John Ryan

I conducted research with Chief People Officers across Ireland to uncover what's really blocking organisational excellence, called the ‘Mind the Gap,’ report.  Inside, we talk about five key themes.     The first of the five themes is Leadership Skill & Will.     Here’s a sneak peek of the top three insights from this topic:  1. No CEO buy-in = no real change - "A people agenda is only as strong as the senior team willing to drive it."      2. Leadership skill gaps are holding teams back - "Lack of leadership capability is a barrier to high-performing culture." 3. Culture change fails when delegated to HR - It must come from senior leadership to succeed.   The full report reveals all five themes, plus four practical strategies to help navigate Leadership Skill & Will change.     Download the ‘Mind The Gap’ report now: https://lnkd.in/eH4UpXah Read more about Leadership Skill and Will on the blog: https://lnkd.in/eKPpfnCy #LeadershipSkillAndWill #MindTheGapReport #OrganisationalCulture #Leadership #PeopleOps 

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The narrative around AI and job losses needs nuance. I recently spoke with The Irish Times about what we're actually seeing in Ireland's job market. The reality is more complex than the headlines suggest. Roles aren't disappearing, they're being redefined to emphasise human creativity, critical thinking, and complex problem-solving. Deploying AI purely for cost-cutting misses its broader potential for innovation, enhanced customer experiences, and transformative growth. Ireland's strength in tech and advanced manufacturing puts us at the forefront, if we act now on reskilling and upskilling. Leaders must align AI strategies with business growth objectives, not just expense reduction. Full article in comments 👇 #AIStrategy #BusinessLeadership #IrelandInc #FutureOfWork

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I mentor people who want to enhance their board careers. Often they seek professional mentoring because they have exhausted themselves trying to step from volunteer to paid boards, invested heavily in qualifications that don't open doors, or because years of coffee ☕ drinking with anyone who appeared to have an insight (or introduction) to share has not resulted in any real progress. The article below highlights the exhaustion felt by women, in particular, who may have disproportionate caring responsibilities. Men also report frustration and exhaustion. Sometimes this, alone, can be the thing that holds you back. You have the skills, qualifications, and experience. You lack the energy to display that vital spark, curiosity, and warmth. Directors need energy to invest in their roles. The answer is not to give up. You are more than enough. You are perfectly good at the things that make your most valuable contribution. The answer is to focus. Work out your unique contribution. Make it shine. 💡 #boards #governance #careers https://lnkd.in/gMkXdyrA

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Too many leaders get stuck in management and forget to lead. Had Chris Boyd on the podcast this week and he said: “Too much of what coaches do is management, not leadership.” The conversation expanded, 'We start out with energy and vision. We want to inspire, connect, drive purpose, and shape something bigger than ourselves. But over time, something shifts. We get bogged down in meetings. Emails. Scheduling. Budgets. Forms. Logistics.' The endless doing. "We tell ourselves it’s part of the job and to a degree, it is. But the cost is: We lose sight of the one thing only we can do, lead" Leadership isn't about ticking boxes. It’s about setting direction, inspiring belief, and creating culture. It’s not just sport. It’s everywhere. He speaks his mind here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gJhrAcWv #Leadership #Culture #CoachingMatters #LeadingNotManaging #HighPerformance #PeopleFirst #CoachingCulture #TeamDevelopment #LeadershipReflection #GrowthMindset Dan Biggar Sam Vesty Phil Dowson

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The 7 myths of workplace wellbeing – and what they mean for leaders Delighted to see the article I co-authored with Professor Gail Kinman published by Make a Difference Media MAD World Summit 2025. Workplace wellbeing is firmly on the boardroom agenda - but impact often falls short. Drawing on research, evidence from 1,500+ organisations we’ve supported at SuperWellness, and insights from wellbeing leads across sectors, we’ve uncovered seven common myths that hold companies back: Myth 1: Wellbeing is a perk Myth 2: Workplace wellbeing = employee health Myth 3: A wellbeing strategy = a calendar of campaigns Myth 4: Wellbeing is a support function Myth 5: Wellbeing = enjoying work Myth 6: Wellbeing is hard to measure Myth 7: Workplace wellbeing = mental health Plus a bonus myth we mention as well... Busting these myths is key to unlocking wellbeing’s true potential to drive resilience, performance, and sustainable growth for organisations. ❓Are there any others we haven't covered? I'd love to hear your thoughts. To read the full article, follow the link in comments.

