Leading in Practice

Tag: CEO

  • Getting Out of the Way

    Getting Out of the Way

    Last week we held our annual Stop the Deaths conference.

    Two days of powerful conversations, challenge, learning, emotion and connection.

    Every year I’m reminded why bringing people together matters.

    People arrive carrying the weight of this work and the realities that they live with. They leave with fresh ideas, renewed energy and a reminder that none of us are doing this alone.

    Watching that happen is a privilege.

    But this year it also reminded me of something else.

    Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is get out of the way.

    Knowing where I add value

    For many years, this conference was something I was heavily involved in from start to finish.

    As my role has changed, so has my contribution.

    These days, my role is much more strategic.

    I spend time thinking about the overall theme, the purpose of the event and the conversations we most need to have.

    I work with colleagues to shape the programme, identify speakers, build partnerships and secure sponsorship that helps us make the conference as inclusive as possible. One of the things I’m most proud of is that sponsorship allows us to provide free places for people with lived and living experience, ensuring the voices that matter most are at the heart of the event rather than on the sidelines.

    I’m always looking for ideas too.

    This year, for example, we gave delegates packets of wildflower seeds to plant in memory of those we’ve lost to overdose. That idea came from the heartbreaking attendance at Naomi Burke-Shyne’s memorial event and thinking about how we might create a similar gesture of reflection for our own conference delegates.

    That’s the part of the role I love.

    Looking ahead.

    Connecting ideas.

    Thinking strategically about the experience we’re trying to create.

    And then I step back

    Once the direction is clear, my role in the event changes.

    Or perhaps more accurately…my job is to get out of the way.

    From that point on, the conference belongs to my team.

    The speaker liaison.

    The travel arrangements.

    The venue.

    The exhibition space.

    The communications.

    The ticketing.

    The accessibility requirements.

    The catering.

    The delegate packs.

    The chair briefings.

    The staff guidance.

    The countless details that nobody notices unless something goes wrong.

    Every single one of those things is delivered by people whose expertise is far greater than mine.

    And that’s exactly how it should be.

    Trust is visible

    I think people often talk about empowering teams as though it’s simply about delegating work.

    I don’t think it is.

    Empowerment is about trust.

    It’s about being clear about the outcome you’re trying to achieve and then giving people the autonomy to make it happen.

    Of course I’ll occasionally appear with another uninvited idea halfway through planning…

    (I’m fairly sure my team would tell you that’s inevitable!)

    But I don’t feel the need to be copied into every email or approve every decision.

    Not because I don’t care.

    Quite the opposite.

    It’s because I do care.

    I care enough to know that exceptional people produce exceptional work when they’re trusted to use their judgement.

    The people behind the scenes

    One of my favourite parts of the conference is watching my colleagues in action.

    Setting up for the day.

    Welcoming nervous speakers.

    Quietly solving problems before anyone else even notices.

    Or jumping to deal with problems that are obvious (that drilling!).

    Checking in on delegates.

    Supporting panel chairs.

    Making people feel valued.

    Creating an atmosphere that is both professional and incredibly human.

    Most delegates will never see the hundreds of conversations, calls, planners and last-minute adjustments that make those two days possible.

    I received this lovely message from a bereaved family member following the event:

    “I’ve been so impressed by everyone from SDF who I interacted with or observed over the 2 days. They were so friendly and inclusive and clearly passionate about the work they do.”

    Leadership isn’t centre stage

    It’s easy to assume that leadership means being at the centre of everything.

    I now think it’s almost the opposite.

    Throughout the conference a number of people asked me if I was nervous before we started, or congratulated me afterwards on how well the event had gone.

    I found myself giving the same response every time.

    I wasn’t nervous. I was excited.

    Not because I take the event for granted, but because I had complete confidence in the people around me.

    Of course I have an important role to play in shaping the conference and setting its direction. I care deeply about the event and feel a real sense of responsibility for creating something that reflects our values and serves the people who come along.

    But I can’t take the credit for making it happen.

    That belongs to my team.

    They’re the ones who bring the conference to life. They’re the ones who make sure every detail comes together.

    Leadership, for me, is knowing where you add the most value.

    It’s creating the conditions for other people to do their best work.

    It’s bringing together talented people, being clear about the vision and then resisting the temptation to control every detail.

    Because when we hold on too tightly, we don’t just create more work for ourselves.

    We also deny others the opportunity to demonstrate just how capable they are.

    Watching people shine

    One of the greatest privileges of my role is watching people grow into opportunities they might never have imagined for themselves.

    Seeing colleagues confidently lead pieces of work.

    Watching people chair sessions, present their work, speak up for what they believe in, manage major events or solve problems I would never have thought of.

    None of that happens if leaders insist on remaining the expert in everything.

    If this year’s conference reminded me of anything, it’s that the quality of our leadership isn’t measured by how much we do ourselves.

    It’s measured by how many other people we’re able to help succeed.

    Sometimes the most valuable contribution we make isn’t taking centre stage.

    It’s creating the conditions for others to shine.

    If this resonated with you…

    If you’re looking to become a leader who empowers others, builds trust and creates the conditions for people to do their best work, coaching can provide the space to reflect on your own leadership and the impact you’re having on those around you.

