Articles
About once a month I write short articles on leadership and team-related subjects. Right now (June 2023), you’ll find over 80 of them, grouped under the 12 categories you’ll see in the scrollbar below. Just choose one category (or “all articles”), scroll down to see what’s available and click the article you’d like to read. All articles are free; you just have to sign up first. You can do that before or after choosing your article.
Two Tools for 4D Leadership
Article explaining that most people’s mental of model of leadership holds them back and introducing a new practical approach to leading others, including two practical tools you can use immediately… Read More
The Leaders Growth Curve
A short article explaining a graphical model I often use with clients – the Leaders Growth Curve – and how it explains where people often stall on their growth path as leaders… Read More
Measuring the Results of Executive Coaching
Short article showing how James Scouller, executive coach and author of The Three Levels of Leadership, measures the before-and-after results of his work with coaching clients… Read More
Why Don’t We Get The Political Leaders We Need?
Explains why we don’t get the political leaders we need and what we can do about it… Read More
How do I get rid of the False Self the fastest way possible?
An answer to a question from a reader who asked, “How do I get rid of the False Self the fastest way possible?”.. Read More
How Do I Stop Others Taking Over as Leader?
An answer to a question from a reader who wanted to know, “If I share leadership, how do I stop others taking over as leader?”.. Read More
What Went Wrong at Chelsea (Part 3)
Final part of the system story of what went wrong at Chelsea FC in 2015-16 and why it matters to leaders… Read More
What Went Wrong at Chelsea (Part 2)?
Part 2 of the system story of what went wrong at Chelsea FC in 2015-16 and why it matters to leaders… Read More
What Went Wrong at Chelsea (Part 1)?
The system story of what went wrong at Chelsea FC in 2015-16 and why it matters to leaders… Read More
Two New Books to Come…
Explains why James Scouller is bringing out a second edition of The Three Levels of Leadership and what’s new about it… Read More
Thoughts About Vision (Part 4)
James Scouller, author of The Three Levels of Leadership, on the difference between “vision” and “mission”… Read More
Thoughts About Vision (Part 3)
James Scouller, author of The Three Levels of Leadership, on the profile of an effective vision… Read More
Thoughts About Vision (Part 2)
James Scouller, author of The Three Levels of Leadership, on why you need a vision… Read More
Thoughts About Vision (Part 1)
James Scouller, author of The Three Levels of Leadership, on the typical problems with vision statements… Read More
What Do I Think About Strengths-Based Leadership?
The limitations of the Strengths-Based Leadership approach to growing leaders… Read More
What Is Self-Mastery & Why Is It A Game-Changer?
After The Three Levels of Leadership came out in 2011, readers followed up with questions on leadership, leadership psychology and self-mastery – all of them interesting. So interesting, in fact, that I’m releasing my answers here as they supplement the “Three Levels” material and others may find them useful. Here’s the fifteenth in the series. I’ll post the others over.. Read More
Self-Mastery & Leadership
Another angle on self-mastery and what it does for leaders… Read More
Where Did My False Beliefs Come From?
After The Three Levels of Leadership came out in 2011, readers followed up with questions on leadership, leadership psychology and self-mastery – all of them interesting. So interesting, in fact, that I’m releasing my answers here as they supplement the “Three Levels” material and others may find them useful. Here’s the fourteenth in the series. I’ll post the others over.. Read More
The First Quality of Leadership Presence: Personal Power
The first quality of leadership presence, Personal Power, described by another author, Luke Johnson… Read More
Shared Accountability
Why shared accountability makes sense in the 21st century… because shared accountability doesn’t mean “no accountability”, it means MORE accountability… Read More
The Language of Change (part 4)
Post 3 of 4 in a series of articles on the subject of leading large-scale change in organisations (part 4). The first post looked at the power and dangers of metaphors in leading change and suggested replacing the “burning platform” with the idea of a “High Noon moment”. The second post discussed the dangers of underestimating.. Read More
The Language of Change (part 3)
Post 3 of 4 in a series of articles on the subject of leading large-scale change in organisations (part 3). The first post looked at the power and dangers of metaphors in leading change and suggested replacing the “burning platform” with the idea of a “High Noon moment”. The second post discussed the dangers of underestimating.. Read More
The Language of Change (part 2)
Post 3 of 4 in a series of articles on the subject of leading large-scale change in organisations (part 2). The first post looked at the power and dangers of metaphors in leading change and suggested replacing the “burning platform” with the idea of a “High Noon moment”. The second post discussed the dangers of underestimating.. Read More
The Language of Change (part 1)
Post 3 of 4 in a series of articles on the subject of leading large-scale change in organisations (part 1). Part 1 looked at the power and dangers of metaphors in leading change and suggested replacing the “burning platform” with the idea of a “High Noon moment”. Part 2 discussed the dangers of underestimating how long.. Read More
Why Do Organisational Change Initiatives Overrun?
