The Compass
Reflections, strategies, and real leadership insights to help you navigate change, challenge, and growth.
The Advertising Industry's Identity Crisis
The advertising industry has always prided itself on reinvention. It’s weathered the rise of digital, the dominance of platforms, and now, the sweeping impact of automation and AI. But in 2024 and beyond, we’re facing a different kind of disruption—one that’s not just technological or creative, but existential.
Leadership in Different Regions and Cultures: Bridging the Divide
Leadership isn’t a one-size-fits-all concept. Spend a few years leading teams across different regions, and you’ll quickly learn that the way leadership shows up in the US is vastly different from how it manifests in Canada or Asia.
What makes a truly exceptional leader in today’s globalised business world? It’s not the loudest voice in the room or the most aggressive stance. It’s the leader who can bridge these styles; who can be bold yet empathetic, decisive yet humble, visionary yet grounded.
That’s the next frontier for leadership development. It’s not about choosing one style over another. It’s about cultivating a dynamic leadership style that adapts across borders, cultures, and contexts.
Because great leadership isn’t just about commanding a room. It’s about connecting with it.
Predictions: The Top HR and Talent Issues for Senior Leaders in 2026
The Top HR and Talent Issues for Senior Leaders in 2026
As we move into 2026, senior leaders and decision-makers are facing a rapidly evolving landscape of talent and human resources challenges. At True North Executive Coaching & Leadership, we’re closely monitoring these emerging issues to help leaders navigate the complexities of a dynamic workforce.
The Unseen Cost of Leadership: Emotional Labour
In leadership, we measure performance by the numbers. Revenue targets. Productivity. Efficiency. But what about the emotional labour leaders shoulder daily—the invisible work that keeps teams together, but rarely gets acknowledged?
Emotional labour isn’t just about being “nice” or “empathetic.” It’s about strategic communication, conflict management, and the capacity to foster psychological safety in the workplace. It’s the glue holding teams together. And yet, it remains invisible.
Imagine a workplace where emotional labour was as valued as revenue targets. Where leaders were recognised not just for what they deliver but for how they show up for their people.
Rewarding Toxic Behaviour: The Silent Killer of Workplace Culture
It’s one of the most destructive dynamics in workplaces across the globe: toxic behaviour being rewarded and even celebrated. Whether it’s a high-performing sales director in North America who steamrolls their team but hits targets, a manager in Europe who leads with ego but still gets promoted, or an executive in Asia who drains the culture but brings in revenue; the pattern is disturbingly similar.
But every time we excuse it, we endorse it. Every time we reward it, we replicate it. And every time we stay silent, we make it harder for the good people to stay.