Category: Leadership

Goodbye, Leadership Development: Achieve more with a Leadership Performance approach

Goodbye, Leadership Development: Achieve more with a Leadership Performance approach

March 26, 2026

This blog is by Anwen Bottois, Leadership Performance and Promotion Specialist at Purple Sky Consulting and you can find out more about me and our work here: https://expertservicesdirectory.com/directory/anwen-bottois/

The Value of Leadership Performance over Leadership Development

Leading in an organisation, at any level, is challenging and we continue to need a lot from those leading in our organisations. 

Leadership is continually evolving and it requires new levels of capability and confidence from our leaders, all the time. 

Creating an approach to development that focuses on performance will increase buy-in, implementation and impact.

Because, taking a performance led approach provides an immediate focus on the real requirements, to achieve real results.

  • Individual plans that reflect the individual performance needs.
  • Shaping individual leadership performance to enhance cultural requirements.
  • Avoiding a “one-size-fits-all” approach that switches people off.
  • Practical approaches that turn into action, quickly.
  • Closer and more regular support, that reflects reality.

All of this is achievable and results in:

  • Greater clarity and engagement with their leadership role, so that the leadership element is front and centre not an after thought.
  • Focus on the key capabilities they need to build, so that they can lead in a way that increases their team engagement and performance.
  • Confidence through support and networks, so that they never feel isolated in a role that can feel overwhelming, reducing your attrition rates of talent.

To explore a bespoke approach that shifts you from one-off investments to supporting your leaders with navigating the day-to-day challenges of leading, head to our Directory Listing here: https://expertservicesdirectory.com/directory/anwen-bottois/

Break free of the traditional approach for a real and sustainable impact.

The typical approach to leadership development sees periodical investment in one-off programmes. They are generally group based and lack a focus on the individual. 

Even when 1:1 coaching is included, it normally involves a session or two, which isn’t enough to identify and embed change.

Any ”feel good” factor or initial energy from this type of programme investment, fades, quickly. Because it doesn’t feel real or relevant enough.

A leadership performance approach shifts the focus from one-off to everyday, to make it sustainable and evolving.

To explore a bespoke approach that leads to sustainable performance rather than investment with limited returns, head to our Directory Listing here: https://expertservicesdirectory.com/directory/anwen-bottois/

The hidden (and not so hidden) costs of leadership development that doesn’t lead to improved performance

Everyone feels the impact of a leader who isn’t performing. 

The high-performers in their team who resign, the increases in team absences and grumbles, or a difficult project performance review at the board meeting.

The costs:

  • Employee engagement: 70% of engagement is directly as a result of the line manager.
  • Performance: a struggling leader negatively impacts performance, on average by 15% and an estimated £84 billion lost annually by UK businesses due to ineffective leadership.
  • Wasted investments in leadership development that don’t work: with roughly £11billion invested yearly and 86% of organisations reporting leadership gaps.
  • Unrealised culture change: as ineffective leaders fail to model new behaviours or ways of working.

And…we could go on.

There are many reasons why a leader can struggle with their performance but leaving them to struggle is hugely impactful for them, their team and the organisation.

If we wait until the next round of leadership development then their performance will continue to struggle, a leadership performance approach changes that.

Building for a performance approach rather than focusing on development only is a sustainable and realistic way to identify and close the gaps.

Here’s what our Leadership clients say:

“Anwen’s helped with both the general direction I was going in work and specific issues. The ability to explore issues outside of the day to day working context has made me happier and provided me with tools I can use, resulting in a more satisfying and effective approach to my role.”

Associate Director, Public Sector

“Working with Anwen as an experienced and trusted external partner challenges my thinking, provides a valuable sounding board, and helps me explore new approaches and solutions.”

People Director, Software Development

“After implementing each session, I was able to come back with a success story; so that speaks volumes. I have more confidence in having the right conversations, in the right way, even when they take me out of my comfort zone.”

HR Director, Public Sector

I’m Anwen, I’m a Leadership Performance and Promotion Specialist and through my business, Purple Sky Consulting, we create bespoke and personalised experiences to accelerate leaders to success. We focus on real world performance not one-off leadership development. To explore your bespoke approach, head to our Directory Listing here: https://expertservicesdirectory.com/directory/anwen-bottois/

    Looking for suppliers? let us know.





