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Leadership has changed. But not everything from the past deserves to be thrown out.I often hear leaders say things like “that style doesn’t work anymore” when talking about leadership from the 80s and 90s. And they’re not wrong — some of it doesn’t. But I think the real problem is we’ve confused evolution with replacement.The truth is, some old-school leadership traits still matter deeply. They just need to be paired with something that wasn’t always expected back then: empathy and emotional intelligence.<h3>What Old School Leadership Got Right</h3>Leadership in the 80s and 90s was often criticised for being tough, hierarchical, and emotionally distant. Fair call — there were plenty of shortcomings. But there were also strengths we’ve quietly lost along the way.Clarity mattered. Leaders were expected to set direction, make decisions, and be clear about standards. People knew what was expected of them — and what wasn’t acceptable.Accountability was non-negotiable. Doing what you said you would do wasn’t a “nice to have”, it was the baseline. Follow-through built credibility.Resilience was built, not avoided. Work wasn’t designed around comfort. Stretch, pressure, and responsibility were part of growth. Leaders didn’t rush to remove challenge — they expected people to rise to it.Authority wasn’t apologised for. Leaders were allowed to lead. They didn’t poll every decision or outsource responsibility in the name of collaboration.These traits created momentum, confidence, and results. And many organisations are still missing them today.<h3>Where Old School Leadership Fell Short </h3>Here’s the part we can’t ignore.Leadership back then often left little room for:<ul><li>Emotional awareness</li><li>Psychological safety</li><li>Vulnerability</li><li>Inclusion</li><li>Human complexity</li></ul>Feelings were something to “leave at the door”. Burnout was worn like a badge of honour. People were expected to perform regardless of what was happening in their lives.<h3>We now know better — and we expect better.</h3>Leadership Has Evolved (And That’s a Good Thing) Today’s leaders are expected to do more than drive outcomes. They’re expected to lead humans.That means:<ul><li>Understanding that emotions are always present — whether acknowledged or not</li><li>Recognising that trust, safety, and connection directly impact performance</li><li>Being able to listen, not just direct</li><li>Leading through uncertainty, not pretending it doesn’t exist</li><li>Empathy is no longer optional. Emotional intelligence isn’t “soft”. It’s a core leadership&nbsp; capability.</li></ul>And here’s the important bit: empathy does not cancel out accountability.<h3>The Sweet Spot: Old School Backbone + Modern-Day Empathy </h3>The most effective leaders I work with don’t choose between toughness and care — they integrate both.They:<ul><li>Set clear expectations, then genuinely support people to meet them</li><li>Hold strong boundaries, while staying curious about what’s going on underneath behaviour</li><li>Give direct feedback, without stripping people of dignity</li><li>Expect ownership, while recognising humans aren’t robots</li></ul>This is leadership with backbone and heart.Not permissive. Not authoritarian. But grounded, human, and effective.<h3>Getting With the Times Without Losing the Plot </h3>If leadership today swings too far toward comfort and avoidance, we lose momentum. If it stays stuck in outdated toughness, we lose people.The answer isn’t choosing sides. It’s updating the operating system.Keep:<ul><li>Clarity</li><li>Accountability</li><li>Follow-through </li><li>High standards </li></ul>Add:<ul><li>Empathy </li><li>Self-awareness </li><li>Emotional literacy </li><li>Care for wellbeing </li></ul>That’s what modern leadership actually looks like.And honestly? The leaders who can blend both are the ones people trust, respect, and want to follow — especially when things get hard.