    I currently have a small number of coaching spaces available for executive and senior leaders. If you’d like to explore whether coaching is the right fit for you, I’d love to have a chat about it. Find out more and book a free, no obligation call here.

  • Leading Authentically

    Leading Authentically

    I’ve been struggling a bit with what to write about this week.

    Not because there hasn’t been enough going on – quite the opposite.

    Next week is our annual conference, so much of my week has been spent preparing opening speeches and thinking about the conversations we’ll be having over the two days.

    As I was writing my opening remarks, I found myself reflecting on something I don’t think I’ve written about in much detail.

    Authenticity.

    More specifically, what it means to lead authentically.

    Believing what you say

    One of the things I’m most grateful for in my role is that I genuinely believe in what I’m saying when I stand up in front of an audience.

    That might sound obvious.

    But the more I thought about it, the more I realised what a privilege that is.

    The work I do sits within a policy area that can be incredibly polarised. Whilst I think almost everyone ultimately wants the same thing – that fewer people experience harm and fewer families lose loved ones – we don’t always agree on how we get there.

    For me, my beliefs around harm reduction have never been about lowering ambition or expecting less for people.

    Quite the opposite.

    They’re about recognising that people should have choices, be treated with dignity and compassion, and be supported to pursue the goals that matter to them, not the goals that somebody else has decided they should have.

    I’ve believed that for a long time.

    So when I stand up and speak about it, I’m not performing a role.

    I’m just articulating what I genuinely believe.

    Coaching has changed me

    Interestingly, I’m not sure that I’d have approached this in quite the same way twenty years ago.

    When I worked in drug treatment services as a mental health nurse, I cared enormously about the people I worked with.

    But if I’m honest with myself, I probably spent more time trying to influence people towards what I thought was the right path for them.

    Experience and coaching has fundamentally changed that.

    It’s reinforced something that was probably always there but hadn’t fully developed.

    Lasting change rarely happens because somebody tells us what we should do.

    It happens when people are given the space to explore what matters to them, identify their own goals and take ownership of the changes they want to make.

    Looking back, I know I would ask different questions now.

    I’d spend more time understanding before trying to influence.

    I’d be more comfortable sitting with uncertainty.

    I’d be more curious than directive.

    I think that’s one of the greatest gifts coaching has given me – not just as a coach, but as a leader.

    The pressure to fit in

    Leading authentically isn’t always comfortable.

    There have been plenty of occasions throughout my career where I’ve found myself sitting around board tables, parliamentary committees or stakeholder meetings knowing that what I was about to say might not be popular.

    There have been times where I’ve challenged policy.

    Times where I’ve questioned decisions.

    Times where I’ve spoken up because I believed the people we exist to serve deserved somebody to do so.

    That doesn’t mean being argumentative.

    It doesn’t mean trying to win every debate.

    And it certainly doesn’t mean personally attacking people who hold different views.

    I genuinely care about maintaining relationships.

    I believe we can disagree respectfully.

    I actually think we have to if we really want to influence change.

    But I also don’t think authenticity means saying what people want to hear just because it feels safer.

    The cost of staying quiet

    I sometimes wonder what it must feel like to lead an organisation where you constantly have to dampen down your own beliefs.

    Perhaps because you’re worried about upsetting funders.

    Maybe you’re concerned about criticism.

    Or because you don’t want to lose your seat at a particular table.

    That must be exhausting.

    One of my favourite country songs has the line:

    “I’m not selling my soul for a seat at your table.”

    I love it, it’s highly relatable.

    Not because leadership should be confrontational.

    But because I never want to find myself in a position where I’m saying something publicly that I don’t genuinely believe.

    If I did, I think I’d lose a little piece of myself every time.

    Relationships matter

    Of course, authenticity doesn’t give us permission to be unkind.

    One of the things I’ve worked hardest on over the years is making sure that people always know where I stand, whilst also knowing that I respect them.

    I want people to leave a conversation with me understanding my position, even if they completely disagree with it.

    Because once relationships are lost, influence becomes much harder.

    For me, leadership has never been about choosing between honesty and relationships.

    It’s about holding onto both.

    Staying true to your purpose

    As an organisation, we’ve been advocating for harm reduction for almost forty years.

    Many of the things now reflected in national policy are ideas we’ve been talking about for decades.

    We didn’t change our views because policy changed.

    If anything, policy has gradually caught up with what many people have been saying for years.

    That doesn’t mean we stop challenging.

    If there are things that aren’t working for the communities we exist to serve, we’ll continue to say so.

    That’s our responsibility.

    Not because we enjoy criticism.

    But because we care about getting things right.

    The leader you can live with

    Leadership isn’t about pleasing everyone.

    It isn’t about avoiding difficult conversations or carefully crafting a version of yourself that nobody could possibly disagree with.

    It’s about knowing what you stand for.

    Being prepared to explain why.

    Listening when others challenge your thinking.

    Changing your mind when the evidence tells you to.

    And having the courage to remain true to your values, even when that isn’t the easiest path to take.

    Because at the end of the day, the person you have to live with most is yourself.

    For me, that’s what leading authentically really means.