    Thriving Leaders, Thriving Teams

    Thriving Leaders, Thriving Teams

    March 13, 2026

    By Dr Natalie Isaia, Clinical Psychologist & Founder of Empresa Psychology

    Are you juggling multiple responsibilities and conflicting priorities?

    Are you managing tricky team dynamics?

    Are you striving to achieve some work-life balance while being the best leader you can be?

    If you’ve answered yes to any of the above questions, these are likely to be sources of stress for you. The good news is that there is a stress vaccine that can help. This contains two ingredients:

    Compassionate Leadership: A strategy that not only boosts productivity and performance in your team but also reduces stress.

    Psychological Safety: A culture enabled by Compassionate Leadership, that creates a healthier, more supportive environment whilst reducing leader stress.

    Book in a chat today to find out how you can protect your own wellbeing whilst boosting your team’s performance at the same time.

    Psychological Safety – A Key Ingredient

    Professor Amy Edmonson is a Harvard Business School professor and a leading expert on Psychological Safety in the workplace. She has undertaken decades of research on this concept, and it is this research that inspires and underpins a lot of our work at Empresa Psychology.

    Amy reminds us to consider what Psychological Safety is NOT. Here is the most important point from the list:

     

    ⊗ It is not just being nice ⊗

    Both Compassionate Leadership and Psychological Safety foster accountability. They represent the art of finding the balance between empathy and support, alongside strength and courageous decision making.

    In a psychologically safe workplace, employees feel safe to express their thoughts, take risks, and admit mistakes without fear of ridicule or punishment. It doesn’t mean that there is free reign to be disrespectful or disruptive, or that all ideas will be taken forward. It also doesn’t mean that there won’t be consequences for mistakes.

    These days, psychological safety has become a bit of a buzzword, but usually when I hear people speaking about it, it is clear they are unsure what it actually means in practice. Speak to me today to find out what psychological safety really is and how it can transform your team.

    A formula for productivity, performance and innovation

    When Psychological Safety is absent:

    •   employees operate in a state of fear;

    •  employees are unable to use their full cognitive capacity;

    •  for leaders, this can mean dealing with more conflicts, miscommunication, and burnout.

    This will never create a thriving environment because when we are operating in a state of high stress, the neurological impact on our brain reduces our ability to problem solve, communicate, innovate, in addition to many other capabilities we want online in the workplace.

    A psychologically safe workplace, on the other hand, encourages openness, problem-solving, and innovation – factors that contribute to reducing overall stress for everyone.

    At Empresa Psychology, everything we do is rooted in evidence-based approaches and neuroscience. Book a call today to find out more.

    Stress inoculation for leaders

    Building a culture of Psychological Safety is hard work and takes time. But that effort will pay dividends to you as a leader. Practicing Compassionate Leadership can help alleviate leader stress in the following ways:

    •   Stronger Team Cohesion: When employees feel psychologically safe, they are more engaged and self-motivated, reducing the need for constant oversight and micromanagement.

    •   Fewer Conflicts: By fostering open communication and understanding, misunderstandings and conflicts are minimized, decreasing the emotional labour required to mediate disputes. Not to mention time saved for both leaders and HR professionals!

    •   Increased Trust and Delegation: When employees feel valued, they are more likely to take ownership of their work, allowing leaders to delegate effectively and avoid burnout.

    •   Personal Fulfilment and Purpose: Compassionate Leadership fosters meaningful connections with team members, which can make leadership roles more rewarding and fulfilling.

    Three practical steps you can implement this month

    1. Practice self-awareness

    Being compassionate is not weak – it is quite the opposite. It involves being aware of your own emotions and responses, and then being able to regulate them effectively. And that is really hard to do. My most recommended emotion regulation tools are:

    •   Practice labelling emotions using a feelings wheel (google ‘feelings wheel’ or ‘emotion wheel’ and find one you like). There are several reasons this is effective; one is that putting a word on an emotion activates your frontal lobe, which helps to bring your ‘rational mind’ back online.

