Richard Russell Coaching

ADHD Coach

I split my time between Luxembourg and London.
Available for NED and Fractional Hybrid roles also.

Product Leadership Coach

Whether you’re scaling a product-led company or transforming how you work, I can help you move faster, with less pain *

* There's always pain. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.

But we can make the pain worth it.

My product and engineering background from Google, Amazon and my exposure to countless startups and corporates means I understand where you're coming from.

My experience across every function (marketing, strategy, partnerships, operations, customer service and more) and in many industries (SaaS, Consumer Internet, Retail, Travel, Logistics, Banking, Insurance, MedTech, Crypto, Media, etc) means I know where you want to go.

The key for most of my clients is helping them empower themselves so they can empower their teams. This means transforming from tactical and functional to strategic and cross-functional, developing courage to take the right risks, and balancing the need to hold firm on some topics while disagreeing and committing to the rest of the executive team on others.

If this sounds like you, book a free chemistry call and we can get to know each other and see if there is a fit.

Scaleup Leaders

I host a video podcast and write a newsletter for and about leaders who are scaling up.

Creator & Host

Amazon

Two roles, firstly driving pan-European technology projects to improve the European customer experience, and secondly in consumer localization, where we translate and localize millions of product listings each day across all Amazon’s marketplaces

* Acting Director for Consumer Localization from Jul-Nov 2015 with multi-discipline team of 100
Leading 2016 planning with 2.5x revenue growth (goal met in October 2016), and 2017 planning with 2x revenue growth

* 2015 Q4 Localization output exceeded previous seven quarters combined, and 2016 year end goal met during 2016 Q2

* Cut the time to launch new languages by six months (50%), without affecting revenue or customer experience

* Led “language of preference” program for global consumer websites, delivering second language experience on multiple marketplaces (e.g. Amazon.de and Amazon.co.jp in English), and a program of ongoing expansion to new market segments

* Proposed and secured funding for a broad technology transformation program covering hundreds of interdependent services to allow Amazon’s consumer websites to use non-latin languages

Senior Manager Product Development

High Street Labs

Developed Wlcome (yes, welcome without the e) a mobile loyalty app for brick-and-mortar stores, using geo-location to automatically check a customer into a store location to provide personalised service, loyalty rewards, and payments.

I developed the proof of concept, then product managed ongoing development with offshore dev team. I launched pilot in two coffee shops with 60 weekly actives after 1 month. I learnt a huge amount about marketing and innovation - the hard way!

In November 2013, after becoming a father, I took an interim role as Chief Product Officer at MoPowered, a listed mobile commerce startup.

MoPowered provides a SaaS solution to online retailers, enabling them to sell on the mobile channel. I took on management of the R&D division (Engineering, Product, QA, UX and Security).

- Implemented an agile transformation, accelerating release cycle from quarterly to weekly

- Halved merchant integration costs, reduced maintenance cost per issue from days to hours

- Implemented UI overhaul to enable metrics-driven user experience improvements, increasing basket size and conversion rate for our customers, and enabling improvements across multiple clients at once

- Created a hiring pipeline, set up recruiting process, and trained team on interviewing techniques, doubling team size from 8 to 18 people in 4 months.

- Proposed strategy to reduce cash burn, reducing locations and headcount, bringing key functions in-house, and focusing on product development, implemented by new management after I left

Founder

Google

I was part of the engineering team reporting through the sales division. Over four roles, I was responsible for: delivering Google AdSense technology to European partners including search engines (eg Ask Jeeves, Seznam.cz), portals (AOL, Yahoo), publishers (eg El Pais, De Telegraaf, Le Monde), and broadcasters (eg Channel 4, Sky); developing eCommerce payment partnerships for Google Checkout (eg Kiddicare, eBuyer); negotiating partnerships for global public transport agencies (eg TfL London, Deutsche Bahn, and MTA New York) to put their data on Google Maps; and managing a client solutions team supporting advertising agencies (WPP, Publicis, Omnicom) buying ads through DoubleClick BidManager.

- Recruited and managed a team of 5 in London and Paris offices, receiving a 94% rating as a manager from my team, representing top quartile performance across the business

- Built tools used by DoubleClick Bid Manager Sales & Services teams saving >20 FTEs globally

- Executed EMEA Bid Manager upgrade project, exceeding US counterpart team on all key metrics

- Developed tools to enable scaling of map data operations, launching 4x faster with 50% fewer FTEs

- Product managed european Checkout features including VAT, Chip-and-PIN, and Contactless Payments

- Managed AdSense Broadcast, Publishing and Portal partnerships worth £100M/yr with 80% YoY growth

Senior Engineer & Manager

Deutsche Bank

Ran a team which would now be known as DevOps, managing the build and deployment process and environments for Deutsche Bank’s market-leading online wholesale foreign exchange, bonds and derivatives trading platform, Autobahn, working with traders from DB and white label clients.

