This week, we’re sharing a few stories and insights about leadership that caught our attention. From creating spaces where teams feel seen and trusted to leading with purpose, empathy, and curiosity, these highlights show how leaders are making a real difference every day.
🤝 Why Great Leaders Make the Best Hosts.
Great leaders, like great hosts, create spaces where people feel seen, valued, and trusted. This style, known as Invitational Leadership, encourages connection, brings out the best in teams, and fosters a culture where people want to show up fully.
In a world increasingly driven by AI and automation, human connection is more important than ever. If you want to lead with empathy and help your team thrive, this is a must read.
🎙️ Did you know that 12 countries in the world generate 90% or more of their energy from renewables, and 7 of these are at 100%.
This is one of the questions that our hosts Graeme Codrington and Dean van Leeuwen discussed during our latest Elephants in the Boardroom podcast episode.
How many can you name? Here are some clues before you begin…
- Biggest wind generators: USA, China, UK
- Biggest solar generators: China, USA, Japan
- Biggest fossil consumers: USA, China, India
- Renewables mix (global): Hydro 47%, Wind 26%, Solar 18%, Biomass 8%, Geothermal 1%
- Renewables supplied roughly 30% of global electricity in 2023
And yet… none of those volume leaders make the 90%+ club.
Big volumes ≠ high shares. You’ll have to pop over to Dean’s LinkedIn post here to find the answers, or you can listen to the full podcast episode here, where Multipolarity, wars and rumours of wars, and the future of supply chains are included in the conversation.
You can listen to the full podcast episode here on Apple, or here on Spotify.
🛟Keeping Spirits Up in Anxious Times: Lessons for Today’s Leaders.
When uncertainty rises, anxiety often follows, and teams look to their leaders for stability. Economic pressures, AI disruption, and constant change can drain morale fast.
In this brand-new Harvard Business Review article, Ranjay Gulati shares practical ways leaders can keep their teams grounded and inspired. From clarifying purpose to modeling values and leading with calm determination, it’s a timely reminder of the difference leadership makes when the world feels shaky.
👉 Read the full article here: How to Keep Your Team’s Spirits Up in Anxious Times.
🌍 Dean van Leeuwen Live at the New HR Summit 2025 in Turkey.
Dean van Leeuwen, Strategic Sherpa and Speaker, will be delivering a keynote at the New HR Summit 2025 later this month in Turkey. Dean blends futurist insight, bold storytelling, and practical wisdom to inspire leaders to create tomorrow rather than simply predict it.
His keynote will focus on how HR and leadership can build bionic organisations, where people and technology work in harmony while driving innovation, trust, and purpose.
There’s a great lineup of speakers at The New HR Summit. Tickets for this event, happening on the 24th of September, are available either in person or online, here.
🧭 Lead with confidence in a brittle, anxious, non-linear world.
In today’s world, leaders need to navigate both a challenging context and the practical realities of leading people. That’s why we offer two complementary frameworks: BANI Leadership, which helps leaders make sense of a world that feels brittle, anxious, non-linear and incomprehensible – and equips them with the APEX response: Anti-fragile, Purpose-driven, Explorers, Xenophiles.
Alongside this, Invitational Leadership provides a simple, human-centred model for bringing out the best in people through respect, intentionality, optimism, and trust. One frames the challenge, the other shapes the response – together they help leaders thrive.
Not sure which is right for you? Let’s talk, and we’ll help you find the best fit for your current challenges and goals. Get in touch and book a 30-minute call with us.