The Delivery Space

2024 Reflections .....

I yelped in pain on a packed tube in London and that was the moment my body said ‘ENOUGH!’ It was the lead up to the Christmas holidays. I was heading a change programme and in the thick of it, putting in the long hours. One evening, on a packed tube in London, just as my station arrived, I bent down to pick up my bag, a sharp pain seared through my lower back and I yelped so loudly that I startled the commuters around me. As I shuffled towards the escalators, the pain was so bad that I struggled to even step onto the escalator. It took several attempts just to lift my foot onto the first step! You see, I had been ignoring the whispers from my body in the form of aches and fatigue for months! The result? I spent Christmas unable to move and in pain. I missed out on family celebrations and felt frustrated with myself for pushing too hard, pretending I was invincible. I’m sharing this with you because I see it in so many leaders I work with. They push through exhaustion, dismissing the warning signs. What I’ve learned through my own experience is that slowing down and taking the time out to rest gives you the clarity, energy and presence to lead better and to serve better. If you don’t take that space, eventually your body or your spirit will demand it. I’ll leave you with this question, and I ask you to answer it honestly: If you stopped giving to everyone else for just one moment, what would you give to yourself? Leave your answer in the comments 👇🏽 You never know who you might inspire to give themselves the care they need. If this resonates, send me a message. Let’s have a virtual coffee and see how I can help you create the balance and energy you need to lead well, without running on empty. #LeadershipWellbeing #ExecutiveCoaching #BurnoutPrevention

How does your environment impact, creativity?

Podcasting Goals for 2025! What’s coming next year? 📣Sharon Williams and I are continuing our leadership series sharing our leadership journeys and the lessons that shaped us. 📣We’re stepping onto the stage to share our podcast journey and experience with corporate podcasting. 📣We’re bringing some amazing guests to the podcast, from tech and other industries. The Delivery Space Team had our Christmas catch-up with none other than our talented producer, Pete Allen - Podcast fella. The man behind the scenes! Here’s the thing about Pete: He runs a booming podcast production business, yet he has this rare skill. When you’re with him making plans for the podcast, he makes you feel like you’re his only client. That’s a talent worth celebrating and we’re fortunate to have crossed paths with him. Bring on another year of growth, stories, and meaningful conversations. 2025 - we’re ready for you! 🎉 Who’s been a part of your 2024 highlights? #2025goals #podcasting #thedeliveryspacepodcast

🎙This week’s episode of The Delivery Space podcast is out and Sharon Williams and James Allen discussed some of the critical learnings from transformation programmes that haven’t gone to plan. When things don’t go to plan it forces us to adapt, think creatively and remove elements of over confidence. They speak about the importance of staying close to your customer and ensuring that leaders have the opportunity to both provide and receive mentoring. Episode highlights include: 🔸Learnings from unsuccessful transformation programmes 🔸The role of leadership in transformation 🔸How to deliver rapid transformation without disrupting operations 🔸The role of people & culture 🔸Market changes in transformation delivery 🔸The role of AI in transformation 👉🏽About our guest:  James is a board-level leader with 25 years’ international experience delivering shareholder value across B2B, B2C, financial services, digital, telecoms, consultancy, SMEs and global corporate markets – with a specialty in solving the most complex challenges that businesses face to improve productivity and growth. Listen to the full episode using the link in the comments below:👇🏽 #transformation #leadership #mentor #growth #customer

Loneliness in leadership is not a badge of honour. In January of this year, Forbes reported that half of CEOs & senior leaders have experienced loneliness & isolation, with 61% of those believing it had a negative impact on performance.  But this isn’t a subject we talk about very often when it comes to senior leaders. I’ve worked with leaders who’ve told me: 🔷 "I can’t show my team how overwhelmed I feel. What will they think of me?" 🔷 "When I walk into that boardroom, I’m supposed to be the expert. Admitting I need help feels like weakness." 🔷 "My days are so packed with meetings and firefighting, I don’t even have time to process my own thoughts." Leaders are expected to carry the weight, look like they’ve got it all figured out, bridge the gaps, resolve conflict & show up as an expert. It's this expectation that often causes isolation. It doesn’t have to be this way. Let me share my direct experience of a leader who made a different choice. When I worked for a large not-for-profit, the CEO made a point of queuing for coffee with us almost every morning. He could have easily had his coffee brought to his office; he was the CEO, after all. But he didn’t. He wanted that daily interaction with the people doing the work. At the time, my sister and I were refurbishing our home. Each day he’d remember details & we’d laugh about some of my frustrations with the project. Those chats in the queue were where he heard what was really going on with us. He built rapport, built trust, and stayed grounded. This small and thoughtful choice helped him better understand the people he was leading, and for us, it reduced the gap between us and senior leaders. He stepped out of the bubble of his office and stayed connected, even when the pressures of leadership could have isolated him. Here’s something I share with my clients to combat loneliness in leadership: Take five minutes at the end of each day and ask yourself these questions: 1️⃣ What decision today made me feel most isolated? 2️⃣ Who could I have shared that moment with, either for support or perspective? 3️⃣ What small action tomorrow could help me build more connection with my team, my peers, or even myself? This short reflection can help you recognise patterns and start taking intentional steps towards building support systems around you. Even with remote working, we can create spaces and opportunities for connection. The stronger those human connections are, the stronger you are. (Source for the article is in the comments below) ************************************************************************* 💠 I’m Nisha, a Leadership Coach and Delivery Consultant. I help leaders build thriving cultures, deliver value and lead change with authenticity and courage. If you’d like to work with me in any of these areas, send me a message and let’s have a conversation. #CEOInsights #ExecutiveCoaching  #LeadershipDevelopment #Inspiration #Mindset #HumanConnection

