I have been leading companies for 25 years, You don’t have to be a genius to be a leader of genius! – my earliest challenges were to rebuild a broken Porsche brand and then to inspire the team at BMW GB to achieve a 500% improvement in profit while transforming the service levels of an industry.
Since then, Kevin Gaskell has founded start-ups, driven turnarounds and built companies in numerous sectors. Our teams have won awards and been recognised as some of the best in the world. They have also created over GBP 3 billion in shareholder value.
Now that the immediate shock of the pandemic is receding, we need to lead our teams in a way which encourages agility and dynamic growth. My view is that people are incredible. Ordinary people, led well, can achieve extraordinary results. I believe that people can be inspired to stop chasing immediate rewards but rather think about building something that lasts, creating something of which they are proud. The principles and techniques of inspirational leadership are transferable. I help leaders and teams to deliver them:
1. High performance begins and ends with engagement. The leader’s role is to establish a clear vision of success. Everyone needs to understand what success will look like, what it will sound like and what it will feel like. What will it mean for the customer when we get there? Everyone in the team has a role to play so we give them the opportunity to get excited and engaged.
2. Challenges are opportunities for growth. Address the fear of change by discussing the new status we are striving for. Evaluate carefully the opportunities and the marketplace and deal only in facts. Get excited together by being enthusiastic about the freedom to make real and substantial change. Invite team members to move quickly.
3. Make it easy for the team to contribute. Build a clear, but simple, plan. Share it. Invite comments and ideas. Excite the high performers to become leaders at every level in the organisation. Be totally inclusive of talent and ideas – let people dream! Communicate the successes of individual’s ideas and improvements.
4. Praise first, challenge later. Provide regular feedback. Make heroes of the high performing teams by praising their approach to a challenge. A positive approach can be transferable to other areas. Leadership is about creating a positive culture and letting the team run. It is not the end of the world if it goes wrong.
5. Recognise that people are amazing. Leading teams to high performance is about creating the belief that ideas and challenge are progress. Set a positive example, be approachable, consistent, and make champions visible. Positive belief is an energy which transfers to others.
Easter is obviously when Christians celebrate a miracle that is central to our faith in Creating Distinction. We are also in the seasons of Ramadan and Passover. Although my work here is never intended to be about any particular set of spiritual beliefs, it struck me when thinking about these observances that having faith — […]
The Power of Storytelling: Why It’s the Most Booked Skill in Keynote Speaking Today In 2025, one speaking skill continues to stand out across every stage, industry, and audience: storytelling. While expertise and credentials remain important, the ability to tell a compelling story has become the most booked and valued asset in keynote speaking today. […]
Do you have to be a manager or executive to Being A Leader? No! Leading others is a choice. It isn’t about your title. Many people with executive titles are terrible leaders, and many people without a fancy title are outstanding leaders. More than your title, being a leader is about influencing change and inspiring […]
The Status Quo of Crisis Preparedness Puts You at a Disadvantage—and It’s Time For That To Change. Over the last couple of years, I’ve found myself increasingly frustrated with my industry, the crisis management profession. To put my frustration simply, the status quo of crisis preparedness and crisis management no longer suffices and, as a […]
JUSTICE MALALA MEET THE SPEAKER is a political commentator and current affairs keynote speaker, newspaper columnist and author of the Number One South African bestseller “We Have Now Begun Our Descent”. He is rated as the top African political / economic analyst in South Africa Malala writes regular weekly columns for The Times online newspaper […]
The Dark Side of Motivational Speaking: When Inspiration Becomes Manipulation Motivational speaking is a billion-dollar industry, built on the promise of transformation, success, and boundless personal growth. Audiences flock to these high-energy events, hoping for that one insight that will change their lives. But beneath the surface of encouragement and empowerment lies a darker reality: […]
In this article you will discover 7 emotional management techniques . A person with poor emotional management in the workplace, or even in personal life, can have consequences such as being fired or failing to maintain a stable relationship. At work, those who do not have an awareness of their emotions are often someone who has difficulty appreciating and being appreciated […]
Hi, I’m Zion Clark. My journey has been filled with challenges that have tested my limits physically, mentally, and emotionally to Building Unbreakable Mental Strength to Overcome Life’s Challenges . One thing I’ve learned through it all is that mental strength is what separates those who give up from those who keep pushing forward, no matter […]
Our Mission:
© All rights reserved 2026. Designed using Voxel