Old School Leadership Still Matters — But It’s Not Enough Anymore

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Starting a business with someone is a big decision,&nbsp; bigger than most people realise.It’s exciting, of course. You’ve found someone who shares your passion, your energy, and maybe even your vision. You’re buzzing with ideas, imagining the product, the brand, the customers, the growth. It feels like you’ve found your person, the one who will make the entrepreneurial ride less lonely and more powerful.But here’s the truth most founders only discover after the honeymoon period: Choosing a co-founder is less like choosing a business partner, and more like choosing who you’re going to be in the trenches with when things get hard.Because they will get hard. And how you show up together in those moments is what determines whether the partnership thrives or fractures.This blog is for anyone who is thinking about entering a co-founding journey — to help you pause, take a breath, and make sure you’re stepping into the partnership with clarity, intention, and awareness.<h3>Why Do People Choose to Co-Found?</h3>Most people enter a co-founding relationship for one (or more) of three reasons:1. Complementary skills One builds, one sells. One dreams, one executes. One is technical, one is commercial.2. Shared vision and energy You jive together. You get excited about the same things. You fuel each other.3. Emotional support The journey is less lonely when someone else is carrying it with you.These are all valid reasons. But they aren’t enough.Because co-founding is not just about starting. It’s about staying. It’s about navigating the dips, the disagreements, the decisions, the delays, the disappointments, the identity shifts, and the intensity that comes with building something from nothing.<h3>Most Co-Founder Challenges Don’t Appear on Day One — They Show Up Later </h3>Early-stage relationships often feel easy. You’re aligned because there’s nothing to disagree on yet.Tension and friction usually emerge when:<ul><li>The business pivots</li><li>One founder feels overstretched or undervalued</li><li>Decisions get harder and carry real risk</li><li>Money enters the picture (or disappears from it)</li><li>Team members join and dynamics shift</li><li>Personal lives get busy, heavy, or complicated</li><li>Leadership styles clash under pressure</li></ul>These moments don’t create the cracks — they reveal the cracks that were already there. This is why having intentional conversations upfront matters.<h3>6 Conversations Every Potential Co-Founder Pair Should Have </h3>Before you sign anything, before you register anything, before you split equity “just to get going,” have these discussions:1. The Vision Conversation Where are we going? How fast? How big? What does success look like individually and together?2. The Roles Conversation Who owns what? How will we divide responsibilities as the business grows?3. The Decision-Making Conversation Who decides what? What happens when we don’t agree? What’s our escalation pathway?4. The Money Conversation How long can each of us go without income? What are our financial realities? What happens if funding doesn’t land? What happens if the business runs out of money?5. The Working-Style Conversation How do we communicate? What do we need from each other to feel aligned, respected, and informed? How do we each operate under stress?6. The Exit Conversation If one of us wants out — what then? What would make one of us walk away? How do we protect the business if that happens?These are not “nice to have” conversations. These are business-saving conversations. And yet, very few founders have them early enough. <h3>Self-Awareness: The Hidden Ingredient of Healthy Co-Founder Relationships</h3>In every co-founder dynamic I’ve supported, the biggest game-changer has always been this:<ul><li>How self-aware are the founders individually?</li><li>And how aware are they of each other?</li></ul>Understanding your communication style, your triggers, your decision-making tendencies, your blind spots, your stress responses, these are the insights that prevent small misunderstandings from becoming recurring patterns.This is why I incorporate tools like DiSC, founder interviews, and individual insight sessions into every engagement, because knowing yourself is the fastest way to understand how to work better with each other.<h3>Your Co-Founder Relationship Is an Asset — Treat It Like One</h3>We invest in product. We invest in marketing. We invest in people. We invest in systems.But the founder relationship? Most people assume it will just “work itself out.”Until it doesn’t.If you’re thinking about going into a co-founding relationship, give the partnership the same level of care you would give any other critical part of your business.Because the cost of misalignment later is far greater than the cost of being intentional early.<h3>Ready to Explore If You’re Truly Co-Founder Ready? </h3>I’ve created a free, practical tool to help founders make smart, informed decisions before stepping into a partnership.Download the Co-Founder Readiness Checklist A simple, powerful resource to help you spot gaps, strengths, misalignments, and conversations you need to have.