    •   Practice breathing exercises. This is a foundational skill backed by neuroscience, which down-regulates the branch of your nervous system responsible for your fight-or-flight stress response. It is the #1 tool I recommend for high stress situations.

    2. Listen 

    Amy Edmonson reminded us that we need to actually listen to and act upon what our colleagues are telling us. This can feel uncomfortable because it might require us to challenge the way we are looking at something or change the way we are doing something.

    We must also listen to what we are NOT hearing – silence is an important message. Amy explains that as a leader, if you’re not hearing about anything going wrong this is a sign that your organization is not psychologically safe. Unfortunately, it does not mean that everything is going well, but rather that mistakes and issues are being hidden, which prevents you from resolving issues and improving outcomes.

    3. Ask better questions

    If someone in a position of power asks us whether we have any objections to a plan, it’s really hard to say that we do. Make it easier for people to feed back by asking the right questions. For example:

    •   If you had to argue the opposite of this idea, what would you say?

    •   Let’s take a moment to consider alternative perspectives—what are some other ways to approach this?

    •   What obstacles might we run into, and how can we prepare?

    Feeling inspired but unsure about how this looks in your role specifically? Talk to me to find out how you can put this into practice yourself.

    The Ripple Effect of Compassionate Leadership

    By leading with compassion and creating an environment of Psychological Safety, you can transform not only your workplace culture but also your own experience as a leader. A thriving team supports a thriving leader, making everyone more productive, engaged, and fulfilled. Don’t wait to take the first step toward reducing workplace stress by embracing Compassionate Leadership It’s a win-win for you and your team.

    In practice, this will look like:

    •   Higher Productivity: Teams that feel psychologically safe contribute more ideas, solve problems faster, and deliver stronger results.

    •   Improved Retention: Compassionate leadership reduces burnout and staff turnover, lowering recruitment and sickness-related costs.

    •   Better Decision-Making: Open dialogue and trust surface risks and opportunities earlier, leading to smarter business choices.

    •   Stronger Innovation: When people feel safe to speak up, creativity and experimentation increase, driving competitive advantage.

    •   Higher Engagement: Engaged employees are more committed to outcomes, customer experience, and organisational goals.

    If you recognise the advantages that these impacts could give your organisation, book a call today to find out more.

    Footer: This article originally appeared here

     

    The Biggest Business Cost You’re Not Measuring (And What To Do About It Right Now)

    November 25, 2025

    Dr Natalie Isaia, Clinical Psychologist & Founder of Empresa Psychology

    What is this mysterious cost?

    There is an invisible threat to your business bottom line, that is silently draining profits. You’re probably not measuring it. You’re probably not aware of it. 

    Allostatic load is the physical damage done to your body over time when you live in a chronic state of heightened stress. It is caused by an accumulation of physical stress responses that are helpful in the short-term, but toxic in the long-term. One of the major contributors is the stress hormone cortisol, which damages every cell and organ in the body when it is in our system too long. Cortisol will directly contribute to absenteeism, presenteeism and staff turnover by:

    • Directly damaging your digestive system, leading to health problems like IBS;
    • Impairing your immune system over time, leaving your body vulnerable to other physical health problems; 
    • Disrupting sleep, impairing your ability to function properly during the day; and
    • Increasing inflammation and impacting your cardiovascular health. 

    This is all to do with the way our bodies have evolved. When we were cave-people, threats were physical and very short term: I see a sabre tooth tiger, I run away, I am now safe. For 20 minutes or so your body is pumping with adrenaline and cortisol, priming you to escape. Very helpful!

    But it is now 2025 and threats have changed. Deadlines, interpersonal conflict, geopolitical concerns, perfectionism, imposter syndrome. These are chronic stressors and you can’t physically fight them or run away from them. So, your brain’s alarm system just gets stuck to ‘ON’ and the adrenaline and cortisol bathe your system all day. This is when those hormones become toxic.

    Key Insight: Chronic stress is an almost inevitable consequence of living in the modern world and our bodies (and brains) haven’t evolved to cope with it. 

    How I can help: As a Clinical Psychologist, I have doctoral level expertise that I bring into businesses to ensure wellbeing strategies are truly impactful, in ways that you may not have even thought of. Book a call with me today to find out more.  

    Why don’t we measure or see this threat? 