    If you’ve followed these blogs for a while, you’ll know how much my coaching journey has shaped the way I think about leadership. It’s also the reason I’ve launched Leading in Practice Coaching and Consultancy Ltd. I’m currently taking on a small number of executive and senior leaders who are looking for a confidential space to think, reflect and develop their leadership. If that sounds like something that would be valuable to you, check out my programmes and I’d be very happy to have a chat about it.

  • Taking the Next Step

    Taking the Next Step

    I’ve had a couple of exciting coaching milestones over the past few weeks.

    A qualification was only the beginning

    Last month I got the news that I’d successfully passed the ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive and Senior Level Coaching and Mentoring. A few days ago my certificate arrived which meant I could finally submit my accreditation application to the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). I’ll share more about that once I’ve heard the outcome.

    Meanwhile, coaching has become a regular part of my role within the organisation I lead. I’m continuing to coach colleagues from across the staff team and it’s something I genuinely look forward to each week. Having the opportunity to create space for people to think, reflect and develop is a real privilege, and I’ve seen first-hand the difference coaching can make to confidence, leadership and the way people approach challenges.

    One of the things I’ve come to realise after completing the qualification is that I’m keen to continue developing my coaching beyond my own organisation. The more people I’ve coached, the more I’ve realised that coaching is a skill that can only be fine tuned the more you do it. Every conversation teaches me something new and every client brings a different perspective.

    Taking the next step

    With that in mind, I recently shared a Declaration of Interest with my Board outlining my intention to establish a small external coaching practice alongside my role as CEO. It was important to me that this was done openly and transparently, and that the Board were comfortable there would be no conflict with my existing role or impact on the organisation.

    I’m pleased to say that Leading in Practice Coaching and Consultancy Ltd is now officially registered.

    Learning a different side of business

    I have to admit, it’s been quite enjoyable learning about an entirely different side of running a business. Whilst I have experience of leading a charity and all that comes with that, setting up a company has brought its own learning curve. Corporation tax, business banking, allowable expenses, Companies House… it’s a whole thing.

    I’ve explored what Business Gateway offers, attended one of their excellent ‘Meet the Expert’ sessions with an accountant (armed with a list of questions that was probably longer than his agenda) and gradually worked my way through everything I needed to understand. For now, my practice will be small enough that I’m going to manage my own accounts and bookkeeping. I actually quite enjoy understanding how these things work before deciding whether I need additional systems or support.

    Starting small, intentionally

    One thing I have been really conscious of throughout this process is protecting the work-life balance I’ve worked so hard to create.

    It’s easy, particularly when you’ve found something you’re genuinely passionate about, to convince yourself that because it doesn’t feel like work you can just keep doing more and more.

    I’ve been there before.

    During the early years of my career, I probably threw myself into work a little too enthusiastically and eventually had to have a word with myself.

    I don’t want to repeat that pattern.

    So this coaching practice will begin exactly as I’d hoped it would: intentionally.

    I’ll be working with a very small number of executive and senior leaders, completely outside my working hours as CEO. That feels like the right balance. It allows me to continue developing as a coach whilst protecting the time and energy that’s equally important to me.

    Building Leading in Practice

    In the background, I’ve also been putting together my website pages, refining my coaching programmes and thinking carefully about how I want people to experience Leading in Practice.

    One of the more enjoyable jobs was organising a professional photo shoot. I never thought I’d say that but I guess when you find a photographer who is brilliant and completely puts you at ease you have a very different experience.

    Most people know me through my work in drugs policy, which understandably doesn’t lend itself to many smiling photographs. Much of what I speak about publicly involves preventable deaths, stigma and the human impact of policy decisions.

    Hugely important conversations.

    But only one part of who I am.

    I wanted these photographs to capture the other side of me too.

    The person who’s always happy to talk.

    Who believes some of the best conversations happen over a cup of tea.

    Who loves being outdoors and spending time in the garden.

    The dog also made a surprise appearance. Whether those photographs ever see the light of day remains to be seen!

    A new chapter

    This feels like the beginning of another chapter.

    Not because I’ve suddenly become a qualified coach – coaching has been part of how I’ve led for a long time – but because I’m now creating the space to develop that part of my professional life with the same care and intention I’ve tried to bring to everything else.

    I’m excited to see where it leads.

  • Collaboration is a Choice

    Collaboration is a Choice

    If you follow me on LinkedIn, you may have seen a post I shared recently after spending a morning with women leaders from across Scotland’s drug and alcohol sector.

    It was one of those meetings that leaves you feeling energised. Not because we’d solved every challenge in a couple of hours, but because there was a genuine willingness to understand each other’s priorities, explore opportunities to work together and think about how, collectively, we can improve outcomes for the people and communities we all serve.

    When I sat down to write this week’s blog, I realised collaboration has been one of the recurring themes throughout my career. It also sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole thinking about the different leadership styles I’ve experienced over the years and how they’ve shaped my own views.

    I’ve come to realise something quite simple.

    Collaboration isn’t a strategy.

    It’s a leadership choice.

    Not all collaboration is good collaboration

    We often talk about collaboration as though it’s automatically a positive thing.

    I’m not convinced that’s always true.

    I’ve seen collaborations that existed only because funding criteria required organisations to work together.

    On paper, they looked impressive.

    In reality, people were attending meetings because they had to rather than because they genuinely believed they could achieve more together.

    Relationships built on obligation rarely create lasting change.

