“Vin ordinaire” is one of Mum’s favourite expressions to express mild disapproval, (she has far worse for when she’s properly upset!) – it’s profound as we largely recognise that average just isn’t good enough, which confounds the ordinary who often believe they’re doing a good job when merely delivering satisfactorily. “That’ll do, won’t” is a […]

What do Murray Walker, Steve Jobs, and Martin Luther King all have in common? Last week, our Future Leaders Group, (comprising 50 up and coming superstars), attended the first of a three part masterclass series on presentation skills. Our first expert, former journalist and newsreader, Arti Halai, shared her top tips learned over many years […]

Last week, at one of our Leadership Group* meetings, a member posed a question about a new service she was considering introducing. Using our tried and tested diagnostic process, it became very clear that this new initiative would require: Significant capital Considerable executive time, in particular identifying and recruiting the right leader and team A […]

We developed the “Fantastic Big Idea” (FBI) concept over two decades ago, and it’s become a staple tool for our members to help them really get to grips with their purpose and how to make sure it properly connects their team and customers. It also serves to highlight how a brand is built from the […]

Whilst others referred to the pandemic period as “The New Normal”, I refused to accept that was the case, and instead labelled it: “The Awkward Bit in the Middle” (between the Old and the Next Normal). Now though, I feel it’s the time of a New Dawn; for three main reasons. To read the rest […]

I take my own medicine. Each month, I meet with several business owners in a Group that’s chaired and facilitated on a similar basis to Property Academy Leadership Groups. One of the members, Angela Hunt, is a former nurse who runs a business in the healthcare sector. Of all the people I know, her knowledge […]

I’m grateful to Michael Nettleton, (long time Property Academy member, MD of Nock Deighton estate agency, and founder of Agent Response PropTech), for sharing with me another interpretation of the Four Rooms model I discussed in last week’s four-i. I’ve adapted it further, (as left), to make the point of how leadership styles often change […]

The ‘Four Rooms of Change’ model was created 50 years ago by Claes Janssen. I’ve used it many times when coaching business leaders, and would like to share my latest iteration. Janssen’s model is simple: individually (and collectively as a business); you are always in one of four rooms: 1 Room of Contentment 2 Room […]

Chris Paton, former Royal Marine Colonel who reported directly to the Prime Minister when responsible for extracting British troops from Afghanistan, works with our members to help them improve their businesses, grow faster and crucially, be more profitable. Last month he worked with two of our Leadership Groups and shared a simple leadership process that […]

‘Groupthink’ is defined by Wiki as: “A psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.” The consequences of this can be very dangerous, and my sense is that the desire by increasing numbers of people […]