    Your brain has developed another very clever and effective survival strategy: the ability to override the body’s warning systems until you can get to safety. Imagine you’re on a road trip in the middle of nowhere, you’re caught in a blizzard, you must keep driving. Warning lights start to light up the dashboard, one by one, but you must keep going. The car pushes on… until it doesn’t. 

    This applies to us too, for example if you’ve ever woken up on the morning of a big presentation feeling under the weather, you probably felt fine later in the day as the adrenaline carried you through but then crashed out in the evening. In this example, our coping mechanism is really helpful. 

    But over weeks, months and years this mechanism causes your brain to lie to you every day: “I’m fine! Keep going!”. It does this because you’re not ‘safe’ yet. However, you won’t ever be ‘safe’ because the deadlines, perfectionism and geopolitical worries aren’t going anywhere. So, the coping mechanism will keep working… until it doesn’t. 

    Yes, it is important to check in with yourself and practice self-awareness alongside self-care. But realistically, your brain will pretend you are coping better than you really are on a physiological level. You might not FEEL stressed so the daily damage being done internally is invisible… until it isn’t. 

    Of course this is also relevant to your staff. Most companies rely on self-report feedback, in a culture where exhaustion is worn as a badge of honour and corporate structures reward coping and pushing through. 

    Consider yourself or close colleagues: ambitious professionals and high achievers who are at an even higher risk of pushing through and overriding those warning signals. Will you push yourself to achieve at any cost? Has hybrid or remote working made it harder to properly switch off and achieve restorative rest? You are not alone. 

    Key Insight: If the only sign of stress you’re looking for is burnout and absence, you’re already many months too late. 

    How I can help: Book in a chat today to discuss what you can measure in your company to get ahead of the game. 

    What are the warning signs and long-term impacts? 

    In the short-term the warning signs are subtle and include lots of experiences that we have normalised in our working culture. For example:

    • Feeling irritable and reduced capacity for empathy; 
    • Feeling overwhelmed and reduced capacity to effectively manage unexpected tasks or issues;
    • Struggling to sleep;
    • Impaired concentration and decision making, leading to a reliance on auto-pilot rather than strategic judgement; and
    • An increase in minor illnesses, either leading to more absenteeism or more presenteeism. 

    Over years, this damage contributes to serious physical and mental health issues. Cancer. Diabetes. Heart disease. Dementia. The sad truth is that so many people are making themselves seriously ill for their careers and they don’t even realise. 

    Key Insight: The signs you are looking out for are far more subtle than you think. Your best performers become slightly less sharp… they’re not off sick or complaining of burnout, they are just that little bit less productive. 

    How I can help: My training and years of experience allow me to pick up on subtle signals and spot the warning signs early. Speak to me to find out more about what to look for. 

    How is this impacting my business bottom-line?

    In a world where efficiency and profits are king and queen, the commercial impacts of these issues are business-critical: 

    • Reduced cognitive bandwidth leads to a drop in productivity and an increase in errors;
    • Staff are less engaged with change initiatives (in a climate where change is the new normal) because they are already at capacity and feeling overwhelmed; 
    • Increased sick days, presenteeism and staff turnover are costing UK businesses billions per year (Deloitte, 2024); 
    • Decreased client satisfaction results in reputational damage and lost revenue; 
    • Increased irritability leads to increased conflict within teams and more HR time spent on grievances and mediation; and
    • Escalating costs associated with sick pay and reactive mental health support (e.g. access to counselling once someone is already in crisis).

    Key Insight: Wellbeing is no longer a ‘nice to have’ and it is no longer about ‘soft skills’. Getting ahead of these issues is something that businesses cannot afford NOT to do for 2026.

    How I can help: I know how important it is to make a strong business case and I support leaders to get the budget they need for the interventions they want. Book a call today to find out more.

    Why is this relevant right NOW?

    Allostatic load accumulates throughout the year, but December is a peak crunch point. You are dealing with end of year deadlines, trying to get projects over the line, end of year audits and performance reviews, and budget pressures. On top of that, the days are darker, colds and flu and knocking people out left, right and centre, and everyone is desperately trying to push through to Christmas with caffeine and Lemsip! 