📣“Culture is set by the worst behaviour that a leader is prepared to accept” James Allen In this week’s episode of The Delivery Space Podcast Sharon Williams spoke to James Allen about  all things transformation and the many learnings that come when things don’t go to plan, hence transformation being more scars than medals! We delve into our experiences of some of the foundational elements that can impact a successful outcome such as people & culture. This invisible force has the ability to both accelerate or derail transformation. It can lead to teams being fearful of reporting with transparency and leaders being unreceptive to perceived ‘bad news’ all of which comes at a cost! We discussed some of the ways to overcome these hurdles and much more! Episode highlights include: 📌Learnings from unsuccessful transformation programmes 📌The role of leadership in transformation 📌How to deliver rapid transformation without disrupting operations 📌The role of people & culture 📌 Market changes in transformation delivery 📌The role of AI in transformation 👉🏽About our guest:  James is a board-level leader with 25 years’ international experience delivering shareholder value across B2B, B2C, financial services, digital, telecoms, consultancy, SMEs and global corporate markets – with a specialty in solving the most complex challenges that businesses face to improve productivity and growth. Listen to the full episode using the link in the comments below:👇🏽 #transformation #leadership #learning #growth #culture

Nisha Joshi and Darren Aitcheson will be hosting a workshop at ScanAgile25 in March to inspire attendees with the power and flexibility of Liberating Structures! Honoured to be present alongside many talented individuals! We hope to see you there!

Leaders! You can’t build the future of your business if you’re busy fixing today’s problems. It’s easy to be drawn into solving operational problems because they feel immediate, urgent, fixable and going in for the save is tempting. If we’re being honest, the firefighting feels safe. But where does that leave you as a leader? Whether you’re part of the C-Suite, a business function lead or head of department, it’s likely that you’re experiencing this: ➡️ Your strategy is getting derailed by the operational work ➡️ Your calendar fills up with meetings and tasks that shouldn’t be on your plate. ➡️ Instead of leading with clarity and focusing on strategy, you’re just trying to keep the wheels turning I can understand why this happens. Strategic thinking is tough! It’s counterintuitive because you’re making decisions about a future that you cannot fully see, whilst trying to manage the problems of the present. You’re also balancing priorities in your existing pipeline of work and budgets to figure out how you’re going to go after your strategic goals and take your people with you on the journey. To create the mind space for yourself, you need to be saying ‘no’ to what feels urgent so you can focus on what’s important. Watch the video for a practical, starter exercise I use with executive clients to get them focused on the work that only they can do. ******************************************* 💠 I’m Nisha, a Leadership Coach and Delivery Consultant. I help leaders build thriving cultures, deliver value and lead change with authenticity and courage. If you need support in any of these areas, send me a message and let’s have a conversation. #ExecutiveCoaching #LeadershipDevelopment #Inspiration #Mindset

What is your storytelling routine❔ Whether it be delivering a public speech, a new client pitch or presenting to an audience, having a repeatable approach to prepare can be a real game changer💡 We got to speak to Jamie Mackenzie (FCIM) about the Art of Storytelling and how he prepares through use of visualisation, breathing exercises and being inspired by other confident speakers such as Dwayne Johnson 💪🏽 Having a repeatable ‘Sprout Model’ as discussed in Jamie's book (28 Bags of Sprouts Storytelling with Impact ) will ensure that a story has all the correct layers to land with impact and leave a positive lasting impression. It takes the guess work out of the equation and provides a systematic approach for a successful outcome! In this episode we discuss: 🔸The Sprout Model and the elements it contains to tell a good story 🔸How to build a connection with an audience through story telling whilst maintaining authenticity 🔸Positive opportunities that can arise from being able to articulate a story 🔸Common mistakes with storytelling 🔸How people can continue to refine the skillset Catch the full episode using the link in the comments 👇🏽  #value #inspire #motivate