- Promoted to team lead, developed release process and launched new product 3x faster than before

- Planned and executed the first successful Business Continuity Test in Global Markets eCommerce

Lead Deployment Engineer, Global Markets eCommerce

Yellow Goanna PTY LTD

IT Infrastructure Consulting - clients included The RSPCA South Australia, The South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service, Austrics (Trapeze), a Satellite ISP Startup, and a B2B Accounting Startup
- Deployed a Satellite ISP and Education CDN in schools around rural South Australia
- Consulted for an online accounting startup, advising on technology strategy
- Developed and run a diploma level IT course for TAFE SA

Systems Administrator and Consultant

Department for Environment and Water

Managing production, development and testing Solaris server environments for mission-critical services for Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH), a preceding agency of DEW.

Systems Administrator

Trapeze Group

Developing a new user interface for a public transport management product.

Programmer - AUSTRICS (Acquired by Trapeze)

Helping leaders do more with less | OKRs & Leadership | ex Amazon & Google

* There’s always pain. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.
But we keep it to a minimum—and make the progress worth it.

You've read the books.
You're working harder than ever.
But the changes aren't sticking, and you're slipping behind.

Ever felt like that?

The three usual suspects:

𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Teams pull in different directions
𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐆𝐚𝐩𝐬: Decisions stall in deadlock
𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Bold slides, but nothing ships

If you don't change, you’ll miss opportunities, exhaust talent, and watch faster players overtake you.

And it will keep getting worse.

I help you break that cycle — fast.

I’ve led large teams at Amazon and Googl, helped 20+ startup executives navigate these challenges successfully and worked with corporates up to Fortune 500 scale. I love helping leaders like you bridge the gap between technical excellence and business leadership.

These challenges show up differently for every leader, but here are some recent results:

🔥 Series C CEO – Unblocked strategy, shipped a scalable fix in weeks, then raised a Series D.
🔥 Series A CEO – Broke the decision bottleneck, strengthened delegation, and cut attrition.
🔥 Series C VP Eng – Beat impostor syndrome, shaped strategy, and stepped up to CTO.
🔥 GM, Traditional BU – Shifted a 70-person product org from tech-focused order-takers to customer-centric empowered teams.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?

Here's how I can help:

✅ Focused coaching, one-to-one or with your leadership team, to get you unstuck fast
✅ Facilitated strategy, OKR, planning and review workshops to create momentum
✅ Develop proven leadership habits to help you maintain progress
✅ Targeted training to upskill teams

As an individual, this will help you:

👉 Move from functional leadership to company-wide impact
👉 Build alignment across growing teams
👉 Navigate relationships with co-founders and stakeholders
👉 Transition from BigTech or Corporate to Scaleup leadership

For your organisation, this will help you:

🎯 Build your management operating system
🎯 Develop clear vision, strategy, and goals (OKRs)
🎯 Create cross-team alignment and buy-in
🎯 Build execution and review cadences that drive consistent results

Message me to explore if we're a good fit.

Richard Russell

“Best Conference Ever”
“One and a half days of inspiration”
“We made so much progress”

Real quotes from leaders at a transformation conference for a Swedish company that I really enjoyed leading over the past two days.

Heading home now - tired, but energised and happy.

I could do this again. :-)

Performance Coach for ADHD Leaders | Business Coach for Product and Scaleup Leaders | I help you move faster — with less pain*

No alternative text description for this image

I'm on my way to Stockholm for a transformation workshop with a client.

Looking forward to this!

Who doesn't love to receive feedback like this?

"The conference was one of the best, if not in fact the best conference I have attended" - from Håkan Johansson, Lead Business developer,  Tietoevry Industry.

At the end of the conference, I asked each of the 45 attendees for one word that described their experience. The number of people who said some variation of "hope", "inspiration", "progress", or "team" was overwhelming - such a thrill to hear.

I loved the energy, enthusiasm, and potential in this team - and it was a privilege to lead them through this conference kicking off their transformation project. I'm excited to see what they come up with.

I’m in Sweden, at this lovely villa in the snow. The conference starts in 90 minutes and I’m all set.

Yes, most of the preparation happened last minute. I spent a few weeks percolating ideas, with very little to show for it. Then the deadline looms, adrenaline kicked in and I focused like a weapon and got the whole workshop built in a day.

I used to think of this as procrastination and beat myself up for not getting it all done ahead of time.

But now I know this is how I do my best work. The time before the deadline is my brain doing the work in the background. Making connections, testing insights, iterating through concepts.

I have made peace with it, and it works.

How do you do your best work?

Is ADHD really a “deficit” or a “disorder”?

Technically yes, that’s what the definition says.

But practically, it’s just a difference, which at least 5% of the population share - and likely more.

