Dr Winter examines the tensions between leadership and management, the structures that hold organisations together, and the ideas that shape organisational life. His work sits where governance, culture, and strategy converge.
Effective decision-making in a leadership context involves balancing rational analysis, intuition, and moral judgment. Leaders must navigate uncertainty, integrate ethical considerations, and foster collective input while avoiding groupthink. Accountability and
Building high(er)-performing teams involves creating an environment of trust, psychological safety, role clarity, communication, and mutual accountability. Classical thinkers and modern researchers emphasise the importance of open collaboration,
Adaptive leadership requires leaders distinguish between technical problems, which have clear solutions, and adaptive challenges, which demand novel approaches and continuous learning. Adaptive leadership involves situational awareness, stakeholder engagement, and
Karl Popper's theory of falsification provides a powerful framework for modern leadership. By embracing the principles of falsification, leaders can foster innovation, agility, and resilience in their organisations. This also allows the evolution of our understanding by discarding theories that do n
True strategy requires deep analysis, clear choices, alignment, and continuous learning. Leaders must avoid vague goals and instead create actionable, coherent plans that drive real value and competitive advantage in a complex business environment. A case study of IKEA shows how this approached was
In business, not all 'strategies' are true strategies; many are just vague platitudes offering little guidance. True strategies are specific, actionable, and aligned with organisational goals, enabling effective decision-making and success. Avoiding platitudes requires rigorous analysis, clear choic
Leadership is a complex terrain, shaped by the profound intricacies of human nature. While simple models like the "four quadrant" approaches offer a starting point, they miss the
Organisations often prioritise conformity over true innovation. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang challenges this approach by rejecting traditional 1-on-1s, favouring public feedback to promote transparency and collective learning. Modern work environments,
Adopting a custodian mindset in management emphasises responsibility and stewardship over ownership or personal agendas. This approach fosters employee autonomy, ethical leadership, sustainable resource management, and organisational agility. Practical applications
In today's virtue signalling work environment, busyness often masquerades as productivity. Many tasks are non-essential, leading to a sense of being unfulfilled and exhausted. To combat this, strategies
The expression "they don't know what they don't know" reflects the challenge of unawareness and overconfidence in leadership. Managers unaware of their limitations risk
Working among exceptional professionals with great humour is wonderful, and contrasts starkly with colleagues of mind-numbing incompetence. For line-managers, hiring is an ongoing challenge with poor performers often gaming the
