Research
Practical thinking on leadership communication.
Frameworks, research, and practical perspectives on leadership communication, executive presence, and influence — drawn from 18 years working at the senior level.
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Research
Why Time Off Outperforms Bonuses for Building Real Team Loyalty
Bonuses feel transactional. Time off changes how people relate to their work. Why the most effective leaders reward humanity, not just output.
Why Time Off Outperforms Bonuses for Building Real Team Loyalty
The Punctuation Trap: How Exclamation Marks Undermine Your Authority
Exclamation marks boost perceived warmth but reduce perceived authority. Research-backed guidance on the punctuation choices quietly undermining your influence.
The Punctuation Trap: How Exclamation Marks Undermine Your Authority
Purpose Is Not a Nice-to-Have: How Meaning Prevents Burnout
Meaning is not just a morale boost. It is a psychological buffer against burnout. What leaders must do to sustain high performance without burning people out.
Purpose Is Not a Nice-to-Have: How Meaning Prevents Burnout
Why Outsourcing Your Words to AI Is Quietly Destroying Your Influence
AI makes writing look polished but hollows out your thinking. When your words stop carrying you, influence disappears — even as the writing looks better.
Why Outsourcing Your Words to AI Is Quietly Destroying Your Influence
How to Say No in a Way That Builds Trust Instead of Breaking It
Vague rejection kills confidence and development. Research shows a clearly explained no — with a path forward — makes people 22% more likely to try again.
How to Say No in a Way That Builds Trust Instead of Breaking It
You Cannot Build Trust at Scale Without Presenting
Many senior leaders quietly avoid presenting. If you do not communicate at scale, you cannot build trust at scale. Research confirms it is now a critical skill.
You Cannot Build Trust at Scale Without Presenting
Why Hybrid Work Keeps Failing — and What Leaders Need to Fix First
Hybrid work is not failing because people dislike it. It is failing because the system is not built for it. What leaders need to change before anything else.
Why Hybrid Work Keeps Failing — and What Leaders Need to Fix First
The Confidence Trap: Why Overconfidence Costs Leaders More Than They Realise
Overconfidence does not disappear when leaders get feedback. Research on 3,000 chess players shows it reliably predicts losing. What real confidence actually looks like.
The Confidence Trap: Why Overconfidence Costs Leaders More Than They Realise
Why Debating in Tough Conversations Is the Fastest Way to Lose Influence
When people are defensive or polarised, debating makes them more entrenched. Research confirms only one thing actually works. It is not argument, logic or common ground.
Why Debating in Tough Conversations Is the Fastest Way to Lose Influence
What Your Voice Habits Are Telling the Room About You
Vocal fry, vocal affectations and performance-based voice habits all signal something to a room. The one habit that actually builds influence has nothing to do with your voice.
What Your Voice Habits Are Telling the Room About You