    Authentic collaboration can’t be forced.

    It comes from a shared purpose, mutual respect and a genuine belief that working together will achieve something none of us could achieve alone.

    Sometimes the right decision is to collaborate.

    Sometimes it isn’t.

    And that’s okay too.

    It starts at home

    When we think about collaboration, we often picture organisations working together.

    But I think it starts much closer to home.

    Even within relatively small organisations, it’s easy for teams and departments to become siloed.

    People become passionate about their own projects.

    They naturally become protective of their work.

    Sometimes we hear phrases like, ‘That’s my area,’ or, ‘I’ll deal with that.’

    Whilst expertise is important, so is creating opportunities for people to contribute beyond their own remit.

    Some of the best ideas emerge when people with different perspectives come together.

    If we’re not collaborating with colleagues internally, it’s difficult to expect meaningful collaboration externally.

    Confidence, not competition

    I’ve worked with leaders who actively discouraged staff from engaging with other organisations.

    Perhaps they were worried about funding.

    Perhaps they feared judgement.

    Perhaps they didn’t want ideas being shared elsewhere.

    Looking back, I understand some of those concerns.

    The systems we work within don’t always reward collaboration.

    Competition for funding is real.

    Resources are limited.

    Organisations naturally want to protect their future.

    But I’ve also noticed something else.

    The organisations most willing to collaborate are often the ones most confident in who they are.

    They’re comfortable recommending another organisation when it’s the better fit.

    They’re happy to share learning.

    They’re generous with introductions.

    Not because they’re naïve.

    Because they’re secure enough to know that collaboration strengthens rather than weakens them.

    Letting go of ownership

    I’ve also found myself reflecting on something more personal.

    As leaders, it’s easy to become attached to pieces of work we’ve helped develop.

    We naturally feel proud when we’ve invested time, energy and emotion into making something happen.

    There are initiatives I’ve played an important role in over the years that continue to evolve today.

    Do I expect my name to be mentioned every time they’re discussed?

    No.

    I know the contribution I made.

    That’s enough.

    Perhaps confidence in leadership also means becoming comfortable with making an impact without needing continual recognition.

    That isn’t to say acknowledgement doesn’t matter.

    It absolutely does.

    One of the easiest things we can do as leaders is celebrate other people’s successes.

    Shine a light on great work.

    Recommend colleagues.

    Publicly recognise contributions.

    Being generous with credit costs us nothing.

    In fact, it usually strengthens relationships rather than diminishes them.

    Purpose before ego

    The longer I’ve worked in leadership, the less interested I’ve become in who gets the credit.

    I’m much more interested in whether we’ve made a difference.

    Working together doesn’t mean thinking the same.

    It doesn’t mean losing your independence or compromising your values.

    It doesn’t mean collaborating for the sake of appearances.

    Real collaboration means recognising where other people, other teams or other organisations can help achieve something bigger than any one of us could achieve alone.

    It requires trust.

    It requires confidence.

    And sometimes it requires setting our own ego to one side.

    Because ultimately the people and communities we serve don’t care which organisation delivered the support.

    They care that someone did.

    Perhaps that’s the question we should all ask ourselves more often.

    Are we protecting our own position…

    …or are we advancing our shared purpose?

  • Delegation Isn’t Just About Workload

    Delegation Isn’t Just About Workload

    I’m writing this with a couple of days of annual leave left and, inevitably, my mind has started drifting towards what will be waiting for me when I get back.

    I already know there are around 700 unread emails, which is, quite honestly, ridiculous.

    Thankfully, experience tells me that a good proportion of them will simply be things I’ve been copied into for information rather than emails requiring a response. So, like many leaders returning from leave, there’ll be a prioritisation exercise before anything else.

    There was a time when I tied myself in knots trying to reply to every single email that landed in my inbox. If I didn’t acknowledge it, I convinced myself I was being rude or arrogant, which completely conflicted with my values.

    Fast forward a few years and I’ve accepted that responding to everything simply isn’t realistic. These days, I’m surprisingly grateful for being able to leave a simple thumbs up or heart reaction. It keeps my inner critic reasonably quiet and lets people know their email hasn’t disappeared into the abyss.

    As I was thinking about those 700 emails, it reminded me of something that comes up regularly in coaching conversations: delegation.

    Delegation or simply distributing work?

    My relationship with delegation has definitely changed over the years.

    I wouldn’t say I’ve perfected it, but I’ve become much better at recognising what delegation actually is.

    I think we sometimes confuse delegation with simply distributing work.

    To me, distributing work is straightforward. Tasks are allocated because they naturally sit within someone’s role and responsibilities. People expect that.

    Delegation feels different.

    It’s about intentionally asking someone to take ownership of something that you could have done yourself.

    And that’s where many leaders start to feel uncomfortable.

    The stories we tell ourselves

    I’ve coached leaders who struggle to delegate because they worry they’re overloading their team.

    Others feel guilty asking someone else to do something they believe should sit with them.

    Some worry they’ll be seen as lazy or incapable.

    The intentions are almost always good.

    But the consequences rarely are.

    The leader becomes overwhelmed.

    Everything starts to compete for attention.

    Strategic thinking disappears beneath operational work.

    And perhaps most importantly, opportunities for other people to grow are lost.