    Your HR data may show that sick days peak in January and February, and that staff turnover is high in the first months of a new year. What you are seeing here is the impact of the December peak in invisible stress damage. 

    Key Insight: What you do RIGHT NOW predicts your health and performance measures in the new year. 

    How I can help: This is a perfect time to take action and gather before/after data. Book a call today to ensure that your staff take the right steps over the festive season, so they can return refreshed in the new year.

    What can I do about this if I can’t measure it?

    Allostatic load accumulates quietly. And by the time it’s visible, it’s already cost you energy, focus, and health. Not to mention the associated commercial losses. 

    The great news is that you can act now to protect your staff’s wellbeing and your commercial performance. 

    Here is roadmap for getting ahead of the issue and taking preventative measures:

    1. Knowledge is power. Your staff and managers need to understand their physiology and their stress response, so they are empowered to self-regulate more effectively.
      • In practice: Staff are able to take responsibility for self-monitoring and are more engaged with wellbeing initiatives, boosting your wellbeing strategy ROI and reducing the cost of reactive interventions. 
    2. Offer neuroscience-backed tools and strategies to sustainably increase resilience.
      • In practice: Staff are able to sustain higher performance and productivity whilst protecting their wellbeing, rather than “just pushing through”. You save money on lost productivity, absenteeism and presenteeism, ensuring a positive and productive start to the New Year. 
    3. Upskill leaders to create working environments that are high in psychological safety. One of the biggest contributors to our stress response in the workplace is an atmosphere of high interpersonal threat, causing individuals to disengage and withdraw due to fear of being shamed or ridiculed if they raise a concern.
      • In practice: Teams become more collaborative and innovative, embedding a culture of high performance. Higher-level cognitive functions such as planning, problem solving and perspective taking are free to flourish, as they are not hampered by an active alarm system in the brain. Interpersonal conflict is reduced and less time is wasted processing complaints and grievances. 
    4. Embed the culture of sustainable performance throughout the organisation. Wellbeing interventions are not just for Christmas!
      • In practice: Staff feel valued and supported in the long-term, reducing staff turnover and increasing talent retention. Company reputation strengthens and client outcomes are optimised. Younger employees who prioritise company culture over rates of pay will be drawn in, providing a competitive advantage.

    How Empresa Psychology can work with you to achieve these outcomes:

    Full disclosure: the worst part of my job is when I speak with individuals who are already suffering the consequences of serious health problems, and they suspect the root cause was years of over-working. I genuinely want to support organisations to implement effective interventions that will enable to them to achieve excellence without compromising wellbeing. 

    That’s why I develop and deliver evidence-based workshops that are customised to the specific needs of your team and business. I support leaders to think about ensuring their whole wellbeing strategy is impactful and sustainable, offering consultation and ongoing guidance where requested. 

    Our Compassionate Leadership training supports leaders to cultivate Psychological Safety so that team effectiveness is optimised, while leader wellbeing is supported. When staff feel psychologically safe, their brains are able to function at peak levels, enhancing creativity, engagement and performance. Leaders who embody this skillset understand how to hold staff accountable while cultivating a supportive environment.

    Our suite of customisable workshops for teams upskills team members to understand and harness their stress response, so that they can thrive in high-pressure situations. We teach tools and strategies backed by evidence from psychology and neuroscience, so that staff are empowered to build their resilience and reduce their risk of burnout. All interactive workshops end with an accountability resource that will support your staff to implement the tools and strategies they have learned into their daily roles. 

    Hot off the press: In 2026 we’ll also be launching a PDF resource that you can roll out, so that your staff have ongoing access to essential skills they can dip into when required. 

    Don’t miss out! Book a call to speak with me today to make sure 2026 is your company’s year to thrive! 

    From Passionate Practitioners to Purposeful People Leaders

    October 28, 2025

    Avoiding the Promotion Transition Trap in Charities and Not-for-Profits

    Written by Sally Dhillon, Nudge Forward

    In charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations, promotions are often made for all the right reasons.

    Someone has shown deep commitment to the mission.


    They are brilliant on the frontline, trusted by colleagues, reliable under pressure, and deeply aligned with the organisation’s values.

