On The Ground

In today’s competitive and fast-paced workplace, productivity is often seen as a matter of systems, targets, and metrics. But one of the most overlooked, and undervalued, drivers of high performance is something far less rigid: FUN. When work is enjoyable, engagement rises. According to a 2023 Gallup study, engaged employees are 21% more productive and 17% more profitable than their disengaged counterparts, and while “fun” might seem like a soft concept, it’s a powerful cult

People don’t actually fear change. They fear sudden change, poorly explained change, and the uncertainty that comes when leaders move fast without bringing people with them. Think about it: people choose change every day. They buy new phones, move houses, take new jobs, start families. They welcome change when it feels like progress, when they can see the benefit, and when they feel in control of at least part of the journey. In business, the problem isn’t change itself, it’s

We admire athletes for their discipline, coaching, and constant practice. Yet when it comes to leadership, we often assume skill develops naturally with experience or seniority. The truth is, great leaders require the same deliberate education and training as professionals in sport, medicine, or law. Without it, the risk is not only underperformance at work but diminished relationships at home and in the community. Four areas of education stand out as critical to leadership e

Pressure is inevitable in leadership. Markets shift, stakeholders demand more, and teams look for certainty when uncertainty is everywhere. The real differentiator is not whether a leader faces pressure, but how they convert it into performance. At RDL, we’ve seen three challenges stand out time and again that determine whether pressure becomes progress or paralysis. 1. Pressure triggers reactivity rather than clarity Under strain, many leaders default to firefighting. Energy

The greatest barrier many leaders face is not market forces, competitors, or even their own teams. It’s fear, and fear has a clever disguise — False Evidence Appearing Real. Too often, leaders mistake perception for truth. They convince themselves they don’t have the right people, enough resources, or sufficient authority to make change happen. They tell themselves timing isn’t right, or the risks are too high. This is not strategy. This is fear, wrapped in logic, paralysing

According to McKinsey, organisations that make decisions quickly and execute effectively are twice as likely to outperform their peers on revenue growth and profitability. Yet in many businesses, decision paralysis has become the norm, masked as collaboration, caution, or compliance. At RDL, we see it for what it is: a failure of leadership. The signs are everywhere. Projects stall waiting for sign-off, teams escalate small issues because no one feels empowered to decide, lea

It’s Not a Performance Issue — It’s a Leadership Environment Issue When a team member pushes back, drops the ball, or seems to disappear into the background, most leaders instinctively look at the person. But the question we should be asking is different: What part of the leadership climate might be influencing this behaviour? Back in 1936, psychiatrist Kurt Lewin nailed a truth that still holds today: behaviour is shaped by two things, the individual and their environment. Y

In nature, even the smallest creatures can reflect the biggest truths about human behaviour. One fascinating example is the “circle of limitation” phenomenon observed in ants. Draw a simple circle around an ant using a ballpoint pen, and you’ll notice something strange: the ant often won’t cross the line. Despite having the physical ability to step over it, the ant becomes psychologically confined, trapped by a barrier that doesn’t actually exist. It’s a powerful metaphor for

In elite sport, there’s a term often thrown around: short-term memory loss . It doesn’t refer to a medical condition, it’s a mindset. The best athletes, from tennis players to quarterbacks, don’t ruminate on missed shots or dropped passes. They reset. Fast. Their focus is on the next play, not the last mistake. Great leaders operate the same way. Leadership today isn’t about perfection. It’s about progression. The speed at which industries shift, technologies evolve, and expe

In business, as in sport, the best leaders aren’t the ones who avoid mistakes. They’re the ones who own them, reset quickly, and guide their team forward with purpose. It’s not the last missed shot that defines your momentum. It’s the next play. Research from McKinsey shows that companies with leaders who maintain forward focus after a setback outperform their competitors by up to 30% over three years. The differentiator isn’t perfection, it’s recovery. Not just tactical, but

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

In many workplaces, “sick leave” has quietly become a form of escape. Not from illness, but from exhaustion, disconnection, and disengagement. And if you're seeing a spike in absenteeism, it's not just a health issue—it's a leadership one. According to the Australian HR Institute, absenteeism costs businesses over $3,600 per employee per year, with stress-related leave rising by nearly 25% in the past two years. But here's the uncomfortable truth: many employees aren't abusin

In today’s fast-moving, high-pressure environment, it’s no wonder teams feel overwhelmed, fatigued, and off-centre. Competing priorities, constant change, and ongoing uncertainty have left many organisations with disengaged teams and distracted leaders. Yet the role of leadership has never been more critical. The question is: how do leaders re-energise and refocus teams when everything feels urgent and nothing feels clear? The answer lies in simplicity, clarity, and connectio

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

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

“I am giving you these comments because I have very high expectations, and I’m confident you can reach them.” Nineteen words that change everything. It’s not a reprimand. It’s not an attack. It’s not an ego-driven display of authority. It’s leadership. Yet too many managers still operate under the delusion that crushing someone is the same as coaching them. That critique delivered without context is “holding people accountable.” That fear is somehow a motivator. Here’s the tr