    Delegation isn’t just about reducing your workload.

    It’s one of the most powerful ways we develop people and demonstrate our trust in them.

    It gives people experiences they wouldn’t otherwise have.

    It stretches confidence far more effectively than another training course ever could.

    My own challenge

    My own relationship with delegation has evolved.

    These days, I don’t struggle to share routine work.

    The things I find hardest to let go of are the things I genuinely love.

    I can become a bit of a hoarder when it comes to work I’m passionate about.

    Part of that comes from having built expertise over many years. There’s a part of me that worries if I let go of certain pieces of work, I’ll gradually lose that expertise or become less connected to the subject.

    Then there are the opportunities where someone reaches out asking specifically for me to get involved.

    Perhaps it’s speaking at a conference.

    Joining a project.

    Contributing to a piece of work.

    It feels good to be asked.

    If I’m honest, there has probably been a belief somewhere that, as CEO, I should be saying yes. That staying visible, staying relevant and being the public face of the organisation somehow sits with me.

    After more than fourteen years with the organisation, I’ve represented our work all over the world. It’s easy for your identity to become intertwined with being the person people think of first.

    But leadership isn’t about hanging on to every opportunity.

    Sometimes it’s about knowing when to let someone else step forward.

    Letting other people shine

    Over the past few months, I’ve been making a much more conscious effort to do exactly that.

    When requests come in, I’ve found myself suggesting colleagues instead.

    People who’ve been delighted to take on a project that stretches them beyond their usual role.

    I’ve passed speaking opportunities to colleagues who are now far more knowledgeable than I am on particular topics.

    I’ve encouraged others to attend conferences where they’re better placed to contribute than I would be.

    And every single time, the organisation has been stronger because of it.

    Delegation is an investment

    I think delegation is one of those leadership skills that becomes easier once we stop seeing it as giving work away.

    Instead, we start seeing it as investing in other people.

    Yes, it frees up our own capacity.

    But that’s only part of the story.

    Done well, delegation builds confidence.

    It develops future leaders.

    It increases resilience across teams.

    And it creates organisations that don’t rely too heavily on one individual.

    Ironically, one of the best ways to demonstrate your value as a leader isn’t by proving you can do everything yourself.

    It’s by creating opportunities for other people to discover what they’re capable of.

    Because leadership isn’t measured by how indispensable we become.

    It’s measured by how many other people grow because we were willing to let go.

  • Why Stepping Away Helped Me Think More Clearly

    Why Stepping Away Helped Me Think More Clearly

    I’m just back from a lovely week in Croatia with my partner, his kids and his family.

    The family are from Slovakia, so it’s fair to say there’s a bit of a language barrier, although I’ve been doing my best to learn some of the basics over the past few years! Building relationships in this way is definitely a challenge, and it’s prompted me (again) to re-subscribe to a language learning app with renewed determination to improve my Slovak.

    It’s reminded me that relationships don’t depend on getting every word right. Patience, curiosity and a willingness to keep trying count for a lot.

    Another first this holiday was that I didn’t take my work phone with me.

    For some people, that probably doesn’t sound particularly remarkable.

    For me, it is.

    Previously, I’d have been checking it constantly, responding to emails and occasionally even taking work calls. Even with my out-of-office switched on, it wasn’t unusual for someone to receive the notification that I was on leave and then message me through social media because something felt urgent to them.

    Looking back, I realise all of that blurred the boundary between work and personal time. It interrupted my thoughts, stopped me fully switching off and made it much harder to properly recharge.

    I think we all have a responsibility to respect other people’s time off.

    The reason I was able to leave my phone behind so confidently this year was because I have a hugely trusted team around me.

    They have my personal number should something genuinely urgent arise, and I trust their judgement completely about when that would be appropriate.

    As it turned out, I didn’t hear from anyone.

    Which probably tells me everything I needed to know.

    Creating space to think

    That isn’t to say I didn’t think about work.

    I did.

    But it felt different.

    There were quiet moments in the morning, sitting on the balcony with a cup of tea, wondering how my Scottish skin was going to cope with another day of 34-degree heat, where my mind naturally drifted towards ideas rather than tasks.

    I’ve noticed this pattern for years.

    Colleagues who know me well often joke that whenever I come back from annual leave, I’ll arrive with a notebook full of new ideas and things I’d like to explore.

    They’re usually right.

    It got me thinking about why that happens.

    Why does stepping away make it easier to think creatively?

    I don’t think it’s because holidays magically make us more innovative.

    I think it’s because they give our brains the space they’ve been craving.

    Busy isn’t always productive

    Over the past year, I’ve deliberately blocked out time in my diary every week for strategic thinking.

    Protecting that time has been one of the best habits I’ve introduced because it creates space to focus on the bigger picture rather than simply responding to what’s immediately in front of me.

    Recently though, I’ve noticed that space starting to disappear.

    My diary has gradually filled up with more operational meetings and day-to-day activity.

    From the outside, it probably looks like I’m incredibly productive.

    If I’m honest with myself, there are weeks where I finish feeling like I’ve been busy every minute of every day but haven’t really moved anything important forward.

    I’m sure many leaders will recognise that feeling.

    Being busy and creating value aren’t always the same thing.

