I have just returned from three weeks’ vacation in the US and I am excited to let you know that ‘The Gentle Art of Leadership,’ co-authored by Dean Phelan and myself, is available from 12 November 2024. You can preorder the digital version now through your favourite digital platform—just click the links below. Paperback versions … Read more
In the early 2000s, Google was skyrocketing, and the company’s co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, along with CEO Eric Schmidt, faced significant challenges in scaling the organisation. Despite their immense talent and vision, the leadership team was struggling with alignment and communication. The rapid pace of growth led to silos within the organisation, and … Read more
I lost my good friend of many years, Mick McIlveen, after an all too brief battle with cancer a couple of weeks ago. His friends and family paid a fitting tribute to him at an end-of-life celebration this week. The tributes, including my own, all revolved around one central theme: his extraordinary ability to connect … Read more
Back in 2004, the Google board threw Eric Schmidt a curveball by asking him to step aside as Chairman while staying on as CEO. Eric wasn’t thrilled—after all, he believed he had earned the trust of the founders and employees, and the company was thriving as it prepared to go public. Feeling a bit stung, … Read more
When Charles was promoted into a leadership role, he was not at all prepared for the ‘people’ challenges he faced. Every direction he turned – upwards to management, downwards with his team or sideways to his peers and suppliers, he needed to navigate personalities and people dynamics. This hadn’t been the case when he was … Read more