Consensus means everyone agrees before you move forward. Consultation means you seek input — and then you decide. They are not the same. I would urge every leader to consult others before making decisions, especially on big issues. But achieving consensus is not only difficult, it's unnecessary. That's because someone is bound to have a different view and will disagree with your decision. Spending effort trying to get everyone on board is not likely to be the best use of your

It is hard to believe, but during my Air Force flying training there was a student pilot who faked flying incidents. He reported multiple emergencies — engine failures, unrecoverable spins, aborted takeoffs — and handled each with remarkable skill. Over a year, he successfully resolved more than half a dozen such incidents. We admired his calmness under pressure and his ability to save the aircraft each time, even if the aircraft sustained costly damage, which it did at least

I once had a boss who I knew was vindictive, so a bit my tongue around him for way too long. I stayed quiet for so long that by the time I voiced my dissent at some of his behaviour, it was more of a spray than constructive input. I assumed I would be punished as I had witnessed him doing to others, but to my surprise he actually altered his behaviour.  I'd be surprised if I was the only one who has avoided disagreement with their boss, so you probably know that what looks li

Psychological safety has become one of the most discussed concepts in leadership. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most misunderstood. Psychological safety does not mean avoiding disagreement. It does not mean protecting people from challenge. And it certainly does not mean lowering standards to keep everyone comfortable. In high-performing teams, psychological safety serves a very specific purpose: it allows people to speak up when something is wrong. It allows the j

There was a time in military aviation when individual blame was the focus. Mistakes were followed by a simple question: “Who caused this?”  For decades, that approach shaped safety culture—identify the individual, correct them, and move on. It made sense. It felt accountable. But it didn’t make aviation safer. Over the last 30 years, my beloved Royal Australian Air Force—like many high-risk organisations—underwent a profound shift. The focus moved from who caused an incident

Leadership isn't about being liked; it's about making the right decisions—sometimes the hard ones. It is great to be liked, but much more important to be respected. Respected leaders will almost certainly create better outcomes for their teams, their organisations and, as a result, themselves. I therefore wholeheartedly agree with the recent Harvard Business Review article, 'When Being Too Nice Makes You a Weak Leader'. It is great to read an article from an academic journal