    When we’re constantly immersed in operational work, we lose some of our ability to spot opportunities, notice patterns and think strategically about what’s coming next.

    Those are some of the things leaders are there to do.

    Not because we’re more important than anyone else, but because it’s much harder to see the bigger picture when you’re standing in the middle of it.

    Sometimes stepping back is part of the job.

    A timely reminder

    This holiday reminded me that if I want to do my best work, I need to create the conditions that allow it to happen.

    That means protecting thinking time just as deliberately as I protect meeting time.

    It means trusting other people.

    It means recognising that constantly being available isn’t the same as being effective.

    And sometimes it simply means giving myself permission to step away.

    I’ve still got another week of annual leave before heading back to work.

    Alongside the inevitable post-holiday washing mountain, catching up with family, tackling the garden and celebrating a couple of birthdays, I’ll also be investing some time in my own development. I’m fully immersed in my coaching journey just now, so there’ll be plenty of reading and a few webinars on the agenda too.

    I will admit to one small lapse.

    I couldn’t resist a sneaky look at my work phone.

    There was one condition… I wasn’t allowed to respond.

    Over 500 unopened emails later…

    I very quickly decided I wouldn’t be checking it again until I’m back.

    That said, the sneaky peek wasn’t entirely without reward. Buried amongst the emails was confirmation that I’d passed another few parts of my ILM Level 7 Executive Coaching and Mentoring Diploma. With only a small part left to complete, the end is finally in sight – and that was definitely worth opening the inbox for!

    d’akujem za prečitanie!

    (thanks for reading! 🇸🇰)

  • When Your Greatest Strength Gets in the Way

    When Your Greatest Strength Gets in the Way

    I previously wrote about one of my compulsions: the need to speak up when I encounter stigma, discrimination or narratives towards people who use substances that I believe are harmful.

    It’s almost like a voice in my head that won’t rest until it’s let loose.

    Over time, I’ve become more aware that whilst speaking up is important, how we speak up matters too.

    Last week (like most weeks, if I’m honest) provided plenty of opportunities to put that theory into practice.

    One particular moment came at an external event where, to be frank, I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing.

    The discussion turned to the treatment, care and choices for people who use substances and some of the views being expressed felt so far removed from my own values and beliefs that I could feel myself becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

    I sat listening, trying to stay open-minded and curious, but with every passing minute I could feel myself becoming more and more triggered. Like I was going to spontaneously combust kind of triggered.

    Eventually, I accepted the inevitable and put my hand up for the microphone.

    In those few seconds before speaking, I had a quick internal conversation with myself.

    How do I challenge this? How do I make my position clear?

    How do I remain respectful whilst strongly disagreeing?

    Most importantly, how do I make sure that people leave understanding there is another perspective without simply creating conflict?

    Those moments are rarely comfortable.

    But when I think about why I speak up, it almost always comes back to the people behind the issue. If I sit silently while harmful narratives go unchallenged, I often leave feeling complicit in them.

    When values collide

    Reflecting on situations like this, I’ve realised that the moments I find most challenging aren’t necessarily when people disagree with me.

    It’s when there’s a fundamental clash of values.

    The things that feel deeply important to me won’t always feel equally important to other people.

    It doesn’t mean they’re bad people.

    It doesn’t mean they’re acting with ill intent.

    And it certainly doesn’t mean everyone has to agree with me. 

    But when we’re discussing issues that affect people’s dignity, rights or wellbeing, I find it impossible not to engage.

    The challenge is making sure that my response is helpful rather than simply emotional.

    The theory of core qualities

    One coaching model I often use with clients is the Theory of Core Qualities.

    I like it because it helps us explore something that many of us experience but don’t always recognise:

    Our greatest strengths can also create some of our biggest challenges.

    The model asks us to identify:

    • Our core quality or strength
    • What happens when we bring too much of it
    • What happens when we don’t bring enough of it
    • The quality that helps us achieve balance

    It’s a deceptively simple exercise, but it often generates really insightful conversations.

    Passion and patience

    When I think about my own core quality, the word that immediately comes to mind is passion.

    I care deeply about the work I do.

    I care about the people affected by the issues we discuss.

    I care about creating change.

    And I care about ensuring that people’s voices and experiences are treated with dignity and respect.

    I feel incredibly fortunate and privileged to work in an area that has genuine purpose and meaning for me.

    That passion is often what drives me to speak up.

    But like any strength, it has a down side.

    When I bring too much of it, it can become overwhelming for others.

    I can become impatient.

    I can dominate conversations.

    I can focus so heavily on making a point that I don’t create enough space for other people to contribute.

    And if I’m not careful, the very thing that motivates me can have the opposite effect of what I intended.

    People may feel unheard.

    Relationships can become strained.

    Dialogue can shut down rather than open up.

    On the other hand, when I don’t bring enough of that passion, I experience a different problem.

    I leave conversations feeling uncomfortable.

    I question whether I should have spoken up.

    I wonder whether I’ve let people down.

    I sometimes leave feeling as though I haven’t been true to myself or to the values that matter most to me.

    Neither extreme feels right.

    Finding the balance

    The balance for me is patience.

    Not less passion.

    Not caring less.

    Not becoming quieter.

    Patience.

    Patience allows me to bring my values into conversations without overwhelming them.

