Hi, I'm David. I'm The Strategy Coach for CEOs, C-Suite executives, and founders at the world's top organisations. I've worked with more than 50 CEOs and hundreds of executives over nearly 30 years. 

I write about strategy, leadership, and culture in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Review, Strategy+Business, Fast Company, and Forbes. I'm quoted in the Wall Street Journal, FT, Times and the Guardian.

This is how I can help you:

👋 Executive Coaching and Advisory.

Typically, you are new in role or transitioning, facing:

▶️ Exciting growth opportunities
▶️ Complex customer dynamics
▶️ A missing or incoherent strategy
▶️ An underperforming leadership team
▶️ Investors with high expectations
▶️ A bureaucratic, undiverse culture

You want to be inspiring, inclusive, and compassionate. 

But where do you start? And how do you master the mindsets and practices required?

▶️ Learn about my services at: https://strategyshift.co.uk/services/

In retained contracts (6 months+) I provide: catalyst sessions, exercises, blueprints (e.g. for vision, strategy, culture), role-plays and rehearsals, invitations to peers and other professionals. 

Clients include: the BBC, Microsoft, the Guardian, CBRE, Oak Foundation, NBC Universal, ManpowerGroup.

👋 Topics include:

▶️  Strategic thinking and doing.
▶️  Board/Exco impact and dynamics.
▶️  Decision-making.
▶️  Integration of strategy and culture.
▶️  Overcoming inner obstacles to growth.
▶️  Dealing with challenging stakeholders.

👋 Expect big results:

☑ Organisation: profitable growth, new capabilities, greater resilience.

☑ You: greater fulfillment, financial reward, reputation, wellbeing.

👋 Perspectives

I believe passionately in sharing my expertise, ideas, and learning. 

▶️ Writing: https://davidlancefield.com/writing/. 

Sign up to my:

▶️ Every Day is a Strategy Day newsletter: https://davidlancefield.com/newsletter/

▶️ Lancefield on the Line podcast in which I interview the world's best executives, enterpreneurs, and management thinkers: https://davidlancefield.com/lancefield-on-the-line/

👋 About me

I'm curious, creative, courageous. Intellect with intuition, reflection with action, compassion with clarity.

I’ve taken risks and overcome challenges in my professional and personal life — including the care of a disabled child — in pursuit of growth and opportunity. 

▶️ Former senior partner in Strategy&/PwC.
▶️ Guest lecturer at the London Business School.
▶️ Distinction in MSc Economics (Warwick) and Meyler Campbell Mastered coaching. 

Reach out to me at david@davidlancefield.com

David Lancefield

"We've got to act now, otherwise we'll be swept away" is usually lazy thinking, argues Prof Julian Birkinshaw, Dean of Ivey Business School at Western University.

Beware of the hype - especially from the consultants (!) - when it comes to digital transformation, esp. involving AI.

A fascinating, stimulating conversation for the first episode of my Lancefield on the Line podcast for 2026.

We talk about:

- Myths that distort the digital disruption narrative.
- Data revealing incumbent companies’ hidden resilience.
- Building a digital mindset across established organisations.
- Balancing present performance with future opportunity.
- Why “fast-second” often beats first-mover advantage.
- Inspiring innovation with symbolic leadership actions.
- Low-cost experiments that signal serious intent.
- Managing change without rushing major decisions.
- Generative AI’s real impact on business schools.

I love how Julian is practising what he researches as he pursues an AI-enabled strategy for his business school.

Leadership right there.

Check it out below via the link.

Strategy advisor & Exec Coach | Helping CEOs/CXOs perform at their best (transitions, first 100 days, decisions). | Founder, Strategy Shift I HBR Contributor I LinkedIn Top Voice 24/25 I LBS Guest Lecturer I Podcast Host

Who will you surround yourself with in 2026 and beyond?

My focus is on being with INTERESTING AND INTERESTED people.
Less time with TOXIC TAKERS.

Here's what I mean:

Interesting can mean many things. Ideas, perspectives, provocations. 
Or their background, style, or outlook on life.

Interested, frankly, means being curious about me and those around me.

You can tell when you’re with people like this. 
There’s a fizz in the conversation. They ask questions of you and you of them. You look forward to it.

It’s not transactional. Or silent. But stimulating, uplifting.

