In the last article, Getting your team to step up, I wrote about some of the things people leaders can do to create the conditions for people to do their best work: helping them understand why the work matters, giving them responsibility and showing that you trust them. But even when you do all of that, things don’t go to plan.

Michael, a professional advisor who was managing a team, said to me recently,"I just wish my team would step up." It's a common frustration. Leaders often feel they are carrying too much. They want their people to take more ownership, be more proactive and think beyond the task in front of them.

Language shapes reality. By noticing how we speak about ourselves and our situations, we unlock the ability to expand what feels possible.

Part 4: shift from trying to win proposals to designing work that genuinely meets client needs — building trust through conversation, not polished documents.

Part 3: how to prepare for and run relationship-building BD meetings — and what happens when Erika's preparation meets a potential client.

Part 2: four practices to prepare yourself before business development conversations — reconnecting with purpose and cultivating conviction, curiosity, and care.

Part 1 of the series: what we really mean by 'conversion' — turning relationships into work through connection, good questions and genuine help.

A coaching engagement reveals how leadership success depends on mutual support and understanding rather than individual behaviour alone.

Workplace friction often stems from unclear roles and decision-making authority rather than personality clashes — resolve it through clarity and structured processes.

How honest, curiosity-driven conversations turned a stalled client relationship into a $450K opportunity.

Three business development traps that keep partners and directors stuck — the confidence, knowledge, and perfectionist traps — and how to escape each.

True influence is built on trusted relationships and timely offers that resonate — how dialogue and inclusion create meaningful change.

How cultivating constructive moods — awareness, confidence, and curiosity — transforms business development conversations and client relationships.

Unhealthy conflict is one of the biggest sources of stress at work. It doesn’t just affect the people involved—tension spills over into teams, slows down progress, and makes even simple conversations harder.

Using surfing as a metaphor, three practices — taking stock, committing, and coordinating — help teams thrive amid change.

Going deeper on 'taking stock' — reading market conditions and helping clients anticipate shifts through shared perspectives and deeper listening.

Build a simple, one-page personal manifesto to guide your business development through complex systems where success emerges from intentional action.

A simple framework for making work-flow conversations visible, so teams can coordinate better and deliver higher-quality work.