Sarah McLellan

Image from Wix We expect a lot from leaders when it comes to culture. Be visible. Listen. Empower people. Give feedback. Create psychological safety. Hold people accountable. Navigate change. Role model the values. Oh, and deliver the numbers. Make sure you don't forget them. It’s hardly surprising that even leaders with the best intentions can struggle to turn all of that into what they actually need to do differently on a Monday morning. So perhaps we need to change the question. Instead of...

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...