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Jake Humphrey

Taking responsibility even when something is not your fault can change your life

When I think back over the past four or five years of our High Performance podcast, there are a handful of lessons that are useful to me on a daily basis. Probably the most important is separating fault from responsibility.  There’s no doubt that for a long time I would say to myself: “Well, that...

Jake Humphrey

Somone playing chess

How to set strategy in an uncertain world

The legendary quantum physicist Niels Bohr once said: “It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” This sage perspective echoed in my ears as I sat down with the PureGym management team recently to discuss how we should evolve our strategic plan and set course for the years ahead. As one of my...

Humphrey Cobbold

Understanding IP risks in the age of AI

Generative AI has become a transformative force in many industries, offering unprecedented opportunities for innovation and efficiency. However, along with those opportunities also comes risk. This article explores some of those risks, with a focus on UK IP laws. Subsistence and ownership of IP in AI-generated works A typical output of generative AI might be...
Brendon McCullum looks on during an England nets session at Lord's Cricket Ground

The power of a story: Redefining success in a data-driven world

‘It’s just a story’ – in a business or decision-making setting – is a contemptuous put-down. “We’ve all got a story to tell,” people say, which of course means: “Yes, but where’s the evidence?” (Sometimes this is framed with a harder edge as what does the science say?) The evolution of language reveals this direction...

Ed Smith

The purpose paradigm: Fact or fiction?

As head of a recruitment company that strives to “make work mean more”, I’m no stranger to the ongoing debate on the authenticity of prioritising a purpose-driven approach in business. Is it a genuine commitment to societal good, or is it merely a strategic move to attract and retain talent in a competitive job market?...

Niki Turner-Harding

Steffi Graf holds aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish after defeating Jana Novotna at Wimbledon in 1993

The sweet spot of confidence

Focusing as I do on sustained performance, I am often asked if there is one question that can help identify those who are likely to be able to perform over the long term and stay the distance. Perhaps surprisingly, I believe that there is, and the optimum answer to this question might surprise you too....

Catherine Baker

Sir Martin Sorrell onstage at Cannes Lions 2022

Inside Sir Martin Sorrell’s world: Strategies for building empires

We walk into S4 Capital’s central London HQ a little ahead of schedule. The door to the boardroom is open as we walk past. Several suits sit around the table with Sir Martin Sorrell the main voice conducting the conversation’s symphony. As we wait in a small meeting room next door, it’s difficult not to...

Josh Dornbrack

Map of the United Kingdom made of money and torn in half

The future of UK business support funding: Is it time to take a fresh approach?

The nation’s access to nationally funded and regionally delivered business support is fragmenting. Next month, central government is stepping away from directly funding regional business support strategies as part of a longer-term plan for devolution. This is undoubtedly going to see the disappearance of some Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) who have been given the option...

Emma Jones

Simon Arora sitting at a table

Building B&M: Speed, strategy, and success

In 2004, Simon Arora and his two brothers, Bobby, and Robin, bought a discount retail chain in the North West of England for £525,000. That chain had 21 shops. Today, B&M is valued at more than £5billion and is part of the FTSE 100, making it one of the biggest retailers in Europe. Simon Arora...

Graham Ruddick

A mock up of a billboard with MrBeast and Lil Miquela

AI: Reshaping the future of content creation

It’s my second panel of the day at a tech conference in the Middle East. Glancing at the countdown clock positioned just in front of the audience, I note we have 6 minutes and 20 seconds remaining. Surprisingly, we’ve spent nearly 15 minutes without touching on AI, and I feel proud. We’re probably the only...

Caspar Lee

Rishi Sunak at the podium with Liz Truss and Boris Johnson's images to his left and right

Storm clouds over Number 10: The Sunak dilemma

Politics comes at you fast. Three years ago, Boris Johnson was riding high in the polls thanks to a “vaccine bounce” as Britain emerged from the pandemic with a renewed sense of optimism. The Tories were triumphant in the May local elections, taking control of councils across Red Wall areas in the North East and...

Steven Swinford

Mother working from home on her laptop while taking care of her child at home

Building bridges to equality: The infrastructure investment we’re overlooking

This year’s International Women’s Day theme set by the United Nations is ‘Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress’. This occasion calls for a more nuanced exploration of what investment truly means for gender equality, and I would like to put the spotlight on infrastructure. Beyond the traditional scope of infrastructure—bridges, motorways, and power stations—lies a domain...