    So when a team leader or manager role becomes available, they’re the obvious choice.

    And yet, this well-intentioned promotion is where many organisations fall into what I call the Transition Trap.

    I’ve worked with many not-for-profit leaders who started out as exceptional practitioners — in service delivery, operations, fundraising, programmes or administration. They were promoted because they were good at what they did and cared deeply about the cause.

    But the move from doing the work to leading people who do the work is not a simple step up. Without the right support, it can feel like being handed responsibility without a map.

    If this sounds familiar in your organisation, you can view my listing in the Expert Services Directory to explore how I support charities and not-for-profits to develop confident, capable leaders.

    THE TRANSITION TRAP

    The transition from practitioner to people manager is one of the most challenging leadership shifts — and in the not-for-profit sector, it’s often unsupported.

    Here’s why it can be so difficult:

    • A shift in identity
      Many new managers are used to being valued for their direct contribution. Moving into leadership can feel like leaving behind the part of their role where they felt most confident.
    • Emotional overload
      Managing people brings complexity — performance issues, wellbeing concerns, boundaries and conflict — often alongside an already demanding role.
    • Imposter syndrome
      New leaders frequently feel they’re “winging it”, especially when they’ve had little or no leadership development.
    • Staying in delivery mode
      When leadership feels uncomfortable, people naturally retreat to what feels safe — continuing to do the work themselves rather than delegating, coaching or leading strategically.

    This isn’t about lack of ability or commitment. These are capable, values-driven people. 

    The challenge lies in changing mindset, gaining know-how, building confidence and shifting the support they receive.

    WHY IT MATTERS FOR NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS

    When new managers struggle, the impact ripples across the organisation:

    • Teams feel the strain. Unclear priorities, poor communication and unresolved tensions affect morale and effectiveness.
    • Attrition increases. People leave roles where they don’t feel supported, creating disruption and loss of knowledge.
    • Senior leaders firefight. Time is spent managing issues that could have been prevented.
    • Mission delivery is compromised. Leadership gaps reduce consistency, quality and sustainability of impact.

    In a sector already under pressure — with rising demand, constrained funding and increased scrutiny — these effects matter.

    If retaining good people and protecting your organisation’s impact is a priority, view my listing in the Expert Services Directory to learn how leadership development can help.

    THE OPPORTUNITY

    The good news is that when charities and not-for-profits invest intentionally in developing new and emerging leaders, the results are significant.

    Organisations experience:

    • More confident, capable managers
    • Healthier team dynamics and communication
    • Improved retention and engagement
    • Leaders who balance compassion with clarity
    • Greater senior leadership capacity for strategic focus

    Leadership development in this sector isn’t about creating corporate managers. It’s about helping people lead in ways that are values-led, human and sustainable.

    THE SKILLS THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

    From over 25 years experience coaching and developing leaders, I believe five areas consistently help people navigate the Transition Trap:

    1. Delegation and prioritisation — stepping back, focusing on what matters most and empowering others with clarity and confidence.
    1. Trust and psychological safety — creating environments where people feel safe to contribute and learn.
    1. Courageous conversations — addressing performance, boundaries and wellbeing with clarity and care.
    1. Inclusive leadership behaviours — creating belonging and valuing difference across teams.
    1. Resilience and self-leadership — managing emotional load and sustaining energy over time.

    These skills don’t replace professional expertise — they enable leaders to bring out the best in others.

    HOW TO SUPPORT NEW MANAGERS WELL

    Supporting new leaders doesn’t require complex programmes, but it does require intention.

    What makes the biggest difference:

    • Recognising that leadership is a distinct capability, not an automatic promotion outcome.
    • Providing early support through coaching and mentoring.
    • Investing in team development to build shared understanding and reduce friction.
    • Offering clear expectations and regular feedback.
    • Role-modelling reflective, values-led leadership from the top.

    Leadership development works best when it is practical, relevant and embedded — not left to chance.

    If you’re reviewing how you support new managers, my Expert Services Directory listing outlines the ways I work with not-for-profit organisations.

    CASE IN POINT

    One charity I worked with had promoted several highly respected frontline practitioners into management roles. Within months, senior leaders noticed rising tension, inconsistent decision-making and growing fatigue.