Before You Say “Yes”: What To Know Before Starting a Co-Founder Journey

Starting a business with a co-founder is often one of the most exciting career moves you can make. There’s shared vision, shared risk, and the energy that comes from building something together.But anyone who has been in that position knows that co-founding isn’t always smooth sailing.I know this first-hand. As someone who has co-founded a business myself, I understand the highs and the heavy moments. I also see it regularly in my work with leadership teams. Recently, I supported two co-founders who had grown their business to a point where old ways of working were no longer working. Their vision was strong, their commitment unquestionable, but their communication and alignment had started to fray.&nbsp; The Silent Cost of Misalignment When co-founders aren’t on the same page, the impact ripples through the whole organisation.<ul><li>Mixed messages to the team create confusion.</li><li>Decision-making slows down as discussions turn into debates.</li><li>Emotions run high, and the weight of unspoken frustrations begins to take a toll.</li></ul>In the case I worked with, one founder felt sidelined from big decisions, while the other was frustrated by what they saw as lack of follow-through. Both felt unrecognised for what they brought to the table. Neither was wrong, but without alignment, they were both losing energy and, ultimately, momentum.Why This Happens Co-founder tension usually isn’t about lack of skill or commitment. It’s about dynamics. Common triggers include:<ul><li>Unclear roles as the business grows.</li><li>Different communication styles that clash under pressure.</li><li>Shifting visions, what felt aligned at the start can diverge over time.</li><li>Lack of structured conversations about how to work together, not just what to work on.</li></ul>Research supports this. The COCO scale (Kozusznik &amp; Euwema, 2025) identifies four main dimensions where conflict most often arises:<ul><li>Money — equity, compensation, funding, financial risk.</li><li>Teamwork — who does what, workload, task boundaries.</li><li>Norms — work styles, communication norms, expectations.</li><li>Vision — divergent goals, strategies, or product priorities. </li></ul>And as a Brazil-based case study showed, operational conflicts (day-to-day decisions, task allocation) often escalate into affective conflicts (trust, respect, emotions) when feedback is mishandled or mistrust sets in. That’s when things get personal.The Silent Killer: Resentment The real danger isn’t the first argument, or even the tenth. It’s resentment.When frustrations go unspoken, when issues are swept aside, when differences aren’t addressed, resentment quietly builds. And once it hardens, it’s incredibly difficult to come back from.What Helps The good news? Co-founder relationships can be realigned. What it takes is structured, honest conversations in a safe environment. Some of the approaches I’ve found most effective include:<ul><li>Surfacing the unspoken: Creating space for frustrations to be voiced constructively.</li><li>Clarifying roles: Making explicit who leads what, and how decisions get made.</li><li>Using tools like DiSC: These frameworks help founders understand their own and each other’s styles, reducing friction and improving communication.</li><li>Designing agreements: Clear ways of working that both commit to and revisit regularly. </li></ul>With the co-founders I mentioned, the breakthrough came when they could see each other not as obstacles but as complementary. Once they had clarity around roles and acknowledged each other’s strengths, the energy shifted, and so did the culture around them.Why It Matters 65% of businesses fail due to co-founder conflict. Co-founders set the tone for the entire business. When they’re aligned, the team feels it. When they’re not, the team feels that too.That’s why investing in co-founder dynamics isn’t a luxury,&nbsp; it’s a necessity. It’s not about fixing what’s “broken”; it’s about making sure the relationship at the heart of the business is strong enough to carry it forward.Final Thought Having been a co-founder myself, I understand the pressures, the pride, and the vulnerability that come with it. It’s not easy, but it can be one of the most rewarding partnerships when it’s nurtured with intention.If you and your co-founder feel like you’re not quite pulling in the same direction, know that you’re not alone, and that with the right conversations, alignment is absolutely possible.