The real deficit and disorder is in our expectation that everyone should be the same.

Yes there are disadvantages to having ADHD. But the with every disadvantage comes an advantage.

Distractability —> Curiousity
Impulsivity —> Creativity
Hyperactivity—> Drive

The challenge is not how to compensate for the weaknesses so much as how to maximise the advantages.

Build a career that fits your brain.
Don't try to adapt your brain to suit someone else's ideal career.

Most careers demand attention to detail and consistent execution. Fast brains tend to fail at this.

 You'll be told to adapt, be more consistent, get organized, try harder, hustle more.

But here's the truth: you're trying to wear someone else's career.

It's like wearing someone else's underpants—fun initially, but gets weird fast, and you're gonna end up with a career wedgie.

So start with your brain.

Find out what your real strengths are. Not just what you're good at, but what gives you energy.

Because if you build around that, your work amplifies you instead of fighting you. That's when you can be world-class.

Ask yourself:
→ What do I do effortlessly that others find hard?
→ What lights me up?

Design around the overlap. Build a career that works for you.

If you agree, hit the share or like button.

If you're a fast brain leader frustrated by the gap between your potential and actual performance, you probably know what to do.

Exercise, sleep, nutrition, habits, productivity systems—it's not rocket science.

But here's the problem: knowing isn't doing.

When you're a fast brain leader, you know what to do, how to do it, when to do it, why to do it.

But actually doing it? That's the hard part.

There's one key thing that makes the biggest difference:

Being surrounded by people who are trying to do the same thing.

* Your spouse as a supportive partner
* Friends who get it
* A coach (reach out if interested)

But one of the best ways is community

That's why I'm setting up Fast Brain Leaders—a community for people working on closing that gap between potential and performance.

We share the same challenges.
We support each other through them.
We've just started.

Check it out at fastbrainleaders.com

Is ADHD overdiagnosed?

No.

About 5% of the population have ADHD.
About 0.5% of the population have a diagnosis.

Yes, we're seeing a lot more awareness and a lot more diagnoses now than ever before. 

But when telescopes were invented, and people got hold of them and started pointing them at the night sky, we started seeing more stars than ever before. 

That doesn't mean that the new stars we saw were "over-detected" or were created by the telescope. We just got better at seeing them.

Same with ADHD.

We are more aware. We're better at assessing it. There are more people qualified to make assessments than ever before (but still nowhere near enough). So we're seeing more of it.

If you're finding yourself frustrated by the gap between your potential and your performance, and you find some things hard that other people find easy, and if "trying harder" or "discipline" just doesn't seem to work for you, maybe you should get checked out too.

Who cares what the nay-sayers think? This isn't about them - it's about you, and finding out what works for you.

But even if you can't find an assessment (there can be long waiting lists), you might benefit from non-medical help like coaching or community. Nothing stops you from getting help without a formal diagnosis.

“See, in my world, leftover pizza is not a thing. If I order a pizza, I’m going to eat THE PIZZA. Not a slice or two, but THE PIZZA. There won’t be leftover pizza. Heh. Leftover pizza. Even the name sounds funny. It’s like leftover wine. It’s not a real thing for the majority of us with ADHD.” - Peter Shankman , Faster Than Normal

ADHD-dar: that seemingly supernatural ability of people with ADHD to find and befriend other people with ADHD in any group setting, even when they aren’t (yet?) diagnosed themselves.

FAQ: Yes I am still offering product leadership, scaleup exec team, and transformation coaching.

I’ve been talking about ADHD coaching for leaders a lot because I love it, but that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped doing what I was doing.

If you need help with:
- transition to the product model (eg from projects or feature factory)
- strategy development and execution including OKRs
- becoming a leader whether as a CEO, CPO, executive or even first time manager of product manager

I’m here for you. 

I work with leaders from vc-backed startups (eg series B-D CEOs), Fortune 500 companies (eg VP product), and individual leaders.

There’s still time left if 2025 to get help within this years budgets.

Connect and send a DM for a chat.

I often use the Oterap principle.

That’s where I do 80% of the work and get 20% of the results.

It’s not intentional. I just Pareto backwards.

“You just have to try harder.”

Every ADHDer’s heard this — from teachers, bosses, even friends.

And for most people, it’s good advice. Doing important things gives their brains a dopamine hit — the “feel-good” that powers motivation.

But ADHD brains work differently.
We’re already trying harder.
The problem isn’t effort — it’s chemistry.

We don’t get dopamine from what’s important.
We get it from what’s interesting — things that are novel, challenging, urgent, or fun.

That’s why what’s easy for most people can feel impossible for us, and what they find hard can light us up.

So stop trying harder.
Start working with your brain:
make tasks interesting, share the load, trade strengths.

Effort isn’t the issue.
Alignment is.

I’m excited because the founding group of fast brain leaders kicks off tomorrow (Thursday) at 4pm UK/5pm Europe, and every Thursday after that.