Zara Nanu

Castore co-founders Phil and Tom Beahon (left) are pictured as The Rangers Store is officially reopened at Ibrox Stadium

Mentorship: Unleashing entrepreneurial potential

I am delighted to be writing a regular column for Business Leader, a publication I have always admired. I will bring a direct and honest perspective from my experience of building Castore, a British sportswear brand and one of the UK’s fastest-growing companies, and I hope that readers find my insights interesting and even better,...

Tom Beahon

The Chancellor Of The Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street on March 6, 2024

Spring Budget 2024: What it means

Let’s start with the most important things – Jeremy Hunt really upped his social media game ahead of the Budget. We got a sneak peek of the chancellor working behind the scenes and even a video of him watching old speeches… But Hunt’s enthusiasm for the Budget was not necessarily matched by others, such as...

Graham Ruddick

External photo of the Audley Cooper's Hill, Englefield Green

Retirement homes: The UK’s fastest growing non-tech sector?

Often filling the older population with dread, retirement homes and villages have had a seemingly bad reputation following previous years of poor management and ill conditions. However, changing opinions supported by increased awareness and education are aiding the popularity of retirement homes and villages in the UK. With some speculating that it has the potential...

Alice Cumming

Patented stamp and pencil on a file

The truth about software patents

I’ve been a patent attorney working in what’s often called “computer-implemented inventions” for around 20 years. Throughout that time, I’ve had many people tell me that you couldn’t get patents for software. Well, I’m able to tell you otherwise: it is possible to get patent protection for software inventions. The situation is a bit more...
Stack of vinyl records

A look inside vinyl’s resurgence

Last year, vinyl record sales hit their highest point since 1990. Vinyl’s resurgence also helped HMV more than double its profits. But will it last? The rise of vinyl According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the trade association for Britain’s recorded music industry, vinyl LP sales grew 11.7 per cent in 2023, marking the...

James Cook

Illustration of Menopause Symptoms

Menopause: Is your workplace leading or lagging?

Lauren Chiren, 55 from Bristol, suffered from debilitating anxiety, and extreme dizziness and couldn’t even remember the names of her colleagues while going through menopause. It drastically affected her work in a senior role in financial services. “In the end, I was absolutely terrified that I had early onset dementia,” she says. “At the age...

Patricia Cullen

Rachel Reeves and Jeremy Hunt, along with the chancellor's red briefcase

What can you expect from the 2024 Spring Budget?

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will announce his Spring Budget at 12:30 today with many expecting it to be the largest fiscal announcement before the next general election. Whilst speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Hunt ruled out borrowing to fund tax cuts. “This will be a prudent and responsible budget for long-term growth, tackling...

James Cook

Two colleagues shaking hands on a balance seesaw

How to handle layoffs as the recession begins to bite

“The risk of losing trust is one of the biggest consequences for leaders conducting layoffs,” says Verity Creedy, VP of product management at global leadership consulting firm DDI. With the UK officially entering a recession, more businesses could soon be letting people go. However, it is possible to rebuild trust afterwards. “Trust plays a crucial...

James Cook

Flat design of two businesswomen facing each others with ideas in their heads, team working or brainstorming illustration concept

Co-CEOs: Are more heads better than one?

Marks & Spencer announced that they would be adopting what Reuters called an “unconventional leadership structure” in 2022. Following the announcement that Steve Rowe was stepping down as the company’s CEO, Stuart Machin and Katie Bickerstaffe were confirmed as the new heads of the retail giant, as CEO and co-CEO respectively. Does this model actually...

James Cook

Yellow Pages on fire

The rise and fall of the Yellow Pages

The Yellow Pages used to make life easier for everyone. By sorting businesses alphabetically into categories, it streamlined finding products and services and changed how small businesses reached customers. But after being a permanent fixture in British households for more than 50 years, the final version of the print edition of Yellow Pages was delivered...

Patricia Cullen

A man between two animals

Introducing the new Business Leader

Hello and welcome to the new Business Leader. It is a pleasure to be able finally to write those words. What you are looking at today is the result of months of work, planning and research. All of that was aimed at one thing – to build a new agenda-setting, inspirational and aspirational business publication...

Graham Ruddick

Guards in the Netflix show Squid Game

The top business pivots

“Adaptability is paramount in today’s dynamic business landscape,” says Chris Beer, professor of practice at Warwick Business School. “Organisations must be prepared to pivot their strategies swiftly, driven by factors such as market shifts, technological advances and changing customer expectations”.  According to PwC’s 27th UK CEO Survey, one in five chief executives says their organisation...

Alice Cumming, James Cook