| Dear Leaders, |
| Welcome to the December edition! As we approach the season of giving, let’s reflect on one of the most meaningful gifts we can offer as leaders: ourselves. Leadership isn’t just about strategies and decisions – it’s about showing up authentically, connecting with others, and making a positive impact on their lives. |
| This month, we’ll explore resonant leadership styles, celebrate an inspiring leader, and I’ll invite you to join a special co-development session to start the new year with fresh energy and focus. |
| So, grab a warm drink, settle into your favourite chair, and let’s embrace the spirit of leadership as a gift – both to others and to ourselves. |
This month's nugget
🎁 Your gift: co-development session 🎁
| Kick start the new year with fresh ideas, new perspectives and renewed energy! |
| Join us on Monday, 20th January at 1:00 PM CET for a co-development session designed to help you tackle your challenges and move forward with clarity. |
| Sometimes, the best gift is time for yourself. I’m inviting you to this special session, where Danaë Mâche, one of my colleagues at The Weeping Willow, will guide us through this session. |
| Think of it as your post-holiday boost. |
 Ready to join? The group will be small (up to 6 people maximum), So if you're interested, simply reply with “YES,” and I'll get in touch to confirm your spot. |
Leadership nudges
A bit of theory: resonant versus dissonant leadership
| In Daniel Goleman's Primal Leadership, he describes two distinct leadership styles that profoundly impact team dynamics: resonant and dissonant. |
| Resonant leaders They are the ones who make you feel seen. They are empathetic, connected and create a sense of harmony – even in chaos. You feel they care about you, not just the work you produce. These leaders excel in emotional intelligence. Dissonant leaders Adopt a more authoritarian approach. While effective in urgent, high-pressure situations, their emotional distance can lead to frustration, stress, and disengagement. Employees may perceive them as cold, even if their intent is logical objectivity. |
| Here’s the thing: we all have moments when we're in tune and others when we're out of step. The key is awareness. Being a leader is a gift of yourself to others. It’s about showing up for others, not just as a boss but as a human. I’ve found that when we focus on connecting authentically, everything flows better – productivity, trust, even joy.  What about you? Which style reflects your approach? And where do you feel there’s room to grow? |
Here are 4 resonant leadership styles that Goleman shares.
Portrait of an inspiring leader
Meet John Harney
| John Harney and I go back a very loooong way. Too long for my ego to allow me to tell you! Our connection has spanned decades and continents during which I saw John grow personally and professionally. His vast experience comes from the diverse roles he occupied and countries in which he has lived. When I think of John as a leader, the words Inclusion and Optimism come to mind. When leading people, he always sees the good in them. He dedicates a lot of his time to coaching and mentoring them, particularly through the toughest situations. |
| He believes in giving everyone the chance to grow personally and professionally. |
| This is also seen in the position he holds today as Group Chief Partnerships & Sustainability Officer at Domino's Pizza Enterprises. He is behind the “Give for Good” initiative at Domino's. Caring for people and the communities in which they operate. |
What is inspiring to me?
| Sometimes it’s not only about “what” inspires you, but allowing yourself to “be” inspired constantly. In this modern working world we all operate in, it’s too easy to just grind out the days, get the tasks or projects done, and move onto the next. Waiting for some relief at the weekend and ultimately some reward/recognition from your boss/customer/employer. I believe the challenge is to purposely look to be inspired constantly. |
| Now it’s not simply luck that something inspirational falls from the heavens! You do have to put in a little bit of effort. Once I have these, I must be open to recognising them in the actions of my business or colleagues, in key initiatives in mine or similar industries – or, as is increasingly the case, when I’m on social media. I know social media gets a bad rap – but honestly, if you are clear about your likes and interests, the algorithm will do all the work for you! My current passion is sustainability. It’s easy to get a little down about what we need to do and the speed at which it isn’t happening – but I look to all the success stories from around the world, some small and some large – and it inspires me to keep going with our initiatives that will make a small and hopefully positive impact on our business and the planet. The one passion I've held since I started working (and probably before) is partnership. For me, “win-win” isn't a cliché, but an approach that inspires me every single day. One of my own personal values is “doing the right thing, because it's the right thing to do”…. and it's really hard to do this in every situation! But it's core to driving true partnerships, which drive profitability, sustainability, and above all, trust. I'm absolutely inspired to be remembered as the “guy you could trust”! Finally, just to prove you can be inspired every day – I found this comment on LinkedIn yesterday – I was inspired!! “Anyone can learn the hard skills; it's the soft skills that matter more. Soft skills create sustainability, foster a culture that allows for continuity, and most importantly, build a respected reputation. |