Welcome

Today is the Engineering Talent Awards!

After five successful years in London, we’ve moved the celebration up north to Manchester for the very first time. I’m travelling up this morning to make sure everything’s set for the evening, and I can’t wait to reconnect with colleagues, friends, and, most importantly, honour the incredible changemakers nominated for this year’s awards.

It’s a full-circle moment, a reminder that while we all have our day-to-day, it’s nights like these that remind us why we do what we do.

The SAFE Leader in Glasgow

On Monday and Tuesday this week, Poggy and I kicked off our in-person The SAFE Leader training in Glasgow.

From the first session, it was clear that this wasn’t just another leadership course. The stories that emerged were raw, honest, and deeply human, moments that reminded us why psychological safety must sit at the heart of every engineering team.

What stood out most was the willingness of participants to reflect on uncomfortable truths and lean into discomfort, exactly the kind of courageous leadership we need more of.

Thank you to our wonderful participants for showing up with openness and intent. We're looking forward to continuing next week with an in-house delivery for Taylor Woodrow.

From Big Four to Big Impact

What makes someone walk away from a successful Big Four career and start over? In this episode, I sit down with Trisha Daho, founder of Empowered, who did just that, driven by one powerful question: What if work could feel different?

We talk about what it really takes to create cultures where people can thrive. From her early days as a law partner to now leading cultural transformation in corporate America, Trisha shares:

• How she built her business around a covenant of trust

• The role of vulnerability in leadership

• Why diversity and safety must go hand-in-hand

If you're a leader wrestling with what real change looks like, this conversation will leave you with both challenge and clarity.

Why SAFE Leadership Matters More Than Ever

We still associate safety with hard hats and hazard signs. But the most dangerous thing on many sites today isn’t technical, it’s cultural.

Silence. Fear. Exclusion.

In this week’s feature, I unpack how psychological safety and inclusion are mission-critical. I reflect on:

• The cultural roots of safety failures

• Why inclusion strengthens trust

• And how the SAFE framework (Share, Act, Feel, Empower) offers a blueprint for better leadership

Plus, I’m heading to AIChE Boston soon to run workshops for students and industry alike, and I’d love your input on what to include.

Let’s Connect!

Please reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn if we are not already connected.

I love helping organisations where the angle I take with the work I do might help in someway have you make traction in your culture.

Feel free to get in touch here.

Stay SAFE!