I N S I G H T S
Notes on leadership, performance and cognitive diversity
A five-part series on why capable people and strong teams lose their footing under sustained pressure, and what it takes to steady the conditions around them. Written to be read in order.
Why Your Best People Stall Under Sustained Pressure, and Why Working Harder Makes It Worse
When a capable leader starts to slow, the instinct is to push harder. But sustained pressure changes how people think, narrowing judgement and decision-making at the moment they matter most. Máire Crouchman explains why stabilising the conditions around your best people has to come before more strategy.
Cognitive Diversity Is a Performance Strategy, Not Just a Wellbeing Initiative
Most organisations file cognitive diversity under wellbeing or inclusion. But it is also a performance question. Máire Crouchman explains why the environment is the variable that matters, and how organisations may be leaving capability, innovation and better decision-making on the table.
When the Same Behaviour Has a Different Cause
Two leaders miss the same deadline, but the reasons behind it may have almost nothing in common. Máire Crouchman explains why responding to behaviour without understanding its cause leads to the wrong interventions, and why capable people get written off as a result.
What Resilience Training Gets Wrong About Performance Under Pressure
When teams are stretched, the instinct is often to build resilience. But not every performance problem under pressure is caused by a lack of it. Máire Crouchman explains why resilience should help people deal with what cannot be removed, not compensate for conditions that could be redesigned.