Insights

Notes from the practice

Writing on leadership, without the consulting speak

Leadership DevelopmentJuly 31, 2026 · 7 min read
Can executive presence actually be coached?
Presence is a judgment other people form, not a trait a leader owns. What coaching can change in six months, what it cannot, and how to tell it worked.
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Leadership DevelopmentJuly 30, 2026 · 8 min read
Internal vs external coaches: which your organization needs
Build an internal coaching bench or buy external coaches? A sourcing decision for heads of talent, with market fee data and the governance each model needs.
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Leadership DevelopmentJuly 22, 2026 · 7 min read
How to choose a leadership development partner
Three quarters of senior managers say their learning function disappoints them, and the shortlist never explains why. Six tests that tell a partner from a supplier.
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Leadership DevelopmentJuly 20, 2026 · 8 min read
Group coaching vs one on one: cost, depth, and when to use each
A randomized trial found individual coaching better for goal attainment and group work better for knowledge. The choice is about the problem, not the price.
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Leadership DevelopmentJuly 17, 2026 · 7 min read
What a leadership development program actually costs
US companies spent $102.8 billion on training in 2025. Here is where a leadership development budget actually goes, using published market prices rather than a quote.
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Leadership DevelopmentJuly 16, 2026 · 7 min read
Why leadership training does not stick, and what fixes it
Companies spent close to $356 billion on training globally in 2015 and kept getting the same result. The failure is rarely the classroom. It is what the leader walks back into.
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