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72% of leaders say their organisations are not fully ready for the changes ahead.
19 August 2026That statistic stopped me when I read McKinsey & Company State of Organizations 2026 report (BTW I would recommend reading). Not because change is new, but because despite everything organisations have learned about disruption, resilience and transformation, almost three-quarters of leaders still don’t believe their organisation is fully ready for what comes next.Perhaps that’s because being ready for change isn’t the same as having a change plan. You may have the strategy, the programme, the technology, the project plan even the communications, but what about the people who have to make it happen? 🔶 How comfortable are they with uncertainty?🔶 How willing are they to challenge assumptions, experiment and unlearn what has worked before?🔶 And are leaders creating the trust and psychological safety people need to speak up, learn and adapt? McKinsey argues that organisations increasingly need to develop change as a CONTINUOUS capability rather than treating it as a one-off project.I think that’s an important distinction. Here at Resourceful People Group Ltd, we believe in “People First, Change Ready” and becoming change ready isn’t just about processes and plans.It requires the human capabilities that enable people to navigate change successfully. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) helps us understand ourselves and others, build trust and lead people […]
Read the articleNice to hear it makes a difference:
14 August 2026Very humbled to have received this: “Steve (from Resourceful People Group Ltd) feedback on my AQ (Adaptability Quotient) psychometric assessment was insightful, considerate and highly constructive. He took the time to explain the results in a clear and balanced way, helping me understand both my strengths and the areas where I could further develop my effectiveness. Rather than simply focusing on the scores, Steve encouraged meaningful reflection and provided practical suggestions that helped me identify priorities for personal and professional growth. His supportive approach created a positive environment for the conversation and left me with a clear sense of actionable progress steps. I found the session both engaging and beneficial with some timely and well managed insight.” — Helen If you want to know more and how we can make a real difference personally or within your team then please reach out to us to find out more.
Read the article🌟 Sometimes the most valuable part of learning is discovering what we need to let go of 🌟
12 August 2026Yesterday I submitted my application to become a certified AQai Level 3 Master Practitioner. I’m obviously hoping I’ve done enough to achieve the accreditation, but the process has made me reflect on something rather more important than another qualification. The AQai practitioner pathway has evolved alongside its expanding adaptability toolkit — from Level 1 ‘Foundations’, through Level 2 ‘Professional’, and now to the newly introduced Level 3 ‘Master’. I’ve been fortunate to be part of the inaugural L3 cohort, led by AQai CEO and co-founder Ross Thornley, MABP. But here’s the irony. The further I’ve progressed in studying adaptability, the more I’ve realised that mastery isn’t necessarily about just knowing more.Sometimes it’s about being willing to question what we think we already know. Years working across HR, leadership, change and business inevitably create patterns — assumptions about what works and shortcuts based on experience. That’s valuable. Until, perhaps, it isn’t. Two areas I’ve reflected whilst absorbing the L3 syllabus were my relationship with the sub-dimensions of ‘Mindset’ and ‘Unlearning’. Perhaps part of wanting to become expert is developing the mindset to question what experience has taught us and the ability to unlearn it when it no longer serves us (whether it is a total or […]
Read the articleHere’s a leadership paradox I’ve been reflecting on recently… 🤔
30 July 2026The quality of the final picture isn’t determined by who holds the box. It’s determined by whether the person holding the missing piece feels safe enough to speak. The most effective leaders don’t create environments where everyone agrees.They create environments where people feel safe enough to improve the quality of the decision before it’s made. When organisations talk about implementing change, the conversation often begins with the plan.🔸 The strategy.🔸 The timeline.🔸 The milestones.🔸 The communication.All of those matter, but I’ve increasingly come to believe that one of the most overlooked enablers of successful change is something far less tangible. 👀 Psychological safety 👀 Not because it makes people feel comfortable, but because it allows people to make the change better. When people feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to ask:▪️ “Can I clarify something?”▪️ “Have we considered the impact on…?”▪️ “I’m not convinced this will achieve what we hope.”▪️ “Could there be a better way forward?”Those questions shouldn’t be seen as resistance. More often than not, they’re acts of contribution. The organisations that navigate change most effectively aren’t necessarily those with the smartest leaders. They are the ones that remain adaptable and are often those where leaders create environments […]
Read the articleEurostar & The Hope Extinguisher !
22 July 2026A few weeks ago, my kids & I enjoyed a wonderful few days together in Amsterdam. Then came the journey home. A major power failure meant our Eurostar train was cancelled. Like hundreds of others, we suddenly found ourselves facing uncertainty with very little information. Plans changed, meetings had to be rearranged, an extra night away from home became unavoidable and, at times, the communication left many of us feeling more uncertain than reassured. What concerned me most was being told the disruption could last for an unspecified number of days, with little guidance beyond effectively saying, “Find your own way home.” Looking back, I realised what I experienced wasn’t simply disruption.It was Change Uncertainty. When we don’t know what’s happening, our minds try to fill the gaps.We may speculate, imagine worst-case scenarios, become frustrated, lose confidence or search for certainty where there isn’t any. These are natural human reactions. As I booked the holiday myself my first instinct was to solve the problem. I searched ferries, flights and every alternative I could think of, but without success. Then I remembered Marco Williams from Travel Counsellors, who supports our business travel, and I decided to listen to my own counsel, let […]
Read the articleOne sentence caught my attention this week.
