The Compass
Reflections, strategies, and real leadership insights to help you navigate change, challenge, and growth.
Stop Calling It a Culture Problem. It’s Usually a Leadership Problem
We love to talk about culture. We celebrate it in slide decks, measure it in quarterly engagement surveys, and market it with filtered photos of team events and branded T-shirts.
And when things go wrong, when trust erodes, high performers leave, or a team slips into apathy, the diagnosis is almost always the same: “We’ve got a culture problem.”
Coaching With Integrity: Why ICF Standards Matter More Than Ever
In a world where anyone can call themselves a coach, standards matter.
Coaching is an unregulated industry. There are no formal barriers to entry, no central licensing authority, and little accountability unless a coach voluntarily chooses to uphold professional standards.
At True North Executive Coaching & Leadership, we believe coaching should be as trusted and respected as any other profession rooted in human development. That trust begins with ethical accountability.
That's why we're proud members of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the leading global organisation for professional coaching. ICF accreditation isn't just a line in our bios, it's the foundation of how we show up.
The Unseen Emotional Labour of Leadership (And Why It’s Burning People Out)
When we talk about leadership, we often default to the visible: strategy, board meetings, revenue goals, stakeholder reports. The outcomes. The optics. The KPIs.
But there’s a layer underneath all of that; invisible, unspoken, and heavy. The emotional labour of leadership.
Why Protecting a Toxic Performer Is the Fastest Way to Erode Your Culture
Every leader has encountered that person.
They hit every target, dominate client meetings, bring in new business, and consistently “deliver results.” On the surface, they’re a dream hire. But look more closely, and you’ll see the signs: junior staffers avoiding eye contact, nervous laughter in meetings, high turnover in their team, and a growing sense of emotional tension that no KPI dashboard can measure.
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.