Interested?

Send a DM!

Most day planners make fast-brain leaders feel worse, not better.

You open them up and they’re full of:

abandoned weeks
half-finished days
old goals you don’t even recognise
and the quiet shame of “why can’t I just stick to this?”

I’ve tried everything:
Bullet journals, GTD, digital calendars, beautiful spreads, colour coding…
And every system eventually collapsed under the weight of its own expectations.

Here’s what finally worked for me:

👉 A one-page daily plan you throw away at the end of the day.

No backlog.
No planner guilt.
No flipping through old failures.
Just a clean slate — every single morning.

I’ve been using this for months now, and it’s the first planning system that genuinely works with (not against) a fast brain.

I recorded a short video showing exactly how I use it, including:

how to time-block your day realistically
how to choose your One Thing
how to adapt the plan when life inevitably changes
why throwing the page away is the magic

🎥 Watch the video here:
https://lnkd.in/eWaV37Z4

📄 And if you want the free Fresh Start Daily Planner PDF:
https://lnkd.in/eukdqBTp

If you struggle with consistent days — or feel a bit ashamed looking at your old planner — this might help you reset your relationship with planning altogether.

A fresh start, every day.

Sometimes when people connect to me I ask them if they are just here for the content or if they are dealing with ADHD themselves.

It’s a way to open up conversations - and seems pretty natural to me as an ADHD coach who mentions it in my banner, my headline and most of my content.

But last week, the question upset someone who considered it too personal and “unprofessional“.

What’s your take?

Bear in mind that my reason for posting about ADHD on LinkedIn, and the reason most people connect with me is because a core part of my business is helping people with ADHD, and so my question is basically “are you looking for my help?”.

Just listened to Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal’s three episodes on Google (links in comment).

Had two realisations:

1) Google’s best days were approximately 2006-2012 - not coincidentally, the years I was there. I can’t claim credit for everything, but I played my part!

Released or acquired in that period: YouTube, DoubleClick, Android, Docs, Chrome, Nexus (now Pixel), “the cat paper” (which led to the Transformer that is the T in GPT), Drive, Workspace, Appengine (now Cloud), Checkout (now Wallet), Analytics, Calendar, Transit and Traffic (on Maps), Play store, Photos, Hangouts (now Meet), Translate, etc

2) Google is not a product company. It’s a technology company. Every really successful product is built on a technical insight (and brilliant infrastructure), not a product or customer insight.

Similarly, Amazon is an operations company. Microsoft is a sales and marketing company. Netflix is a media company.

Apple and Meta (Facebook) are the only big tech product companies.

What’s your thoughts?

Helping B2B Consultants & Exec Coaches book 5 meetings a week without spamming | Founder-Led Marketing | Aussie living in Germany

Struggling to grow your consulting business? Let’s change that.  

As a new consultant or coach, you might face challenges like:  

- Feeling unsure how to market your services.  
- Struggling to find clients who are ready to pay.  
- Feeling overwhelmed by managing time and tasks.  
- Not knowing how to build trust with your audience.  
- Wondering how to stand out when the market is crowded.  
- Worrying about how to scale your business without burning out.

Starting and growing a consulting business is tough, but it doesn’t have to be.  

That’s where I come in!  

I help new consultants like you:  

- Build confidence in your skills and services. 
- Position yourself as an expert your clients can trust.  
- Create strategies to find and attract your ideal clients.  
- Manage your time better so you don’t feel overwhelmed.  
- Grow your business step by step without sacrificing your personal life.  

I’ve worked with professionals who once felt stuck and unsure where to begin. 

With the right plan and support, they now feel confident, attract clients they love working with, and are growing their businesses.  

Here’s the truth: 

You don’t need to figure this out alone. 
You just need a proven system that works for you.  

If you’re ready to take the next step, send me a DM or email me at daniel @ daniellock.com

Let’s build the consulting business you’ve been dreaming of.

Daniel Lock

Most change efforts fail

Because they overlook the most important factor
→ People

Change isn’t just strategy;
it’s about guiding people through the process with clarity.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺:

𝟭/ 𝗔𝗗𝗞𝗔𝗥 𝗯𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗶
The ADKAR Model focuses on individual change through five stages:
→ Awareness
→ Desire
→ Knowledge
→ Ability
→ Reinforcement.
Focus on what each person needs to move forward.

𝟮/ 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝟴-𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 
Build urgency. Rally champions. Create quick wins.
A practical roadmap to make change stick.

𝟯/ 𝗟𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻’𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹
Unfreeze → Change → Refreeze
Break old habits. Introduce the new. Then Reinforce it.
A simple structure to embed lasting change.

𝟰/ 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘆’𝘀 𝟳-𝗦 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹
Align your internal engine: strategy, structure, systems, and culture, so everything moves in sync.