16 July 2026In a thought-provoking article published in the Financial Times (15 July 2026), Mark Freebairn, Partner and Head of the Board, Chair & Non-Executive Director Practice at Odgers, was quoted as: “If I’m a chair, I have to think that there is a world where the CEO goes tomorrow, there’s a world where the CEO goes in two years and a world where the CEO goes in five.” On the surface, it’s a comment about succession planning but I think it highlights something much bigger. It recognises that uncertainty is no longer the exception. It has become part of leadership itself. The same article goes on to suggest that executive search firms are placing increasing emphasis on a leader’s “inner game”—qualities such as self-awareness, self-management, resilience, identity and adaptability—alongside their technical expertise. That made me reflect. At Resourceful People Group Ltd, we’ve long believed that helping leaders thrive requires more than technical capability alone. It requires us to understand and leverage the combined power of IQ, EQ and AQ (Adaptability Quotient) if we’re to navigate an increasingly complex and constantly changing world. For many years, organisations have invested in helping people better understand themselves through personality profiling and related psychometric tools. I […]
Read the articleWell what a wonderful day today has been
8 July 2026I was delighted to have been back at Samuel Whitbread Academy, hosted by Lee Huckle and Louisa Freeman. As some of you know I have been connected with this superb school for a number of years but today I had the honour (along with circa 35 other wonderful volunteers) to provide their year 10 with some interview experience. What was lovely was that without exception when the interviewers where chatting in-between sessions we all commented how positive and engaging the students where, demonstrating the school values in real time. Yes some of the students were nervous etc and there were learning opportunities for them all but we need to remind ourselves that they are only circa 15 years old but it was great to hear how they could relate some of their own experiences into ‘meaningful’ evidence that they can show being relevant to their future workplace. Huge credit to the SWA team and Nick Martin. Great to also meet up with some familiar faces as part of the interview team, giving up their own time to this worthy cause, including: Mark Harrison, Alexandra Blinkhorne-Mason, Thomas Rowell, Alison Wilshaw. Thank you for making my day a ‘good’ day.
Read the articleInternational Day of Hope – 12th July
23 June 2026I recently discovered that 12th July is recognised as International Day of Hope. Given that I’ve recently written a book called The Architecture of Hope, it seemed an appropriate moment to pause and reflect on why hope matters. For many people, hope is often viewed as something soft. A feeling. A wish. A nice idea. Or even just blind optimism. Yet over the last few years, through Resourceful People Group Ltd and my work with leaders, teams and organisations navigating uncertainty and change, I’ve become increasingly convinced that hope is far more practical than that. When hope is present, people tend to find solutions, persevere through challenges and take meaningful action. When hope is absent, even the best plans can struggle. In fact, one of the observations that ultimately led me to write The Architecture of Hope was this: People rarely disengage from change because they don’t understand the plan. More often, they disengage because they stop believing that a better future is possible. Over the coming weeks, as we approach International Day of Hope, I’ll be sharing some reflections on what hope means, why it matters, how it can help individuals, teams and organisations navigate uncertainty, and how we can even begin […]
Read the article🎉 Wow… what a fantastic two days at the Festival of Work! 🎉
16 June 2026Now that the dust has settled, the whole team at Resourceful People Group Ltd would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who visited us on Stand J30. We had the privilege of meeting so many HR professionals, leaders and change-makers, and what stood out most were the quality of the conversations we had around a challenge that affects every organisation today: How do we keep people at the heart of change in a world where change never stops? Those conversations are exactly why we do what we do. We were also absolutely delighted by the response to our three competitions and prize draws, with over 40 winners now selected across: 🎁 A copy of The Architecture of Hope🎁 Insights Discovery® personal assessments & debriefs (Insights)🎁 AQai® adaptability assessments & personalised debriefs (AQai – Adaptability Assessments & Coaching) If you entered, please keep an eye on your email and LinkedIn messages as our team will be contacting all of the successful winners shortly. For those who weren’t lucky enough to win this time — thank you for taking part. We genuinely appreciated the opportunity to meet you, learn about your organisations, and start what we hope will be an ongoing conversation. The energy, openness and […]
Read the articleTomorrow, it begins…the wait is almost over…
9 June 2026Tomorrow, it begins…the wait is almost over… Today is set-up day, and tomorrow the doors open for the Festival of Work at ExCeL London. Over the next two days, the Resourceful People Group Ltd team will be on Stand J30 talking about something we believe has never been more important: People First. Change Ready. Because whilst strategy matters, successful organisations know that strategy alone is not enough. Strategy sets the direction. People determine whether change succeeds. Whether you’re leading transformation, developing leaders, strengthening culture, improving adaptability, or simply trying to help your organisation thrive in an increasingly uncertain world, we’d love to meet you. And because no exhibition would be complete without a little fun, we’re running not one, but three free prize draws, with opportunities to win: 📖 A signed copy of my book, “The Architecture of Hope” 🔶 A full Insights Discovery® Personal Profile and professional debrief 🔶 A full AQai® Adaptability Assessment and personalised debrief So if you’re attending the Festival of Work, come and say hello to the team at Stand J30. We’d love to hear about the challenges you’re facing, share some ideas, and explore how organisations can build the capability to think clearly, connect deeply and adapt […]
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