Over the years, working alongside executive teams, I’ve noticed a familiar pattern.
 When results stall or pressure builds, leaders instinctively turn to the plan - the clever strategy, the restructure, the next big move that promises to change everything. But the real work begins elsewhere.

I’ve just come out of a working session with an executive team. After much debate, they agreed on a simple but powerful charter for how they will lead together. Once again I was struck by how much this kind of clarity matters. How the top team shows up really matters.

When I was in my early twenties, frustrated, uncertain, and a little lost in the machinery of a large corporate, I asked a mentor a simple question: “What is the ideal age to be in a corporate?” He paused, thought for a while, and then answered with confidence: “Thirty-five.”

Leadership at the executive level comes with weighty expectations: drive results, align strategies, lead change. But beneath the surface lies a quieter kind of work. It’s less visible, more personal, and just as vital.

In January 2025, Gallup confirmed what many of us already felt - employee engagement has crashed to its lowest point in a decade. Only 31% of employees are engaged. That means 7 in 10 people are just going through the motions. It’s the worst for workers younger than 35.

Most leaders I work with don’t suffer from a lack of things to do. In fact, the opposite is true. Our diaries are packed, and our inboxes are full. We wake up in task mode, move from meeting to meeting, and end the day with barely enough margin to think.

Many years ago, I had the privilege of working closely with Dr. Stephen R. Covey. He was at the height of his influence, and we were establishing the Covey Leadership Centre in Southern Africa. It was an extraordinary moment in time. One that was both professionally and personally formative, the impact of which still lives with me today.