Why people struggle with organisational change, how it leads to project overuns and what you can do about it… Read More
Are We Serious About Growing Leaders?
Article questioning whether we in industry are serious about growing leaders – explores the problems with leader development programmes and compares them with Sandhurst’s approach to training young officers… Read More
Do We Always Need Leadership?
Why groups and firms don’t ALWAYS need leadership… Read More
From “Burning Platform” to “High Noon”
Discusses the problem of the “burning platform” metaphor in leading and achieving organisation change and suggests a new metaphor: the “High Noon” moment… Read More
Leadership & The Act of Will: Part 5
Part 5 of a five-part series of blog articles on Roberto Assagioli’s six-stage “Act of Will” and how leaders can learn from it… Read More
Leadership & The Act of Will: Part 4
Part 4 of a five-part series of blog articles on Roberto Assagioli’s six-stage “Act of Will” and how leaders can learn from it… Read More
Leadership & The Act of Will: Part 3
Part 3 of a five-part series of blog articles on Roberto Assagioli’s six-stage “Act of Will” and how leaders can learn from it… Read More
Leadership & The Act of Will: Part 2
Part 2 of a five-part series of blog articles on Roberto Assagioli’s six-stage “Act of Will” and how leaders can learn from it… Read More
Leadership & The Act of Will: Part 1
Part 1 of a five-part series of blog articles on Roberto Assagioli’s six-stage “Act of Will” and how leaders can learn from it… Read More
Responsibility and Leadership
Over the last five years, many leaders have told me stories about performance issues with a colleague. In essence, the person isn’t performing well and the leader is unhappy about it. I’ll usually ask them what they’ve already tried and they’ll either tell me they haven’t raised the issue, or they have, but they’ve used.. Read More
Discerning Between Self and False Self Impulses
Short blog article explaining how to discern between Self and False Self impulses and how to sharpen your discernment… Read More
What Is The Link Between Emotion And Leadership?
Short article explaining why emotional intelligence is so important in the art of leadership… Read More
What We Can Learn From Mandela’s Greatness As A Leader
What is it about Nelson Mandela that made him a great leader and, more usefully, what can we learn from his example to grow ourselves as leaders?.. Read More
Influence versus Manipulation
The problem of holding an unhelpful mental model around the difference between “influence” and “manipulation” and how to get beyond it… Read More
Connecting Without Over-Analysing Others
How to connect with others without over-psychoanalysing yourself (or them) by letting your true Self flow… Read More
Can The False Self’s Beliefs Motivate You?
How the False Self’s beliefs can motivate you… and the price you’ll pay if you let it happen… Read More
Why Do We Have So Few Servant Leaders?
Article by James Scouller suggesting three reasons why there are so few servant leaders in business and politics… Read More
Why Do Leaders Need to Understand Perception Filters?
Short article by James Scouller, author of The Three Levels of Leadership, on how we don’t react to physical events, but rather our perception of them and why this matters… Read More
What Is The Best Way to Motivate Your Team?
James Scouller suggests an answer to the question, “What is the best way to motivate your team?” by drawing on his four-dimensional model of leadership… Read More
Where Do Leaders’ Limiting Beliefs Come From?
James Scouller answers a reader’s question about the origins of the False Self’s limiting beliefs and whether it’s possible to dissolve them at source… Read More
What One Thing Would Help Leaders With Presence?
Short answer by James Scouller to a question about developing one’s leadership presence (sometimes called executive presence)… Read More
Does Paying Attention to Limiting Beliefs Reinforce Them?
Short article by James Scouller explaining that defining and examining your limiting beliefs doesn’t mean you’ll strengthen them… Read More
Can A Negative Self-Image Reduce Awareness?
James Scouller explains how a negative self-image can affect your self-awareness… Read More
Will Practising Self-Mastery Mean I’ll Have No Feelings?
Article from James Scouller, author of The Three Levels of Leadership, explaining why growing your leadership presence by practising self-mastery will lead to a sense of joy and flow… Read More
Leadership Qualities & Traits
Short article explaining why leaders have differing leadership qualities and traits… Read More
Leadership: Is It Lonely At The Top?
Article by James Scouller, author of The Three Levels of Leadership, questioning whether it really is lonely at the top… Read More
A Brief Look At Charismatic Leadership
A bite-sized insight into the nature and pitfalls of charismatic leadership… Read More
Leadership, Culture Change and the NHS
Short article by James Scouller, author of The Three Levels of Leadership, on leadership and culture change in Britain’s NHS… Read More
Leadership Styles Quickly Explained
James Scouller, author of The Three levels of Leadership, quickly explains seven of the major leadership styles… Read More
Is Psychoanalysis The Answer To Limiting Beliefs?