    Through a blend of one-to-one coaching, team development and leadership skills training, those managers gained confidence in how they led. They learned to delegate more effectively, have clearer conversations and lead with greater intention.

    The result was stronger collaboration, improved morale and a leadership team better equipped to sustain their impact to the communities they served.

    MOVING FORWARD

    The transition from practitioner to people leader is one of the most critical — and underestimated — leadership shifts in the not-for-profit sector.

    When organisations invest early in leadership development, they don’t just prevent problems — they protect their people, strengthen their culture and safeguard their mission.

    Every leader starts somewhere. The difference is whether they are expected to figure it out alone, or are given the knowledge, guidance and space to grow.

    If you’re a CEO or People & Culture lead in a charity, social enterprise or not-for-profit organisation and want to strengthen leadership capability view my listing in the Expert Services Directory and let’s talk.

    How to Unlock Your Most Productive Self

    October 2, 2025

    Dr Natalie Isaia, Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Empresa Psychology

    I’ve always considered myself to be a highly organised and efficient person, so this is hard to admit, but when I first started my business, I struggled to streamline and stay on top of my business admin. They don’t cover business admin processes in the Clinical Psychology doctorate! Back then, the insights and tips in this article helped me to get on top of everything and become my best business self. I’m sure I’m not the only person who has ever struggled with productivity, so I wanted to share what I have learned with you, backed up with some hard facts from the field of Clinical Psychology.

    The neuroscience behind your stress

    In fast-paced executive roles, the stress caused by disorganisation and inefficient working causes your ‘threat system’ in your brain to fire up. This can happen through multiple avenues:

    • the fatigue caused by spending a long time working on something whilst not achieving as much as you intended
    • the feeling of anxiety that occurs when we feel that we are behind and can’t get through what we need to,
    • constant task-switching which scatters our focus.

    Most importantly, when your ‘threat system’ is highly active, it takes over the rest of your brain, so your frontal lobe is not working effectively. The frontal lobe is your ‘rational brain’ that is responsible for problem solving, decision making and creativity – all attributes that you need to be online when the stress and the stakes are high.

    By honing productivity and refining organisational systems, your time and energy is optimised so you can get more done in less time and feel less stressed. Now your ‘threat system’ is no longer in the driving seat, your frontal lobe is back online, and you are able to concentrate, lead with vision, focus on high-impact priorities and make important decisions with confidence.

    If you want to understand the psychological barriers that are preventing your leaders and managers from thriving, we want to speak to you! Empresa Psychology’s evidence-based training upskills teams and leaders with neuroscience-backed strategies to regulate their ‘threat system’ and improve wellbeing and performance in one go. Book a free consultation via our website today to find out more.

    Identifying the problem

    Despite understanding the neuroscience behind the issue, at first I was confused: I normally find it so easy to be organised and productive, what was going wrong here? You can’t solve a problem if you don’t know what it is, so step one is always to investigate the root cause of the issue. In my case, I narrowed the culprits down to two:

    1. Lack of clarity. At that time, I was doing something that was new to me, and I therefore did not have a clear idea of exactly the tasks I should be completing. This made it extremely difficult to organise my time in any effective way.

    2. Overwhelm. When I did start to break down all the tasks and processes, there were so many that it immediately felt overwhelming. So, I did what all good humans do when they feel overwhelmed – put it off!

    Those happened to be the causes of my issue, but there are so many other reasons why we might struggle with organisation and productivity. Neurodivergence, competing priorities, distractions, perfectionism, and burnout, to name a few. If you’re interested in upskilling your teams and leaders with immediately applicable strategies to reduce burnout and presenteeism, find out more at our website.

    The myth of being lazy

    My strategy of putting it off unsurprisingly did not help me! Are you ever hard on yourself for procrastinating? Research from the fields of psychology and neuroscience reveal that this is actually a coping strategy – your brain’s attempt to keep you safe!

    The neural pathways in your brain that oversee your response to threat (the ‘fight or flight’ response) can’t tell the difference between a physical threat and an imaginary threat. If you’re worried about an upcoming task (e.g. “I have to write an article, what if it isn’t very good!”), your ‘threat system’ kicks in and uses the same strategy it has used for hundreds of thousands of years: avoid the scary thing!

