Sarah McLellan

Image by Roddy Corona, via Canva Watch a high-performing rowing crew and, from the riverbank, it can look almost effortless. Eight people move as one. Every stroke is timed. The boat gathers speed. No single rower appears to be working independently, yet each person is making a distinct contribution. Look more closely, however, and you see the system behind the performance. There is a coach building capability and creating the conditions for success. A cox helps the crew navigate, respond and...

Photo by Kris Han, via Canva Millions of us have spent the last few weeks watching the World Cup. Most conversations afterwards have been about tactics, substitutions and moments of brilliance. But as I watched the tournament unfold, I found myself asking a different question. Why did some teams seem to grow stronger under pressure while others gradually fell apart? Not because they lacked talented players. Not because they suddenly forgot how to play football. Something else was...

Images from Pexels, via Canva Last weekend we went to watch the latest Toy Story film. I remember the first one arriving when I was a teenager. Now I'm watching the stories all over again with my own daughter. Pixar has always mastered the art of telling stories that children and adults experience differently. The kids laugh at the toys. The parents recognise themselves somewhere between the nostalgia and the emotion. But this time I left feeling more reflective than entertained. One...