Julia Middleton's Thoughts on Leadership

This week I read an article by Robert Bruce in Financial Director that highlighted the need for some plain speaking honesty from financial directors. It really hit the nail on the head for me when I think how arrogant and self-important ‘closed shop’ speak can be, and how flawed the communications skills of many leaders [...]

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In amongst all the noise from Davos – and I’m only concerned that there is so much to listen to that people will switch off – but it is lovely to hear from a banker in this film who actually did do a great job in 2009.
What comes across when he speaks about the World [...]

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As ever, Christmas and the holiday season has crept up – even more so now that I don’t have small children’s nativity plays to go to, which used to get you in the mood. Now, before I know it, I’m panicking about food and presents and wondering where the year went.
This year its not just [...]

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I am on the flight to Mumbai, home of Bollywood, celebrity and fame.
The last few days have been about deciding the business plan with the board and my colleagues in India. We have been working through which of the multitude of opportunities here we are going to do first. And there are almost infinite opportunities [...]

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Where do you turn for new insights, or to throw yourself into the unfamiliar? Do you have to take a year out and travel the globe? Or should you simply go out in your own street and see it through another person’s eyes?
I explained the Common Purpose 360 Day (an invitation from Common Purpose to do [...]

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There is an interesting discussion on the Common Purpose LinkedIn group encouraging us to be brave enough to answer the question “Why should anyone be led by you?” – not an easy one. How would you answer it?
 In the discussion there is the suggestion that you should think about whether you are consistent in your [...]

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I was brought up to have no respect for any position, age, background or title. My father told me that no one was better than me other than as a result of their ability, experience, achievements or character. At best people like this in me, and at worst they think my lack of deference is [...]

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A couple of weeks ago, I spent the day with several Egyptians. None of them saw Obama in person – they had been told not to go out on their balcony or even look out of their window as his motorcade went past – but they heard his speech and told me with delight, “It’s [...]

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Strange how the world suddenly stops. Someone needs you totally; someone you care for dies. Suddenly, the vast action list of the morning becomes irrelevant.
Nothing like this has happened, but I am in quarantine – my son has swine flu! So people with masks over their faces come and check us out at home, and [...]

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A whole host of Common Purpose graduates send me information about their mad ideas, but the maddest probably arrived this morning – it was great!
At first, I wasn’t sure I was really up for today and thought it would be better to sleep through it. Common Purpose is, just occasionally, really hard work, and two [...]

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