𝟱/ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗶 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 (𝗣𝗖𝗧)
Strengthen the backbone of change by aligning leadership, project management, and change management.

𝟲/ 𝗞𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗿-𝗥𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲 
People grieve the old. This model helps you guide them through denial, resistance, and renewal with empathy.

Which of these models have you used?

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👉 Change Director & Founder, Million Dollar Professional | Follow for posts on Consulting, Thought Leadership & Career Freedom

Change looks easy, until you’re the one leading it.

People think it’s all memos and workshops.

But real change work?

It happens in the messy, quiet moments no one claps for.

What people think change leaders do:

– Send out emails announcing change
– Make PowerPoint presentations
– Host workshops with sticky notes

What we actually do:

– Design feedback loops to surface problems early
– Coach leaders on difficult conversations
– Create psychological safety for honest dialogue
– Build bridges between conflicting departments
– Identify and address cultural barriers
– Track sentiment and adoption, not just metrics
– Negotiate competing priorities and resource conflicts
– Translate strategy into daily actions
– Facilitate tough decisions that others avoid
– Have one-on-one conversations with resisters and skeptics

Change isn’t a slide deck.

It’s human, emotional, unpredictable work.

PS. Which part of real change leadership
do you think people overlook the most?

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Executives don’t care how busy your change team is.
They care whether anything actually changed.

That’s why so many change reports fall flat.
They’re full of numbers that look impressive
but prove nothing.

Emails opened.
People trained.
Surveys completed.
Town halls hosted.

All activity with zero insight.

When change leaders rely on these metrics, they hit the same wall:
Stakeholders can’t see the business impact.

Here’s the difference:

Metrics show what happened.
KPIs show if you hit a target.
OKRs show whether the organisation transformed.

Activities tell the story of effort.
OKRs tell the story of outcomes.

If you want real buy-in from executives, start reporting what actually matters:

How behaviour shifted.
How performance improved.
How leaders now operate differently.
How the organisation now works better than before.

That’s the level where change becomes undeniable.

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Change resistance is normal.

But most leaders misread it
and that’s why their initiatives stall.

Instead of fighting or avoiding resistance,
guide people through it.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸:

𝟭/ 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
Share the why, not just the plan.
Make the change meaningful to them.

𝟮/ 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀
Acknowledge fears without judgment.
Create space for honest worries.

𝟯/ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
Ask for the team’s input.
Let people shape the parts that affect them.

𝟰/ 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀
Give them the skills, practice, and confidence
to handle what’s coming.

𝟱/ 𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀
Celebrate progress. Remove barriers.
Share what’s working.

When you understand resistance,
you don’t push people through change -

you bring them with you.

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The fastest way to fail a change initiative?

Treat every stakeholder the same.

In reality, people hold different levels of
power and care differently about the change.

And if you don’t map that early, you spend
months pushing instead of influencing.

The Power–Interest Grid helps you see who:
drives the change
blocks the change
feels the impact
barely notices it

It’s simple, but it changes everything.

Here’s the truth most teams miss:
Change isn’t about managing “everyone.”
It’s about managing the right people in the right way.

Know who needs partnership.
Know who needs updates.
Know who needs reassurance.
Know who needs boundaries.

Once you get that clarity, momentum stops feeling like a fight.

Change moves faster when people feel seen, not grouped together.

If you want smoother buy-in, start with understanding where people stand, before you start asking them to move.

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Many change leaders confuse empathy with being “nice.”

But empathy during change isn’t about comfort.

It’s about clarity, honesty, and understanding what
people actually experience.

The problem?

Most leaders stop at surface-level sympathy.

They say “I understand” but don’t adapt their approach.
They acknowledge stress but don’t reduce uncertainty.
They want people to feel heard, but don’t act on what they hear.

Real empathy looks like this:

You make people feel seen.
You spot the fears behind resistance.
You create space for honest feedback early.
You see the change from people’s point of view.
You communicate in a way that reduces uncertainty.
You adapt based on what people actually experience. You understand how it impacts their day and workload.

Empathy is not softness.

It’s a leadership skill that removes resistance
before it becomes a roadblock.

The best change leaders don’t just understand their people.

They change their approach because they understand.

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li_at

JSESSIONID

Talks about #leadership, #transformation, #changeleadership, #changemanagement, and #digitalbusinesstransformation

Megan - MA and BA Comms

Different generations aren’t your problem.

Assuming they think the same way is.

If you’re leading a team, understanding people
isn’t optional. It’s leverage.

Today’s workforce blends four generations -
each with different expectations, rhythms, and
communication patterns.

Ignore that mix and you create friction.

Work with it and you unlock performance.

Here’s how each generation shows up inside your
team (and how to lead them better):

1/ Boomers
↳ They bring depth and discipline.
↳ Lead them with clarity, respect, and a sense of purpose.

