From Sandy's Desk

I’ve spent years encouraging entrepreneurs to learn from failure and adjust. Yet when my marriage ended, I found myself confronting the idea that I had failed. Writing about that experience alongside what I’ve learned through my work made me question whose definition of success I was carrying. I’ve come to measure the impact of what I share in clicks. My daughter reminded me that attention comes before engagement, and a click is one small sign that someone has stopped to look. Sometimes it leads to something more: a person recognising their own experience in what I’ve shared. Read my reflection on how my work and personal journey meet in my writing, and why those clicks matter to me.

What happens when capable people become accustomed to having their judgement checked or confirmed? In this article, I reflect on confidence, autonomy and the subtle ways we can unintentionally create dependence as leaders. It left me wondering whether good leadership sometimes means becoming less necessary over time.

Leadership is often exercised in the smallest moments. This article explores how everyday acts of encouragement can build confidence, expand possibility and leave a lasting impact on learners, colleagues and future leaders. Often without us ever realising it.