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“By accident rather than by design,” is typically how I explain how I began consulting in the latter half of 2023 but there’s an element of subconscious design in arriving at this stage in my career. While there are many ways in which consulting suits my personality, style of work and family commitments, I’ve always been reluctant to take the leap of faith, erring on the side of caution and choosing “stability” over the right fit.
Stability proved to be a contradiction in terms after I was made redundant midway through 2022. Yet, in hindsight, I seemed fully prepared to sleepwalk straight back into a similar role. That last full-time employment I held was as Chief Operating Officer (COO) – a demanding role that consumed more of my energy than it ever should have – yet I was preparing to get back on the merry-go-round without much hesitation. Thankfully, a series of serendipitous events led me down a different path to where I am today, ready to embrace this latest challenge.
Over the following weeks and months, I had interviewed for similar COO roles and start-up founder opportunities that were suitable on paper and seemed on some level to be a logical next step but I failed to find the right fit for distinctly different reasons – but ultimately the same underlying reason, intuitively they were the wrong move.
Growing increasingly frustrated as the right fit failed to materialise, I invested heavily in the only commodity I will take from this world…. myself.
My wife had regularly implored me to consider an appointment with a career coach – although I had some fleeting Google searches for such an expert over the years, I never took the final step – the fit didn’t seem right. Then one late Autumn afternoon in 2022, I returned from a walk in the Galway countryside where I live and when I took my phone from my pocket to catch up on what I might have been missing, the LinkedIN app was open and the page presented was an “Intuitive Coach” who operated locally. I hadn’t searched for this type of profile on LinkedIn or even heard of this person but the ensuing engagement was a very positive one and a reset in terms of how I approached evaluating the next step in my career. The output of these sessions was a reshaped set of expectations in terms of how my professional and private life could unfold.
The precise detail of this personal exercise will be kept for those closest to me but as a brief summary of time invested in myself following the coaching in 2022, I did the following: journaled relentlessly; learned to swim; reviewed psychometric tests, astrology charts and Enneagram reports; practiced qigong and regular meditation; occasionally wrote poetry; baked sourdough bread; took up karate; had several acupuncture, reflexology and reiki sessions; ran hundreds of kilometres and hiked various peaks around Ireland - most of which I did alone, with my own thoughts. During this months that followed, I also volunteered my services to a couple of start-ups, contributing to various early stage projects and offering advice based on my own experience. The work itself ticked a lot of the right boxes and seeing early stage start-ups mature is a rewarding endeavour but I didn't feel enough attachment to commit to the relentless demands of a full-time role had it presented itself. It did however, give me an indication of where my passion lies in business - supporting innovators with a methodology I've honed over many years. While 2023 didn't play out as initially planned, the impact of the events of the year on my career path and my life in general has been very beneficial
I have many strong values which manifest in different ways depending on the situation. These five are the non-negotiables that have come to the fore repeatedly during this period of reflection:
Respect – Integrity – Authenticity – Accountability – Autonomy
These values act as a barometer for what projects I am likely to take on. The values of the organisation and its leaders must resonate with my own. If there is no alignment in core values, it’s best not to engage in collaborative projects.
This deliberate and considerable focus on self-awareness has taught me I can come across as a perfectionist, argumentative, stubborn, headstrong and at times intimidating – never intentionally demonstrating these traits but nonetheless, these are aspects of my personality that I am more conscious of now and act as an important reminder to pause and consider my approach.
As I embark on this consultancy journey, I have set five rules for how I live life based on my experience to-date.
These rules are intertwined and interdependent. Each of these five rules are explained in more detail below.
This begins with being honest with myself – listening to my intuition and heeding the signals when something isn’t quite right. Integrity is the practice of being honest and an important building block for earning trust, facilitating a positive culture where autonomy and accountability go hand-in-hand and spurring loyalty with different stakeholders. Being honest is also an important component of setting expectations and critical appraisal. Honesty can be difficult to hear at times but without it, lines are blurred and performance slips.
Too many people work themselves into the ground (literally) in pursuit of a joyful retirement that they never get to experience. They commit (and sometimes over-commit) in jobs that offer limited and even zero job satisfaction, often trudging through life wishing their days away for the promise of something on the horizon that may or may not materialise. This is not for me – I actively practice gratitude for all that life offers, every day – even when times get tough, I remind myself to find moments of joy in every day. This can be as simple as 30 minutes playing guitar at the end of a day or a walk in the forest but the daily ritual is an important reset.
I’ve found this practice to have a powerful impact on my overall attitude, especially when things are not going as I would like.
The Sydney Swans AFL team infamously had a “no dickheads” policy in the early 2000s – a typically blunt but effective Aussie attitude to organisational culture. And it worked a treat, as coach Paul Roos led the Swans to Premiership victory in 2005. This is not a new phenomenon – Peter Drucker is an oft quoted business strategist who once said: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” – never a truer word spoken in business.
I’ve experienced incredibly toxic workplace cultures and I’m glad to say I’ve experienced amazingly positive workplace environments too and the key difference between the two has always been the leaders of those organisations.
Culture starts at the top and the great leaders I’ve worked with have typically shown incredible self-awareness; a low tolerance for negativity; constantly lead by example; are open to a high degree of trust – ultimately they walk the walk with authenticity, consistency, objectivity and humility.
Poor leaders, in my experience display huge egos; lack empathy; are inconsistent; routinely play oneupmanship; are poor communicators; are micro-managers – they may not realise it, but as a consequence of this unpredictable behaviour they are viewed negatively by employees and colleagues, which breeds doubt and a downward spiral of negativity which rarely ends well.
I seek to work for organisations led by good characters. There are enough battles to be won with external forces without fighting internal battles. No whip-crackers, no knee-jerkers, no silver bullets and no assholes.
Value presents itself in many ways in business – the value of inputs like time; the contribution of a team member; the reliability and quality of a supplier and outputs like your brand; product or service and departing staff members. For different reasons, businesses have to compromise on the price they are willing to pay for inputs or what they charge for their product or service – but there is a trade-off that has to be accepted as part of the compromise.
Value is the kernel at the heart of respect which is a cornerstone of a constructive, collegiate culture. If you truly value your team members and their contribution, then you will pay them what they are worth to your organisation instead of haggling for the ‘best deal’ or the upperhand in negotiations.
“If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys” and “buy cheap, buy twice” are two common phrases which illustrate this point. I’m prepared to compromise on price, but I don’t compromise on value.
We all have biases as a result of socialisation and social conditioning from our families, educational institutions and peer groups. Being cognisant of inherent biases and demonstrating impartiality is important in leadership. Any kind of discrimination or favouritism is a slippery slope towards a malign workplace culture. There have been times where I have witnessed unfair treatment, either directly or indirectly, and failed to speak up – fear is not a viable excuse for turning a blind eye to bad behaviour.
Ensuring fairness can be a difficult balancing act at times for leaders but beginning with an honest intent and assessing each situation with objectivity and consistency breeds the kind of leadership that people have faith in. When people are treated unfairly, it’s important to take corrective action rather than sweeping it under the carpet where it will fester and return – speak up, with honesty and integrity.
If this approach to business resonates with you as a leader in your own field and you would like to have a chat over a coffee, please get in touch.
