My (mostly) weekly thoughts on leadership, high performance, wellbeing and more.

Have a read through, or you can see a complete index here

Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

How to plug into the hive without losing yourself

Strong leadership teams can think fast and move in sync - but that same cohesion can sometimes dilute individual judgment. How do you navigate the tension between being a valuable part of the group and staying grounded in your own thinking? True distributed consciousness needs both.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

Aligned or just agreeable?

Are you mistaking agreement for alignment?
It’s easy to confuse polite nods for genuine buy-in. But when people hold back their real views, execution falters. In this post, we explore how distributed consciousness - not surface consensus - creates real alignment, and why constructive challenge is a sign of a healthy team.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

Leadership is designing how your team thinks

You don’t have to do all the thinking.
But you are shaping how it happens.

The best leaders don’t just give answers—they quietly design how their team thinks: what people notice, how they decide, and how they feel when things are uncertain.

Shifting from being the central brain to the architect of collective thinking might be your most powerful leadership move yet.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

The best leaders do less

Leadership isn’t about doing it all. It’s about knowing what not to do. The best executives deploy the art of subtraction… here’s how.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

Overthinking is undermining your leadership. Here’s how to stop

Confidence isn’t about knowing everything - it’s about trusting yourself to navigate what comes next. But too much hesitation can derail even the most seasoned leaders. If you’ve ever second-guessed a decision or held back in a meeting, this one’s for you. Here’s how to tap into your expertise and lead with conviction.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

The Leadership Metrics No-one Talks About

Most leadership success is measured in numbers—revenue, engagement, retention. But some of the most critical leadership skills aren’t easily tracked.

How well do you handle unfinished business? Can you influence beyond your authority? Do you recover quickly from bad decisions?

These invisible factors separate good leaders from great ones. In this post, we break down five leadership metrics no one talks about—but every leader should master.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

How to lead a change you don’t agree with

One of the toughest challenges in leadership is guiding your team through a change you don’t fully agree with. It’s a test of professionalism, resilience, and values—especially when the line between authenticity and organisational unity feels razor-thin. Here are some tips for handling this challenge.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

The leadership unicorn … in a Venn diagram

Working with a client a few weeks ago, we came up with this model for the "perfect" senior leader. They combine strategy, execution, team building and influence. Where do you see yourself on the model?

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

Comfort zones are underrated

Learning and growth requires stretch and discomfort AND rest and consolidation. In the zeitgeisty rush to get out of our comfort zones, don’t forget to head back there sometimes for a little R&R.

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Madeleine Shaw Madeleine Shaw

Influence vs manipulation

Whether through manipulation or influence, a leader drives decisions and changes how others act or respond. If you’re someone who “doesn’t do politics”, consider whether these insights might help you to dial up your impact without sacrificing your moral compass.

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