When Co-Founders Drift: Why Alignment Matters More Than You Think

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You’ve landed the job. You’ve met the team, survived the onboarding schedule, and are starting to find your rhythm. But around the three-month mark, something unexpected happens: the honeymoon is over.This is what I call the culture shock phase of starting a new role. It sneaks up on you just as you're starting to get your head around the basics. The new-job energy fades, the cracks and complexities of the organisation start to show, and you realise just how much you still don’t know. At the same time, expectations start to ramp up. You’re no longer “new” — but you don’t yet feel confident or fully equipped to deliver.If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. This in-between stage is one of the most common pain points I see in leadership onboarding. And the good news? There are some simple, practical things you can do to navigate it well.Set Mini Objectives and Milestones Instead of aiming to “crack the role,” narrow your focus to a few clear, short-term wins. These mini goals create structure when everything feels a bit unstructured. They also build momentum and confidence.Ask yourself:- What are 2–3 outcomes I want to achieve this month? - How do these connect to what success looks like in this role? Make Your Plan Visible Once you’ve got your objectives, share them. Whether it’s your manager, a mentor, or a peer, having someone in the loop keeps you aligned with expectations and gives you a sounding board.It also shows initiative — a subtle but powerful way to build trust during this phase.Keep Connecting the Dots When you’re new, one of your most important jobs is learning how things really work — not just on paper, but in practice. Systems, relationships, influence pathways — they’re often invisible unless you go looking.Make it a goal to talk to at least one new person each week. Be curious. Ask how they see the business, where they sit in the ecosystem, and what advice they have for someone new. Over time, these conversations will help you build context, credibility, and culture fluency.Start Noticing the Politics (Without Getting Sucked In) Around this time, you’ll likely start to see the real power structures at play — who influences decisions, how trust is built, where resistance lives, and which relationships really matter. This is normal, and it’s not a sign of dysfunction — every workplace has politics.The key here is observation over judgement. Rather than diving into the fray, step back and watch. Who gets listened to? How do decisions really get made? Who do people turn to for a quiet sense-check? This awareness gives you the lay of the land and helps you navigate without stepping on landmines.You don’t need to play politics — but you do need to understand them.Ask the “Dumb” Questions You might feel pressure to perform, but resist the urge to pretend you’ve got it all figured out. Now is the time to ask all the questions — especially the ones that feel basic.People are far more forgiving in your first 6 months than they will be in year two, so make the most of it. Clarity beats assumption every time.Watch for the Drift In this phase, it’s common to drift — away from the things you said you’d focus on, away from how you wanted to show up. Keep checking in with yourself:- Am I spending time on the right things? - Am I still showing up in a way that’s true to how I want to lead? Leadership is as much about course-correction as it is about direction.Look After Yourself Lastly — and this is big — don’t underestimate how mentally and emotionally taxing this transition can be. If you’re feeling tired or low in confidence, it’s not a sign you’re not cut out for the job. It’s a sign you’re human, and adapting.Create time for rest. Get outside. Move your body. Talk to someone who gets it. You’ll make better decisions when your system is regulated.The culture shock phase doesn’t last forever — but it’s a crucial moment. With a bit of structure, support, and self-awareness, you can move through it with purpose and set yourself up to thrive in the long term.

Beyond the Honeymoon: Navigating the Culture Shock Phase of a New Role

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Why it’s so hard to recognise until it’s already taken hold.I know burnout. Not because I support leaders through it (which I do), but because I’ve lived it.And the truth is, I didn’t fully realise I was burned out until after I’d clawed my way through it.Burnout doesn’t always show up the way we expect — in a dramatic collapse or a full-blown breakdown. Sometimes, it’s quiet. It creeps in while you’re still hitting your deadlines, still showing up to meetings, still keeping things afloat. From the outside, it can look like you’ve got it together.But inside, something starts to shift.For me, it was the sense of heaviness. The constant fog. The quiet voice that kept asking, “Is this it?” And the deep, unshakeable tiredness — the kind that no weekend off could fix.<h3>&nbsp;The Burnout Myth: It’s Not Just About Working Too Hard</h3>There’s a common assumption that burnout only happens when you’re working too many hours or pushing too hard. But that’s not always true.Burnout isn’t just about overwork — it’s about working in ways that are unsustainable for you.It’s about misalignment.You can be doing long hours and still feel energised when you’re working on something that matters to you, in an environment that supports your values, your voice, and your pace.But when you’re operating in a system that constantly clashes with who you are — whether it’s unclear expectations, poor leadership, a lack of autonomy, or emotional disconnection — burnout can sneak in fast, even if the workload seems “manageable.”<h3>Why It’s So Hard to See When You’re In It </h3>Burnout distorts your perception. You start to normalise the fatigue. You explain away the disconnection. You push through the fog because you think, “This is just a busy season.”Until it becomes your normal.And by the time you realise something’s wrong, you’re already deep in the spiral — operating in survival mode, unable to make clear decisions, and feeling like your spark has gone missing.That’s what makes burnout so dangerous for leaders. We’re often the last to admit we’re not okay — and the first to push harder.<h3>&nbsp;What Helped Me Reset </h3>I didn’t bounce back overnight. And I didn’t need a six-week sabbatical to begin healing either.What helped me most was:<ul><li>Tiny pauses - even 5 minutes a day to step back and breathe</li><li>Getting honest - with myself and with others about how I was feeling</li><li>Making space - to reconnect with what and who mattered and let go of what didn’t</li><li>Changing the pace - not quitting everything, but adjusting how I worked </li></ul>This is why I created my Leadership Reset Toolkit — to give other leaders the circuit breaker I wish I had earlier. Not a bandaid, but a starting point to breathe, reflect, and lead differently.<h3>You’re Not Broken — You’re Burned Out </h3>If you’re reading this and something’s resonating, take it seriously.You don’t need to wait for a breakdown to make a change. And you don’t have to do it alone.Burnout isn’t weakness. It’s your system sending you a message: “This way of working isn’t working for you anymore.”Listen to that message. Start with a reset. And remember — you don’t need to fix everything. Just begin.Want to try a small reset today?Download my free 5-Minute Leadership Reset — a simple way to shift your state and reconnect with what matters.Click<a data-mce-href="https://payhip.com/b/jbSlW" href="https://payhip.com/b/jbSlW"> here </a>to get the free guide.