    It helps me listen before responding.

    It creates space for curiosity alongside conviction.

    And it reminds me that changing minds rarely happens through winning an argument.

    More often, it happens through thoughtful dialogue, respectful challenge and giving people the opportunity to reflect.

    I’m not saying I’ve got this nailed.

    There are definitely moments where my patience disappears and my passion takes over.

    But self-awareness helps.

    Recognising the pattern helps.

    And understanding that strengths can become challenges when they’re overused helps too.

    A useful reflection

    One of the reasons I like this coaching exercise is because it’s relevant to everyone.

    We often talk about strengths as though they’re always positive and weaknesses as though they’re always negative.

    The reality is usually much more nuanced.

    Sometimes our greatest challenge isn’t developing a new skill.

    It’s learning how to use our existing strengths more effectively.

    So if you’re looking for something to reflect on, or perhaps preparing for that inevitable interview question about strengths and development areas, consider this:

    What’s your core quality?

    What happens when you bring too much of it?

    What happens when you don’t bring enough?

    And what helps you find the balance?

    The answers can be surprisingly revealing.

  • Building a Coaching Culture in Practice

    Building a Coaching Culture in Practice

    One of the reasons I decided to undertake a coaching qualification was because I wanted to have a better structure and clearer focus on how I support people to grow and develop.

    During the course I also began thinking about the wider culture of the organisation and how coaching might contribute to the positive changes we’d already been implementing.

    When I first started the ILM Level 7 Executive and Senior Level Coaching and Mentoring Diploma, the coaching hours required for the qualification needed to be completed with people operating at that level. Naturally, that led me to work with members of our leadership team as well as a number of external colleagues.

    But something didn’t sit quite right with me.

    Whilst I understood the rationale for the qualification requirements, I didn’t want coaching to become something that was only available to people in senior positions in my place of work.

    If I genuinely believed in the value of coaching, then surely the opportunity to benefit from it shouldn’t be determined by where someone sits within the organisational structure.

    So I put out a note of interest to staff across the organisation to understand whether coaching was something people might find useful and I also wanted to gauge whether being coached by me would be a bit off-putting given my position. Not that I asked that explicitly from the outset but people were informed the coach would be me, as the reality was that outsourcing coaching for everyone was unlikely to be financially possible.

    The response was encouraging.

    Around half of our staff team expressed an initial interest.

    People were looking for opportunities to reflect, develop and think differently about their work. Most people had never experienced coaching before but were importantly intrigued by the suggestion that it would be something they could access.

    The challenge then became how to make that happen in a way that felt meaningful, sustainable and aligned with the culture we were already trying to build.

    Coaching as part of the bigger picture

    One thing I was clear about from the outset was that I didn’t want coaching to become a standalone initiative sitting alongside everything else we were doing, or some secret conversations you had with the CEO that undermined managers.

    Over the past few years, we’ve made deliberate changes to how we approach supervision, appraisals and staff development.

    We’ve worked hard to make conversations more reflective and developmental, moving away from purely performance-focused discussions towards approaches that encouraged learning, growth and self-awareness.

    Creating a coaching offer that operated completely separately from those developments and supportive line management relationships felt like a missed opportunity. 

    Instead, I wanted coaching to complement and strengthen the wider culture we were trying to create.

    Designing a three-way coaching model

    After discussions with my own coaching supervisor, alongside a fair amount of reading and research, I became interested in three-way coaching models.

    The model we’ve developed is relatively simple.

    People who are interested in coaching initially meet with me for an informal conversation about what coaching is, what it isn’t, and what participation would involve.

    This has been particularly important given my role as CEO.

    It’s allowed us to have open conversations about boundaries, confidentiality and expectations before anyone decides whether coaching feels right for them.

    Following that conversation, people discuss their interest with their line manager and, if everyone agrees that coaching would be beneficial, we move into a three-way coaching agreement meeting.

    That conversation involves the person being coached, their line manager and me.

    Together, we explore what the individual hopes to achieve through coaching, any development areas they would like to focus on and how this connects to their wider role and aspirations.

    The emphasis throughout is on development rather than performance.

    The coaching goals belong to the individual and are aligned with what has been discussed previously through supervision and appraisal.

    The line manager’s role is to contribute context, support the process and understand what success might look like.

    Following this, the coaching itself takes place through a series of one-to-one monthly sessions.

    These conversations remain confidential.

    Nothing from those sessions is fed back to the manager unless the coachee chooses to share it themselves.

    At the end of the process, we will come back together for a final three-way conversation to reflect on progress, learning and what support may be helpful going forward.

    Early stages

    We’re still in the very early stages of this new venture, but there are already things that I’m really enjoying seeing.

    One is the enthusiasm people have shown for investing time in their own development.

    Another is how powerful it can be simply to create dedicated space for reflection.

    In busy organisations, it’s easy for development to become something we talk about rather than something we actively create time for.

    Coaching creates that space.

    It gives people permission to pause, think differently and explore challenges that they may otherwise continue carrying around without ever fully exploring.

    It’s been really nice to hear staff talking about noticing positive changes in the way people are working following others taking part in coaching and that being filtered through the organisation.

    Colleagues have commented on seeing differences in how people approach situations, how they lead and how they engage or communicate with others.