And TOXIC TAKERS bring negativity, conflict, and emotional drain to others, especially those who are self-centred.

Who will you surround yourself with this year?

Photo: with my parents and brother-in-law who are certainly interesting and interested, in front of some cows (not sure how I'd describe them 😀 )

"The best things come to those who wait", we're often reminded.

But we struggle with patience.
We worry about missing out.
Or being forgotten.
Failing ourselves and others.

The reality of any substantial endeavour is that the journey is full of ups and downs.
You have to overcome obstacles - the practical and the inner.
Practise new skills.
Learn from failure.

And then, often by surprise, you have a breakthrough.
As if it were waiting for the right time to show you.

So, keep going.
Back yourself. 
Check you're on the right path.
Surround yourself with people who lift you.
And get your head down, and do the work.

(Note to self, too).

Image from the Natural History Museum 2025 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition

When does principled leadership tip into being dogmatic?

That's the question when I watched the England Cricket team manager and captain - Brendan McCullum and Ben Stokes - talk about the heavy defeat to Australia in the Ashes.

They introduced Bazball, a fearless approach to cricket with high scoring rates, attacking bowlers, and positive intent.

It worked for a while - transforming the confidence and performance of a struggling England team.

But it hasn't worked with the best teams in the world - and in this Ashes series - where you need a more thoughtful, disciplined approach.

Why play reckless shots when you're there to build an innings, and you have time to do so?

This is what I saw and read which spoke to a dogmatic leader:

- Poor preparation (as if they thought they were good enough).
- Insistence on this Bazball approach to the whole team, even when it doesn't suit everyone.
- Little recognition of the mistakes they made.
- Lack of willingness to change their Bazball approach.
- Bringing in people ('yes people' as they've been described) around you who are similar to you; the England team didn't have strong technical batting and bowling coaches (and it showed).

The best quote from McCullum after the defeat: 

"I will not be told what to do by the ECB" (his employer).

I see a lot of leaders in sport and business become dogmatic, especially after enjoying success. They start creating what looks and feels like a cult. 
It becomes their downfall, soon enough.

Effective leaders adapt their mindsets and practices to:

- The SYSTEM they're in (employer, customers, competitors).
- The SEASON they're operating in (the maturity of the team, its performance status).
- The TALENT at their disposal (rather than force-fitting their system to the talent).

What's your best example of a dogmatic leader?

Are you living life on autopilot?

Busy days. Full calendar. The weeks move fast.
You're successful on the outside. 
But wonder if there's more to life. If you could get more control - more agency - over your life.
What might you do? Who might you become?

I want to help people reclaim their identity, get more agency/authorship, and start working and living to their full.

To that end, I’m running a short anonymous global survey for executives, experienced professionals, and coaches to understand:

What shifts in midlife that creates “autopilot”.
What drives it (work, life, internal patterns)
What gets in the way of acting on it
What helps people regain agency and authorship

It takes 5-10 minutes.

Link below in the comments.

The benefit to you?

- This self-assessment might give you an immediate insight or nudge in the right direction.
- I'll share the findings (and recommendations) from this survey if you leave your email.

Do share it with a colleague, client, friend, or family member if you feel it might be relevant to them.

A strategic human resources leader & leadership coach with over 25 years of bringing people-focused solutions to the most niggly business challenges to achieve results. With experience across the spectrum of HR practices, David’s specialities include:  talent management, executive coaching, process improvement, organizational change and transformation and leadership development.

Dave cofounded “get keep grow inc” a  Canadian employee engagement and retention professional services corporation.




Please note views and opinions expressed are my own and do not represent the views of my employer

David McLean

McLean & Company's new HR Trends report is live and shows some significant shifts in HR and organizational priorities for the coming year:

✅ Innovation jumped from #10 in 2025 to #2 in 2026—HR is now a key driver of transformation.
✅ Leadership development remains the top priority, but the focus is expanding to employee experience and AI adoption.
✅ HR is moving from reactive support to strategic leadership, shaping culture and enabling change.
📌 Bottom line: HR leaders must embrace innovation, tech, and cross-functional collaboration to stay ahead.



✴️✴️✴️ If you're interested in accessing the report, there is a link in the comments box below 


Acknowledgement: McLean & Company  


#ceo
#chro
#FutureOfWork 
#Leadership 
#Innovation 
#AI 
#StrategicHR

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