2/ Gen X
↳ They value autonomy and results.
↳ Lead them by giving space and trusting their delivery.

3/ Millennials
↳ They want growth and meaningful work.
↳ Lead them with transparency and a clear path forward.

4/ Gen Z
↳ They want to be heard early.
↳ Lead them by creating safety and inviting contribution.

Most new leaders default to one leadership style.
The smart ones adapt to who’s in front of them.

Question for you:
Which generation is the hardest for you to lead right now?

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Many change leaders focus on deadlines.

But great change leaders do the opposite.

They think like farmers.
They don’t rush the process.
Instead? They prepare the ground, plant the
right seeds, and nurture what they want to grow.

Here’s what that looks like:

1/ Prepare the soil
Create a space where people feel safe to speak.
Invite questions and listen without defending.

2/ Plant intentionally
Explain the “why” in plain language.
Give a clear picture of where the organization is headed.

3/ Nurture consistently
Check in often. Celebrate small progress.
Support people as they take risks and try new behaviours.

Your consistency builds their confidence.

When leaders operate this way:
Teams start engaging with change.
People take ownership.
Innovation becomes a natural response.

Change doesn’t happen because you demand it.

It happens because you create the conditions for people to grow into it.

--
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My favorite storytelling shortcut for change management:

Repetition.

Here's why it works:
→ 1st time: it grabs your attention
→ 3rd time: you start to recognize the message
→ 5th time: you link it to a broader initiative
→ 7th time: you associate it with a strategic outcome
→ 9th time: you're ready to take action

Why?
– It builds credibility.
– It creates familiarity.
– It demonstrates reliability.

Here's the reality:
– After 1 hour: your audience recalls 50%
– After 24 hours: it drops to 25%
– After 1 week: it's down to 10%

So, how do you make sure they remember the message?

REPETITION

Here's how I reinforce my change management message:

   1/  I work with the key leaders to develop a narrative-driven message
↳ why this is important to the facing leader;
↳ why this is important for the organisation;
↳ why the org must take action now.

  2/  Use mind mapping to break the story into key themes, visuals, and talking points for easier recall and alignment.

  3/  Create this into four cuts:
↳ a 30 minute version
↳ a 3 minute version
↳ a 30 second version
↳ a 3 second version

4/ Get into any and every forum I can. Use the appropriate version for the time you can get.

5/ Make sure the right person is delivering the right message at the right time.

6/ Repeat the message until stakeholders are ready to commit.

This strategy isn't revolutionary.

But how you apply it is where you stand out:

Same message, four different ways, in every forum you can, delivered by the right person.

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Most careers collapse for one reason

People build identity on a title, not on skills.

If your job title disappeared today, who would you be?

Many professionals tie their entire value to a role.

It feels safe.
But here’s the hard truth: your job isn’t your identity.

Because what happens when the company restructures?
When the title no longer exists?
When the role disappears?

Stop attaching your identity to a company.
Start attaching it to a purpose.

Instead of:
→ “What’s my job description?”
Ask:
→ “What impact do I want to make?”

How to start making the shift:

1/ Define the mission you care about most.
⤷ What problem do you want to solve long-term?

2/ Audit your skills.
⤷ Which strengths can be packaged into solutions for others?

3/ Build visibility beyond your employer.
⤷ Start sharing insights, speaking, writing.

4/ Test your value in new spaces.
⤷ Side projects, consulting, collaborations.

5/ Introduce yourself by the value you create, not the seat you hold.

A company can give you a role.
Only purpose can give you an identity.

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Change fails for simple reasons.

Not because people are difficult.
But because leaders skip the basics.

Here’s what effective change leadership actually looks like:

1/ Share the Big Picture
✅ Do: Explain why the change matters in simple, clear language.
❌ Don’t: Let people guess the purpose.

2/ Understand Your People
✅ Do: Listen to fears, concerns, and ideas.
❌ Don’t: Assume people will adjust on their own.

3/ Plan the Journey
✅ Do: Give clear steps so people know what comes next.
❌ Don’t: Leave the team feeling lost or confused.

4/ Communicate Often
✅ Do: Repeat key messages so they stick.
❌ Don’t: Expect people to remember everything at once.

5/ Build Champions
✅ Do: Empower believers who can influence others.
❌ Don’t: Try to push the change alone.

6/ Keep People Involved
✅ Do: Ask for ideas and invite feedback.
❌ Don’t: Make decisions behind closed doors.

7/ Stay Patient
✅ Do: Give people time to adjust.
❌ Don’t: Get frustrated when progress feels slow.

8/ Watch for Warning Signs
✅ Do: Notice confusion or burnout early.
❌ Don’t: Pretend everything is fine.

9/ Share Information
✅ Do: Keep people updated at every stage.
❌ Don’t: Withhold details or leave gaps.