Burnout Doesn’t Always Look Like Burnout

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<h2>The Importance of Executive Onboarding</h2>Executive onboarding is a critical process for any organisation aiming to integrate new leaders effectively. Unlike traditional employee onboarding, which focuses on basic orientation, executive onboarding is about ensuring a smooth transition into the role, aligning leadership with the vision and strategic goals and embedding into the culture. This process helps ensure that new executives can contribute positively and swiftly to their teams and the business as a whole.<figure id="figure-96trpmlulkm7dunxs4"><img id="96trpmlulkm7dunxs4" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/bJfweLUoaCngaH2o025E2lIo7vz0jCFSpMRTwaTLNb0MlppUDbOC2QfN0YaKSe1w.jpeg" alt="executive onboarding" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/bJfweLUoaCngaH2o025E2lIo7vz0jCFSpMRTwaTLNb0MlppUDbOC2QfN0YaKSe1w.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure><h3>The Challenges of Transitioning a new Role at the Executive Level</h3>Starting a new role at a senior level comes with its unique set of challenges. New leaders must quickly understand the organisation's culture, navigate complex interpersonal dynamics, and align their vision with existing strategic goals. Without proper support, these challenges can lead to frustration and inefficiency, potentially resulting in high turnover rates at senior levels.Coaching plays a pivotal role in smoothing these transitions. With the right coaching support, executives can gain the insights and confidence needed to overcome these initial hurdles and set a strong foundation for their tenure.<h3>How Coaching Facilitates Smooth Transitions</h3>Coaching provides guidance tailored to the individual needs of the executive, helping them navigate the complexities of a new role with confidence. This support can cover various aspects, including:Culture Adaptation – Coaches help new leaders decode the unspoken rules, values, and cultural nuances within the business, ensuring they integrate seamlessly. Building Key Relationships – Through coaching, leaders can identify critical stakeholders and develop strategies to build strong, productive relationships that enhance collaboration and influence. Alignment to Expectations – Coaches work with leaders to align their personal goals with the organisation's strategy, ensuring they lead with clarity and purpose. Ensuring Personal Wellbeing – Transitions can be demanding, and coaching helps leaders establish routines that support their mental, emotional, and physical resilience, preventing burnout and sustaining high performance. Decision-Making Confidence – A coach serves as a sounding board, helping leaders refine their decision-making process, manage uncertainty, and act with conviction. Accelerated Impact – By addressing potential blind spots and guiding leaders through critical first steps, coaching enables them to make meaningful contributions more quickly.With structured coaching support, executives not only integrate faster but also lead with greater clarity, confidence, and effectiveness.<figure id="figure-rdltfra4wfm7duo447"><img id="rdltfra4wfm7duo447" src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/13P71ZWWifgyg9nLHTOCzIDqzXfQSEMtJwqzhQIogCfsqWiIQHvZpqDOFFRqaDbB.jpeg" alt="leadership coaching" class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/getty/13P71ZWWifgyg9nLHTOCzIDqzXfQSEMtJwqzhQIogCfsqWiIQHvZpqDOFFRqaDbB.jpeg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></figure>Incorporating coaching into executive onboarding is an investment in success. By providing new leaders with the tools and support they need to navigate their roles effectively, organizations can foster stronger leadership, improve retention rates, and ultimately drive better business outcomes. As more companies recognise these benefits, coaching is becoming an integral part of successful executive onboarding strategies worldwide.

Leadership Lens (Blog)

Old School Leadership Still Matters — But It’s Not Enough...

Before You Say “Yes”: What To Know Before Starting a Co-F...

When Co-Founders Drift: Why Alignment Matters More Than Y...

Beyond the Honeymoon: Navigating the Culture Shock Phase ...

Burnout Doesn’t Always Look Like Burnout

Smooth Transitions: The Role of Coaching in Executive Onb...