Julia Middleton's thoughts on leadership

I was recently sitting on the top table next to a speaker at an event. The next speaker due to address those present sat on my right while the Chair was on my left. At the last moment the Chair leaned over and whispered in my ear: “Would you mind terribly if I made a [...]

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Networking itself isn’t the be all and end all; you need to learn how to network. You need to push and challenge yourself to make the most of it says Julia Middleton.

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Someone drew a parallel for me between royal leaders and leaders of huge corporations and organisations. I don’t know if its true but it has made me think. He talked about how kings and queens are aware of their position and how there is a clear, if invisible, line that you cannot cross when you [...]

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I recently met a very senior, very analytical and very inspiring leader from China. We were talking about the need to pass on knowledge in societies. He told me that this was a ridiculous idea in China. “No one passes on knowledge,” he said, “knowledge is what you hold on to.” After all why would [...]

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Sometimes someone suddenly stands out at a meeting and makes a point with total clarity and finesse based on their very considerable knowledge and expertise. And when they do you realise how much rubbish you talk yourself and listen to from others. A short time ago one of the Common Purpose trustees stopped us all [...]

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With the new year came a new brochure for a new leadership event. With big names and masses of them. Global leaders. Mega names. Huge concepts. The events compete for bigger names and longer lists. Is this where we should be looking for tips, models and inspiration on leadership? I am ever more convinced by [...]

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Small acts. Small unexpected acts. Small unexpected quiet acts. They have a huge impact. I seldom do anything as “Mrs. Middleton”. Over Christmas I attended something alongside my husband as “the wife”. It was a carol service and he did the final reading. As he spoke most of us in the congregation followed him on [...]

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I met someone who liberally used the expression “grown-up leaders” this morning. I asked him what grown-up meant for him. He said he had discovered the answer by reading books by Austrian and British philosopher Karl Popper. He said that grown-up leaders had discovered and understood two things: That when they make the big decisions [...]

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I heard someone explaining how, as leaders, we need to work better together by using the analogy of a demonstration. You have to learn to link arms because this means you don’t fall and that the strongest sets the pace for all. The person sitting next to him agreed but added – remembering his demonstrating [...]

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Everyone has a different way of assessing people. Just spoke to someone who always uses “winners” and “survivors”. Any organisation, he says, needs a lot of survivors to do the work in a professional way. Any organisation also needs winners because they will create something new. He says of course there are losers but most [...]

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