10/ Listen to Concerns
✅ Do: Respond with care and clarity.
❌ Don’t: Brush off questions or discomfort.

11/ Stay Flexible
✅ Do: Adjust the plan when something isn’t working.
❌ Don’t: Force one approach no matter the cost.

12/ Put People First
✅ Do: Support and guide the team through the transition.
❌ Don’t: Focus only on results.

13/ Celebrate Progress
✅ Do: Recognize small wins and momentum.
❌ Don’t: Act like progress doesn’t matter.

14/ Respect Culture
✅ Do: Fit the change within team values and norms.
❌ Don’t: Fight the culture you’re trying to lead.

If a leader gets these right, change feels clear, supported, and doable.

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Employee buy in doesn’t come from big speeches
Or perfectly written emails.

It comes from how leaders guide people through the change itself.

90% of resistance isn’t about the change plan.

It’s about uncertainty, fear, and not knowing what the
shift means for their day to day.

That’s why these 7 steps matter.

1/ Start with clarity
⤷ Clarity helps people understand the why.

2/ Personalize the change
⤷ Personalization helps people see themselves in the change.

3/ Listen intentionally
⤷ Listening shows you value their reality.

4/ Remove the unknowns
⤷ Updates stop people from filling gaps with assumptions.

5/ Spot early signals
⤷ Early signals reveal what people need, not what they resist.

6/ Involve people
⤷ Involvement creates ownership, not pressure.

7/ Support the transition
⤷ Support gives people the confidence to move forward.

When leaders treat buy-in as an emotional journey,
not a logical argument people stop waiting to be convinced.

They start moving because they feel steady enough to try.

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Executive sponsors often get confused by change teams.

Not because they aren’t capable.

But because they aren’t specialists.

They don’t spend their days immersed in change

frameworks and terminology.

They’re running a business.

Yet they’re still expected to lead the change.

So when we call it “change management,” the message

can miss the mark.

This isn’t a semantic debate.

Language shapes how people show up.

And as change practitioners, we may be making

leadership harder than it needs to be.

Here are four clearer ways to talk about change.

Each one points execs and sponsors toward what’s

actually expected of them.

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Your habits tell the truth about your leadership.

And the small ones always speak the loudest.

Here are 15 quiet habits that show you're a great leader:

1/ You listen to understand, not just respond.
↳ It makes people feel safe to be honest.

2/ You build new leaders, not followers.
↳ Growth becomes part of the culture.

3/ You admit mistakes fast and fix them.
↳ Trust rises when ego drops.

4/ Your team feels safe speaking up.
↳ Psychological safety fuels better ideas.

5/ You celebrate small wins out loud.
↳ People stay motivated when progress is seen.

6/ You ask questions that shift the conversation.
↳ Clarity comes before direction.

7/ You trust the experts you hired.
↳ Micromanaging kills momentum.

8/ You invest in your team’s growth.
↳ Skills compound when supported.

9/ You spot burnout early and encourage rest.
↳ Healthy teams produce better work.

10/ You keep promises, even tiny ones.
↳ Consistency builds reliability.

11/ You give credit to your team.
↳ Recognition inspires ownership.

12/ You ask for hard feedback and use it.
↳ Leaders improve when they listen.

13/ You hire people smarter than you.
↳ Strength grows when you’re not the ceiling.

14/ You protect your team’s time and energy.
↳ Focus becomes a competitive advantage.

15/ You care about people more than rules.
↳ Humanity keeps teams loyal.

Leadership isn’t a speech or a strategy.

It’s the daily behaviour your team feels.

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Introverts don’t need noise to lead.

They rely on something far more powerful.

They notice what others miss.
They think before they act.
They listen long enough to understand.

People assume leadership belongs to the loudest voice in the room.

But quiet leaders win differently.

They catch the details others overlook.
They prepare when others hope on confidence.
They stay steady when everyone else is scattered.

That’s not weakness. That’s discipline.

I used to believe leadership meant speaking first,
and taking up the most space.

But the best leaders I’ve worked with did the opposite.

They paused before jumping in.
They asked the right questions.
They stayed composed under pressure.

Their impact didn’t come from volume.

It came from clarity, intention, and consistency.

You don’t need noise to lead.
You don’t need a loud personality to make a difference.

Your introversion isn’t a limitation.
It might be the very thing that makes you unforgettable.

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Why Introverts Become Great Leaders 

After 18+ years leading change, here’s what nobody tells you:

Skeptics don’t block progress.
Leaders who can’t handle skepticism do.

The day I stopped seeing resistance as the problem, everything shifted.

Skeptics are signals, they show you where trust is weak.

Win them over, and they often become your
strongest allies.

Here’s how to do it in practice:

1/ Start by Listening
→ Ask: “What worries you most about this shift?”
→ Write it down. Patterns reveal real resistance points.

