Stephen L Baxter |

The Quiet Shift

From More Advice to Deeper Wisdom Recently, a seasoned leader in a complex organisation shared this simple line as he reflected on the Alongside approach: “𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠, ‘𝙉𝙖𝙝.’” He continued: “𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙩, 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠,...

Walking into Clarity

What if your next breakthrough didn’t come in a boardroom? There’s something profound about stepping away from the architecture of authority. Boardrooms have their place, but they also carry the invisible weight of expectations and the pressure to perform. Last week, I invited a senior leader to...

People Problems

When leaders face 'people problems,' rushing to solutions often closes the very doors we need to open. What if, instead of fixing, we focused on asking the questions that unlock potential and deepen trust? Rather than giving advice, a question becomes an invitation....

Believing Before Seeing

Profound leadership development occurs in these spaces of belief. It is the place where someone stands alongside us, seeing what we cannot yet see in ourselves. This is the foundation upon which confidence grows, where risks are taken, and transformation occurs....

Mentoring Without Maps

There's a certain grace in unhurried dialogue that boardroom efficiency can never replicate—a rhythm that honours both the seasoned perspective as well as the exploration of new ways forward. Walking alongside creates moments where insights flow, not in one direction but in many, where senior...

Seeing Beyond the Horizon

After years walking alongside leaders, I've concluded that those who lead with true strategic vision are rare. Like Field Marshals of old who shaped the course of history, not through individual battles but through grand strategy, today's world desperately needs leaders who can see beyond...

The Art of Leadership

Through decades of leading teams and mentoring emerging leaders, I've observed a curious paradox that continues to shape my understanding of leadership. Perhaps it's because leadership feels more abstract, less tangible than a perfectly executed symphony. Yet the truth remains—leadership demands constant, deliberate practice....

The Courage to Lead Differently

In a world awash with leadership development programs and management methodologies, it is somewhat strange to find a scarcity of effective leaders. But that’s because leading leaders requires something beyond skill or strategy—it demands a rare alchemy of wisdom, humility, and courage that few dare...

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