    This strategy worked very well for real physical threats like dangerous forests or sabre tooth tigers, but most threats now exist in our imagination and avoidance only makes the fear worse.

    Often, to identify the root of our productivity issue, we must identify the root of the procrastination. This is easier said than done because our ego often says “I’m not scared of that!”, but if you can dig a little deeper then you will be able to dive to the heart of the issue.

    At the same time, being kind to yourself in these moments is essential. The procrastination is happening because your ‘threat system’ is activated. If you then respond to yourself with self-criticism, you’re compounding that ‘threat system’ activation and potentially making the problem worse.

    Self-compassion is misunderstood by many, but a is superpower for those who have mastered it. Our Compassionate Leadership training supports leaders to be kind to themselves whilst drawing on strength, courage and wisdom to hold teams (and themselves) accountable and achieve excellent outcomes.

    Motivation is fleeting

    Before we get to the solution, I must flag up an often used but usually unhelpful strategy: “I’ll do it when I feel like it”. Rely on this approach at your peril – motivation is fleeting.

    More than that, motivation actually comes out of action, not the other way around! The primary psychological treatment for depression is called ‘behavioural activation’. It is a straightforward approach: schedule small but meaningful tasks and do them at their scheduled time whether you feel like it or not. At first, it feels hard, but gradually motivation starts to grow. “Action then satisfaction” as a client of mine said many years ago. The good news is that this approach works for productivity and motivation in general, not just for individuals experiencing depression.

    The practical solution

    The wisdom behind the practical solution to my productivity problem was in part contained in a phrase I’ve heard over and over again on consultation calls with successful leaders and executives: “If it isn’t scheduled in my calendar, it doesn’t happen”. I’ve heard this applied to lunch, walks, self-care, admin, everything.

    The core principle here is that consistency beats motivation every time. And if you put in a very clear structure, then the consistency becomes a lot easier. One of the secrets to building and maintaining a habit is to make it as easy as possible for yourself because unfortunately unlimited ‘willpower’ is also a myth!

    In reality this took me several months, many iterations and a lot of help from a variety of sources. When I cracked it, this is what it looked like:

    1. Create a very clear and detailed process – break down all the tasks and sub-tasks. This gave me clarity. It also meant that once I had a process to follow, my brain could go into auto-pilot, which is where it wants to be, removing a lot of cognitive effort associated with working out what I should be doing next.

    2. Schedule everything. I booked in “meetings” with myself with set agendas. I reduced the overwhelm by scheduling sub-sections of tasks across several weeks, thus setting myself realistic and specific goals (remember SMART goals?). This works because the actions themselves become automated and my brain is less likely to get in its own way by over-thinking. If my calendar says ‘Call Jess’ on Monday at 3pm, then I just pick up the phone and do the task because it is 3pm. Even if I’m nervous about speaking to Jess, I can more easily override the resulting urge to procrastinate.

    The psychological cherry on top

    Want to make these strategies even more effective? Alongside mastering self-compassion, here are two psychology-approved add-on techniques that worked for me:

    Bonus tip #1 – find your “why”. Values-based action is very good for our wellbeing and also supports motivation. For me, this was about going deeper than just the financial elements of starting a business and asking “what is my real purpose and meaning that drives me to do this?”. Keep that front and centre in your mind (or on a post-it note) so that when you’re feeling unmotivated you can reconnect to this.

    Bonus tip #2 – add on an accountability tool. This one comes from behavioural psychology and will look different for everyone. It could be a reward, for example if you hit all your goals consistently for a month you can book a spa day. Or it could be a penalty, for example if you don’t hit at least 85% of your goals you have to give money away to a cause you actively dislike. Whatever you choose, the idea has to have a powerful enough impact to encourage you to get on with the task you’re trying to put off!

    Found this interesting?

    If you enjoyed reading this article, I’d love to speak with you! I’m inspired by finding out exactly what leaders and businesses are struggling with, and offering tailored, evidence- based techniques and strategies to help them achieve excellence without compromising wellbeing. In this article, I’ve described how I applied this to myself, now let’s talk about how I can help you. Head to the Empresa Psychology website today to book a free consultation call!