Is Psychoanalysis the best way to deal with limiting beliefs? James Scouller offers his view… Read More
Are Leaders Born or Made?
An answer to the question, “Are leaders born or made?”, drawing on the latest research and thinking… Read More
Is The Self Full of True Beliefs?
Short blog article explaining what the Self is… and isn’t… Read More
Are The False Self’s Limiting Beliefs Always False?
A question about whether the False Self’s limiting beliefs are always false… and my answer… at a leadership teaching session in California in September 2012… Read More
Caring About The People You Lead
Short article explaining why organisational performance rests at least in part on how much the leader truly cares about his or her people. When people know you care as much about them as the goal, they’ll respond with the best performance they can give and follow you anywhere… Read More
The Four Keys To Becoming A Good Leader
Article on the four keys to becoming the best leader you can be (including growing your leadership presence, sometimes called executive presence)… Read More
Leadership: Creating an Organisation That’s Great to Work In
Twelve guidelines for leaders wanting to create an organisation that’s great to work for; that gets the best from its people year in and year out… Read More
Leadership: The Power and Benefits of Mental Rehearsal
Short article on the power and benefits of mental rehearsal in leadership – and what neuroscientific research has to say about its effectiveness… Read More
Leadership: The Ten Key Decision-Making Skills for Leaders
Short article on the ten leadership skills that leaders and team members need if they are make decisions that they will all support and carry out wholeheartedly… Read More
Leadership, Consciousness, Mind & Brain
A leadership article offering leaders the chance to understand more about the distinctions between consciousness, mind and brain and why this matters to their leadership success. To help us in this we look at what neuroscience can teach us… Read More
Leadership, Mental States & Buddha’s Middle Way
Short article explaining the significance of the Buddha’s teaching, “Preceded by perception are mental states, for them is perception supreme,” to leaders wanting to offer transformational leadership… Read More
Leadership Models, Styles & Philosophies
Leadership models, leadership styles and leadership philosophies – what are the differences between them and why does it matter? This short article explains….. Read More
A Brief Look At Narcissistic Leadership
Article explaining the narcissistic leadership style and its strengths and (often very serious) weaknesses… Read More
A Leader’s Guide to Emotional Intelligence (Part 3)
A quick and easy-to-read guide to Emotional Intelligence for leaders in three parts… Read More
A Leader’s Guide To Emotional Intelligence (Part 2)
A quick and easy-to-read guide to Emotional Intelligence for leaders in three parts… Read More
A Leader’s Guide To Emotional Intelligence (Part 1)
A quick and easy-to-read guide to Emotional Intelligence for leaders in three parts… Read More
Love & Leadership
Short article on why the finest (including some of the toughest) leaders lead with love… Read More
Leadership: Why Do We Find Change So Hard?
Article on the neuroscience of change and why we find change so uncomfortable – and why leaders find it so challenging to lead change… Read More
What Leaders Can Learn from Andy Murray
Article on the two psychological challenges facing Andy Murray if he is to win a grand slam and why they and the challenge of self-mastery are so relevant to leaders… Read More
Leadership, George Bush & “The Vision Thing”
Explains the difference between leaders and stewards using President George Bush as an example and why “leadership vision” has acquired a bad name in some quarters… Read More
Intuition & Leadership
Explains the nature of intuition, how it differs from instinct and the ability to read another person’s body language… and why it matters in leadership… Read More
Are Leadership & Management Different?
James Scouller, author of The Three Levels of Leadership looks at the difference between leadership and management… Read More
The Eleven Key Leadership Communication Skills
James Scouller, author of The Three Levels of Leadership, lists and explains the eleven key communications skills of great leaders… Read More
Why Don’t We Get The Leaders We Need?
Explains why we get the leaders we deserve… and why we’ll only get the leaders we need when WE put in the effort to make ourselves ready… Read More
What Is Leadership Presence (Part 2)?
Explains leadership presence – one of the most hard-to-define characteristics of great leaders. The second of a two-part article by James Scouller, the author of The Three Levels of Leadership… Read More
What is Leadership Presence (Part 1)?
Explains leadership presence – one of the most hard-to-define characteristics of great leaders. The first of a two-part article by James Scouller, the author of The Three Levels of Leadership… Read More
Why Won’t Dictators Let Go?
Explains why dictatorial leaders are trapped in their patterns of behaviour and react violently when their people demand freedom, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense… and what this may mean for us as leaders… Read More
