On judgement, authority, and the exercise of leadership—as distinct from management, and rarely as tidy as the literature pretends.
79 essays
Durable advantage is built less on intensity than on cadence, habit, and protected attention. If you want to design routines that stick, reduce attention residue, limit false work, and turn standards into rhythms—read on.
On the Subject of Leadership is a long-form podcast for people who carry responsibility. No slogans—just clear thinking on authority, judgment, coordination, and accountability under real constraints, through research-led conversations with founders and executives.
Flat organisations are usually presented as a philosophy. More often they are a headcount. The literature on networked teams and post-hierarchical work is written, almost without exception, from firms
Metacognition is the discipline of noticing—and revising—your thinking in real time. It sharpens judgement, steadies emotion, and turns debriefs and assumption checks into a practical system for better decisions.
A 2025 review of authority, trust, coherence and attention—plus a strategic outlook for 2026 on AI governance, provenance, regulation and decision quality. What to prioritise, what to ignore, and why clarity beats theatre.
A practical playbook for human-centred AI: redesigning workflows, building capability, governing judgment, and sustaining talent pipelines so AI amplifies human agency rather than hollowing out the organisation.
AI models often mirror our beliefs, rewarding us with agreeable but shallow answers. This sycophancy flatters rather than challenges, eroding judgment and candour. To gain true value, leaders must set incentives that favour truth over comfort, design prompts that demand trade-offs, and treat AI as a
Managing People Isnt a Side Hustle Time to Re Professionalise Management0:00/618.6721× A while back I mentored a gifted software engineer—let's call her Priya. Priya
Assuming others see you as ethical because you believe yourself to be is a critical leadership error. Ethical leadership requires visible modelling, intentional communication, and alignment between actions and values. Without this, leaders appear ethically neutral—creating distrust, disengagement, a
In their fear of missing the AI bandwagon, many boards are blindly investing in tech they barely understand—driven more by hype than strategy. Mimicry, not discernment, has become the default. The result? Strategic incoherence, wasted billions, and millions of people thrown unnecessarily out of work
Clear writing builds trust and credibility. Avoid jargon, clutter, and dependence on AI; focus on structure, clarity, and authentic voice. Weak writing drives weak decisions, making strong communication essential for effective leadership and sound business judgment.
Visionary leadership can inspire, but in turbulent environments coherence proves stronger. Fixed visions hinder adaptability, while coherent strategies align identity with present realities. Effective leaders balance vision with coherence for lasting resilience.
Authentic leadership builds trust through transparency, ethics, and empathy. Leaders who model authenticity create psychological safety, strengthen relationships, and foster resilient, innovative cultures that support lasting organisational success.
In 2024, leaders strengthened governance, culture, and decision-making through critical thinking and evidence-based practice. Lessons included avoiding sunk-cost traps, building cohesive cultures, and improving meetings.
Empathy strengthens leadership by building trust, respect, and belonging. It supports fairness, psychological safety, and better decisions. Though it risks burnout, empathy remains essential for ethical, resilient, and sustainable organisations.