One of the biggest myths about executive leadership is that the higher you rise, the more autonomy you gain. In reality, the higher you go, the more people you must influence and the more stakeholders you must answer to.

At the Director level, you’re responsible for guiding your immediate team. As a VP, your sphere of influence expands to cross-functional peers and senior executives. As a CEO, you’re accountable to the board, investors, regulators, employees, and the broader market. With each step up, your success hinges not just on your ability to execute but on your ability to gain buy-in from a larger and more complex set of stakeholders.

We often talk about leadership as if it’s a function of skill: strategic thinking, technical ability, decision-making under pressure.

But here’s the truth backed by science: leadership lives and dies in relationships.

When organizations hire or promote leaders based solely on technical expertise or individual performance, they frequently overlook a critical dimension—relational orientation. That’s the tendency to build long-term, trust-based connections rather than operating on a purely transactional, give-to-get mindset.

It might seem subtle. But the difference shapes how people build teams, resolve conflict, motivate others, and create cultures of trust—or fear.

And in executive roles, this difference isn’t just helpful. It’s foundational.

There’s a pattern I’ve seen too often in fast-growing companies—especially small to midsize firms scaling quickly.

A team doubles in size. Revenues climb. The pressure to execute is intense. In the middle of all this momentum, high-performing employees get promoted. It makes sense. Reward performance. Recognize drive. Put people in charge.

And it works—on paper.

But soon enough, cracks begin to show.

In the intricate web of corporate hierarchies, it's not just technical prowess that propels individuals up the ladder of success. It's a blend of power, influence, and an astute understanding of political dynamics that truly sets the stage for career advancement. In this blog post, we delve into the world of political skill and its significance in organizational growth, leadership, and the art of negotiation.

In today's fast-paced professional landscape, the gender impact on various aspects of the workplace isn't just a talking point; it's a call to action. Research consistently sheds light on disparities experienced by men and women, from leadership roles and pay gaps to confidence levels and mentorship opportunities. But here's the exciting part: it's not just about recognizing these inequalities; it's about empowering women to reshape their internal self-models, boost their confidence, and boldly navigate their career paths.

This week I’ve been having many conversations about asking for your worth in Negotiations, and I wanted to share some thoughts of encouragement for people struggling in this area. The main problem is not that people aren’t giving you what you are worth; it’s that you don’t understand what you are worth enough to ask confidently! It is essential to realise that this is a common fear, especially among women and minorities (people in ‘lower’ power positions in society). In knowing that this is a common fear, don’t take it personally. There is nothing wrong with you that you experience self-doubt. But, feeling the doubt is not the way out of it…. So let’s talk about how to minimise self-doubt by becoming more critical regarding of the voices that you allow to impact your actions.

Finding resources for helping women succeed in their professional lives can be difficult as strategies that men use do not always translate well to women. Consider that in 2018 the Global Gender Gap Report by the World Economic Forum estimates that we still have 108 years to close the global economic gender gap, while research continues to find systematic gender bias in the way that individuals interpret female behaviours at work.