2/ Acknowledge the Loss
→ Say it out loud: “I know this means re-learning
old processes, it’s not easy.”
→ Naming the cost earns respect.

3/ Show Proof, Not Promises
→ Run a small pilot. Collect results and share them.
→ Tangible wins quiet doubts faster than speeches.

4/ Involve Skeptics Directly
→ Invite them into workshops or feedback sessions.
→ Ownership reduces pushback.

5/ Connect to Shared Purpose
→ Link the change to something bigger: “This helps clients get answers faster.”
→ Purpose gives change meaning.

6/ Be Visible and Consistent
→ Host regular check-ins. Show up every time.
→ Skeptics notice and trust grows.

7/ Celebrate Little Wins Publicly
→ Highlight early adopters and results.
→ Recognition turns them into examples others follow.

The truth is: you don’t “convince” skeptics overnight.

You build trust one action at a time.

And trust is what makes change stick.

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7 Strategies to Win Over Skeptics

Smart people often fall into dumb traps.

Not because they lack talent. Because these traps look like virtues.

You work harder.

You deliver more value.

You wait for results to speak.

Meanwhile, someone less skilled gets the promotion.

Here are 7 career traps smart professionals fall into:

1/ The Quiet Achiever Trap
Excellence without visibility stalls your career.

2/ The Zero-Politics Myth Trap
“I just do the work” sounds noble but it quietly limits your growth.

3/ The Perfectionist Trap
Waiting for perfect kills momentum and opportunities.

4/ The Yes-Addict Trap
Saying yes to everything means saying no to your priorities.

5/ The Overthinker Trap
Research becomes procrastination. You never launch.

6/ The No-Network Trap
Networking only when desperate, is already too late.

7/ The Solo Player Trap
Avoiding help slows you down and limits scale.

Pick one trap. Fix one habit this week.

Small moves compound faster than big plans.

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 7 Career Traps Smart People Fall Into

I’ve seen great change leaders struggle under pressure.

Not because they made the wrong choice
But because they waited too long to make one.

They overthink, over plan and end up reacting too late.

But high-performing leaders don’t panic in chaos,
They adapt quickly.

One reason? They use the OODA Loop.

It’s a decision-making framework built for speed and clarity.

How to use the OODA Loop as a leader:

1/ Observe (Watch behaviour)
→ What are people actually doing differently?
→ Where is adoption stalling or slipping?
→ What questions, doubts, or workarounds are showing up?

2/ Interpret (Turn signals into meaning)
→ What is this telling us about readiness?
→ Where is clarity missing?
→ What risks or resistance are forming?

3/ Decide (Set a clear next move)
→ What needs to change now to support people?
→ What can wait?
→ What is the simplest action that creates momentum?

4/ Act (Lead visibly and adjust quickly)
→ Communicate the decision clearly
→ Support teams through the shift
→ Learn from the response and refine the approach

The OODA loop isn’t about being the smartest.

It’s about being the fastest to learn and adjust.

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The best professionals don’t just have a job.

They have options.

Here’s what I realized after years in corporate:

Job security is a myth.
Client diversity is the real safety net.

→ Start your consulting business today.

Many professionals feel stuck with one job.

They worry about:
↳ job security
↳ income stability
↳ career growth

I’ve been there too, it feels stable until it suddenly isn’t.

Having one job is like having one client.
If that client leaves, everything shakes.

When you monetise your skills through consulting, you:
↳ reduce risk
↳ gain financial security
↳ expand your network

The benefits are clear:

If one client leaves, others remain.
You control your workload and income.
You can build a reputation in your industry.

This is how modern professionals build real stability.

Start now. Don’t wait for a crisis to force your next move.

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Your team isn’t sabotaging your strategy.

They’re drowning in change overload.

Here are 8 signs you might be ignoring:

1/ Apathy
When people stop caring, it’s a clear sign of fatigue. They no longer feel invested in the change process.

2/ Burnout
Too much change too fast can lead to exhaustion.
This affects productivity and morale.

3/ Confusion
If your team is constantly asking for clarity,
they might be overwhelmed by too many changes.

4/ Disengagement
When people start to pull back, it’s a sign they’re
not coping well with the changes.

5/ Stress increases
High levels of stress can indicate that the change
process is too intense or poorly managed.

6/ Morale collapses
A drop in team spirit often signals that the changes are
negatively impacting the work environment.

7/ Rising Complaints
Frequent complaints can be a sign that people are
struggling to adapt to the changes.

8/ Automatic Resistance
If people resist changes without considering their
benefits, they might be experiencing change fatigue.

Then, consider these steps:

1. Define your current and upcoming changes.
2. Assess the impacts across all changes.
3. Prioritize and build capacity to manage them.

Sometimes, slowing down is the best way to speed up.

P.S. Which of these signs of change fatigue do you see the most?

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