    It’s encouraging because that was the vision I had in mind at the beginning with the goal to support people’s growth.

    Culture experienced in practice

    In last week’s blog, I wrote that culture isn’t what you say… it’s what people experience.

    I still believe that it’s created through the everyday experiences people have when they come to work.

    It’s shaped by whether people feel listened to, trusted, invested in and supported to develop.

    For me, introducing coaching isn’t really only about coaching.

    It’s about creating another way of demonstrating that people matter and acknowledging that they are our main strength.

    It’s about investing in people’s potential and creating opportunities for growth.

    And ultimately, it’s about helping to build the kind of culture where learning, reflection and development are part of everyday practice rather than some kind of once a year event.

    So it’s a bit of a test to see if this model will work for us and if so, how we can improve it as we go if it looks like it’s here to stay.

    My thinking is that if coaching can help people grow, and if people help shape culture, then investing time in one may ultimately strengthen the other.

  • A year on: culture, uncertainty and looking ahead

    A year on: culture, uncertainty and looking ahead

    Around this time last year, I wrote a blog reflecting on my first two years as CEO of Scottish Drugs Forum.

    At the time, I wrote about stepping into a role shaped by nearly four decades of leadership, the realities of leading through uncertainty, the challenge of funding pressures, and my ambition to build a culture of care alongside a stronger strategic focus.

    A year on, I thought it was worth revisiting some of those reflections.

    Not because everything has changed, but because much of what has happened over the past year has reinforced just how important culture is when organisations are navigating uncertainty.

    Openness in uncertain times

    The past year has brought no shortage of challenges.

    As Scotland’s National Mission on Drugs moves into its next phase, there has been significant uncertainty across the sector about future priorities, funding and sustainability. Anyone working in this space will understand the impact that uncertainty can have, not just on organisations, but on the people working within them.

    Uncertainty doesn’t become easier by avoiding it.

    We’ve tried to be open and transparent with our staff about the challenges we face, the decisions we’re making and the realities of the environment we’re operating within. That doesn’t mean always having the answers. It means creating a culture where people understand what’s happening, feel trusted with information and know they won’t be shielded from difficult conversations.

    I believe people cope better with uncertainty when they feel included rather than protected from reality.

    Culture isn’t what you say, it’s what people experience

    Last year I wrote about wanting to create a culture that genuinely valued wellbeing, compassion and care.

    This year I’ve seen more evidence of that culture taking root.

    Not through policies or statements (although there’s been a few of those too!), but through how people support each other, how difficult conversations are approached, and how teams respond when things become challenging.

    Retention continues to be one of our strengths, something I don’t take for granted. We’ve also welcomed new colleagues who have brought fresh perspectives and ideas, while strengthening the values and culture that already existed.

    Culture is often talked about as though it’s something leaders create.

    I believe that leaders can influence culture, but culture is ultimately built collectively through the everyday actions, behaviours and relationships that people experience at work.

    Creating space for lived and living experience leadership

    One of the most encouraging developments over the past year has been seeing the continued growth and confidence of people with lived and (especially) living experience within our networks.

    I’ve watched people step forward, challenge assumptions, influence conversations and speak with increasing confidence in spaces where their voices have historically been absent or overlooked.

    Our role isn’t to speak for people.

    It’s to create opportunities, remove barriers and ensure that people’s expertise is recognised and valued.

    What has been particularly powerful is seeing individuals increasingly use those opportunities to influence change themselves.

    That feels like real progress.

    We remain committed to ensuring that people who use substances are central to shaping policies, strategies and services. Not as a token gesture, but because better decisions are made when the people most affected are actively involved in making them.

    Looking beyond survival

    A significant part of any CEO role is securing the future of the organisation.

    It’s probably the least visible part of leadership, but often the part that occupies the most headspace.

    Funding remains a constant consideration and, if I’m honest, a constant responsibility. The challenge is balancing the need to secure sustainability while continuing to focus on impact.

    We’ve spent a lot of time this year thinking carefully about what we want to achieve, where we can make the greatest contribution and how we ensure we’re building something sustainable for the future.

    Like many organisations, we have no shortage of ideas.

    The challenge isn’t finding things to do.

    The challenge is deciding what to prioritise and ensuring that we do those things well.

    Continuing to evolve

    The past year has also reinforced something I touched on in my previous reflection: no single organisation can solve this crisis alone.

    Collaboration remains critical.

    The challenges associated with drug-related harm are inseparable from wider issues of poverty, inequality, trauma, mental health and social exclusion. Progress depends on organisations working together, recognising each other’s strengths and being prepared to share influence.

    Looking ahead, one area I’m particularly interested in and currently developing further is how we create more opportunities for reflection, learning and coaching within our own organisation.

    The better we support people to grow, think and develop, the better equipped we are to respond to the challenges ahead.

    Looking forward

    A year ago, I wrote about balancing legacy and evolution.

    I think that remains true.

    There have been difficult moments over the past year, including periods where public debate became increasingly polarised and where our work and intentions were misrepresented. There have also been moments of genuine progress, optimism and growth.

    Through all of it, my commitment to this work remains unchanged.

    The challenges are significant, but so is the determination of the people working to address them.

    And whilst uncertainty remains, so does our belief that change is possible.