Leadership Insights

Culture doesn’t fail overnight, it unravels in small, often overlooked ways until performance, engagement, and trust are quietly eroded. If you’re leading a team or organisation, here are three clear warning signs your culture may be heading off course, and what to do about it. 1. Silence in the Room When team members stop speaking up, it’s not always because everything is fine. A 2023 Gallup study found that only 3 in 10 employees strongly agree that their opinions count at

When it comes to hiring, many organisations still default to prioritising technical expertise over the right cultural fit. While this may seem like the safest path, particularly for roles requiring strict compliance such as finance, medicine or engineering, it often overlooks a more powerful and lasting determinant of success: mindset and cultural fit. The truth is that technical skills can be trained, but mindset—the way someone thinks, adapts, learns, and leads—is much hard

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in business operations, the role of leadership is entering a new era, one that demands both digital fluency and a renewed commitment to human connection. AI is now a critical force across most sectors. McKinsey estimates that up to 30% of work hours could be automated by 2030, particularly in areas like data processing, customer service, and logistics. But while AI can analyse, predict and optimise with unprecedent

RdL was honoured to be invited as a guest speaker at the recent International Summit on Technology and Innovation—an event that brought together global thought leaders from the worlds of AI, cyber security, digital transformation, and investment. While the summit was abuzz with extraordinary advances in automation, robotics, and data platforms, a deeper insight emerged: the technology may be cutting-edge, but leadership development is lagging dangerously behind. Across high-s

Toxic teams don’t appear overnight. They’re often the result of good people operating in bad systems — environments where the rules are unclear, the boundaries are blurred, and expectations are inconsistent. And here’s the hard truth: it’s not the team that’s broken—it’s the leadership framework around them. According to a 2024 MIT Sloan study, toxic culture is the single strongest predictor of employee attrition — ten times more powerful than compensation. What drives that t

Every organisation has them—employees whose performance or behaviour is quietly eroding team morale, customer satisfaction, and results. Yet far too often, leaders delay action or hope the issue will self-correct. It rarely does. Poor performance and behaviour don’t fix themselves. They fester. The most effective leaders know how to address underperformance head-on—without micromanaging, humiliating, or creating fear. They know that holding people to account is not about puni

In today’s complex and fast-moving business world, the best leaders are not the loudest in the room or the quickest to critique. They are the most curious. Too often, leaders default to judgement: “Why didn’t this get done?” “What went wrong here?” While well-intentioned, this approach shuts down dialogue, sparks defensiveness, and kills innovation. On the other hand, curiosity invites understanding, fosters accountability, and builds trust—the very ingredients high-performin

Across industries, a silent crisis is taking hold—not one driven by market instability or disruptive technology, but by a gradual loss of leadership effectiveness and strategic focus. It's a crisis costing trillions globally, and it’s showing up in almost every boardroom conversation. Organisations today are drifting. Senior leaders, often overwhelmed by short-term pressures and operational firefighting, have lost sight of long-term goals. Strategy becomes reactive, and innov

It’s not about efficiency—it’s about energy, clarity, and accountability. Productivity is one of the most misused and misunderstood terms in business today. It’s become shorthand for doing more with less—cutting headcount, cramming tasks, and pushing staff harder. But this approach is not only outdated, it’s costing companies millions. Let’s be clear: productivity isn’t about speed or volume. It’s about value and it is very different to efficiency. Efficiency is doing the wor

At RdL, we believe that leadership is about more than titles—it’s about showing up with confidence, curiosity, and the courage to grow. Yet even the most accomplished leaders can struggle with imposter syndrome—the persistent feeling of being a fraud, despite evidence of success. Research shows that up to 70% of professionals experience imposter syndrome at some point (International Journal of Behavioral Science). This silent battle erodes confidence, limits potential, and c

Great leaders don’t just solve problems—they grow people who can. And in today’s fast-paced, decision-heavy environment, developing that capability across your team is the key to long-term success. One of the most powerful leadership tools you can apply today is the 1:3:1 method. This simple framework helps leaders stop being the bottleneck and start building a team that takes initiative, thinks critically, and drives results without waiting to be told what to do. Here’s how

Leadership today isn’t suffering from a lack of strategy—it’s suffering from a lack of follow-through. In a world where teams are stretched thin and priorities shift daily, the most powerful credibility lever a leader holds is their Say:Do ratio: the alignment between what they promise and what they deliver. According to Harvard Business Review, 58% of employees trust strangers more than their own boss. That’s not a personality problem—it’s a performance gap. When leaders say

We’ve all been there—pressed for time, trying to keep the wheels turning—when a team member approaches with a problem. Our instinct? Solve it. Tell them what to do, give them the answer, and move on. But here’s the brutal truth: every time you give the answer, you’re taking away the opportunity for someone else to think. You’re training your people to wait instead of lead. And in the process, you’re bottlenecking your organisation’s growth. A Harvard Business Review study fou

Let’s get honest. We’re not losing productivity to external pressures—we’re bleeding it internally. Not because people aren’t working hard, but because we’re not working smart. The most damaging culprits? Unproductive meetings, constant distractions, poor delegation, and digital overwhelm masked as busyness. The data is damning. The average executive spends 23 hours a week in meetings , yet 71% of those are deemed unproductive. It takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds

Every organisation has them. You know who they are. The moment someone shines, speaks up, or dares to be different — they’re there . Ready to roll their eyes, undermine, question motives, or whisper a passive-aggressive comment under their breath. These are the candle blower outers — people who can't stand the light of others, so they try to snuff it out. A metaphor popularised by Brené Brown. They’re not always loud. In fact, they’re often subtle, calculated, and cloaked in

Too many organisations have allowed meetings to devolve into KPI tribunals — sessions where metrics are pored over, blame is handed out, and people leave more deflated than developed. It’s a flawed practice, and one that ultimately erodes culture, trust, and performance. Let’s be clear: when people consistently fail to meet targets, it’s rarely a people problem — it’s a leadership problem. Whether it’s poor delegation, unclear expectations, or a lack of development, underperf

Employee misconduct is always a delicate issue—but when it intersects with mental health, the stakes rise dramatically. Employers walk a fine line: protecting their people, upholding workplace standards, and managing risk, all while navigating legal and ethical obligations. Do it wrong, and the consequences can be cultural, legal, and reputational. Do it right, and you strengthen trust, resilience, and performance. We’re seeing it more than ever. A recent Australian Human Rig

In the age of employee engagement surveys, 360-degree reviews, and endless KPIs, we often overlook one of the simplest, most powerful indicators of workplace culture: laughter. Yes—laughter. That spontaneous, human expression of connection, comfort, and shared understanding. Walk through any office, warehouse, or Zoom meeting and listen carefully. Are people laughing? Are teams smiling, joking, enjoying their work together? If not, the culture might be more toxic than you thi

“I was wrong.” “I’m sorry.” “I don’t know.” “What do you think?” “How can I help you perform at your best?” When a leader is willing to say any—or all—of these phrases, you can almost guarantee one thing: they’re trustworthy. And in leadership, trust isn’t a soft skill—it’s the foundation of performance, culture, and long-term success. A 2022 PwC Global Workforce Survey found that only 30% of employees strongly trust their leadership . That means 70% of the workforce may be q

Here are 5 top tips to transform your people from robots to thinkers. 1. Set Clear Intent, Not Just Instructions Shift from telling people what to do to sharing why it matters . When people understand the broader intent, they’re more likely to take initiative, apply judgment, and find better ways of achieving outcomes. Tip: Start meetings by stating the strategic intent behind tasks or goals. 2. Stop Answering Every Question Leaders often create dependency by being the answe