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What happens when an organisation multiplies in size within just a few years? Opportunities expand. Complexity rises. And the way the senior team works together becomes critical to sustaining success. Today Dani and I delivered a programme to a progressive Executive Team that isn’t waiting for cracks to appear. They’re building on their success by optimising how they function, anticipating the challenges ahead and strengthening the capabilities needed for the next stage in their journey. The Executive Team is the team of teams. Each member represents their own function – and the enterprise as a whole. That dual responsibility creates unique challenges: balancing functional priorities with enterprise outcomes, avoiding duplication or gaps and ensuring decisions are made to deliver for the long-term good of the business. Dani and I were really impressed by the constructive, proactive approach each team member took today. They know that if the big conversations don’t happen in the room, issues surface elsewhere – in misaligned priorities, corridor decisions or bottlenecks that slow growth. The focus today was on building discipline to: 🔸 Slow down when rushing to conclusions or stuck in circular debate 🔸 Name the taboos that quietly undermine progress 🔸 Ensure every voice in the team is heard and carries weight 🔸 Make time for the big strategic conversations away from operational noise 🔸 Balancing the needs of “absent voices” in the room – stakeholders, the board, customers and their own teams These are the classic pressure points for executive teams in high-growth businesses. Growth tempts leaders to keep running, but the smarter move is to press pause, create space for the difficult conversations, and strengthen collective leadership. We can't wait for the next session where we’ll explore how this team extends that strength into the wider system – so alignment and coherence grow alongside scale.

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Reflections from the School Run - Interview with my husband In the Women in Leadership: Insights to Impact Survey 2025, Dr Amanda Sterling’s research found that partner support emerged as first equal (at 42%) in the factors having the most positive impact on women’s leadership journeys. Interestingly, partner support rated more important than leadership development and flexible work arrangements – yet those initiatives receive greater organisational attention. It was this that prompted me to have a kōrero with my husband, Dos, about his experience taking 4 months of paternity leave when our daughter was 3 months old.   ❓ ❓ ❓ Kara: You took 4 months of paternity leave, what was that like? Dos: It was good. Really good. I enjoyed every moment of it. Kara: Why do you think you enjoyed it so much? Dos: Because I got to do new things with her every day. I’d never had this chance before. This was the first time I could take on the stay-at-home dad responsibility 100%.   DECIDING WHO WOULD STAY HOME Kara: How did we decide that you’d take paternity leave? Dos: I knew you were concerned about being away for so long. I wanted to step in and do my part as a dad. It wasn't a hard decision for me at all. Kara: Why didn’t I just stay home for the full six months? Dos: You had to do what you had to do and I wanted to do mine. It just made sense. Kara: Did my career factor into those discussions? Dos: Yeh, you were really starting to step up at work, the timing was off for you.   WORKPLACE REACTIONS Kara: How did your work respond when you said you were taking the full 4 months? Dos: They wanted me back at work as soon as possible but I wasn’t going to miss this time with our daughter. Even halfway through they contacted me and asked when I'd be back - I think they thought I'd change my mind. Kara: Upon returning to work, was there any negative impact to your career? Dos: Not at all. Kara: Have you ever seen other dads at work take paternity leave? Dos: I know a couple dads that have taken about 6 weeks. Others have asked me what I thought of my leave. I tell them, “I can’t answer that for you, but I can tell you I loved every second. If you want to know for yourself, you need to take that step.”   WORDS FOR OTHER DADS Kara: If you had to summarise your paternity leave experience, what would you say? Dos: I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. Kara: What would you say to other dads who are on the fence about taking longer paternity leave? Dos: Take it. Tomorrow isn’t promised, and you might never get the chance again. Time goes fast and before you know it, they’re adults.   THE TAKEAWAY Dr Amanda Sterling’s research highlights how powerful partner support is in women’s leadership journeys. I share my husband's thoughts as he didn't feel penalised or that he was giving something up. He LOVED his paternity leave. 💡 If we changed the narrative, how many more dads might take longer paternity leave helping to balance out responsibilities at home?! 💡

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