question first will be better positioned for the future.
The Real Reason Good Feedback Still Fails
Most organisations focus on teaching leaders how to give feedback. Far fewer understand what makes people capable of receiving it. The missing piece isn't better frameworks - it's creating the conditions where feedback can genuinely be heard.
When the Model Works and the Team Doesn’t
Skills-based organisations promise greater agility and better use of talent. But when teams become increasingly fluid, organisations risk losing the trust and psychological safety that high performance depends on. The challenge isn't the model - it's how it's implemented.