Clear as a Bell site

The Reluctant Leader story

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:15:46 -0800

Once upon a time...

...there was once a brilliant [insert profession] who was so good at their job they got promoted to a Senior Position.

Trouble was, it turned out that being brilliant at doing [finance/operations/surgery/law/design/data...] was no longer actually their job. Two things became their job.

1. Vision - Understanding how the work fitted within the whole organisation, to work towards the common goals.

Yes, they could get behind this: a strategy, structured plans, clear messaging, reporting.

2. Leading people and resources - creating networks, advocating, influencing, negotiating, shaping culture.

Uh, oh. They felt unprepared for all the human messiness of people behaving the way they do.

The effect

That was when they started thinking they weren't cut out for leadership. Messages weren't landing, unspoken power dynamics were sabotaging their efforts, undermining their authority.

They dreaded meetings, anything to do with line management, dealing with project teams, requesting resources. The bottom line was suffering. They felt they carrying the can for something outside their control. Surely the problems at the organisation were fixable. There must be a secret sauce that a consultant could help them find.

Enter the "consultant coach"

It was relief to share.

"l am confident in what I do at work ...except for dealing with people" .
"I enjoyed the doing, but now I only have to manage people."
"I've got lots of ideas and...Read More

Effective or ineffective productivity?

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 10:10:03 -0800

What are people dynamics?

People dynamics are both simple and complex. Simple to describe: the way people behave and relate to each other, in this case, at work.

Complex because they encompass all and any aspects of human behaviour, values, beliefs and emotions for each individual, shaped by their varying abilities, skills and life experience.

That's a lot of dynamic at work. It's astonishing, when you think about it, that human society functions as well as it does! We've had millennia of pratice, though. Being part of a group is how humans have evolved for survival, safety and fulfillment.

Why are people dynamics important at work?

Being part of a team at work means adapting to achieve something together, usually indirectly connected to your own personal interest. Completion of a project, production of something for sale, a process well run.

The way people interact with each other directly affects how productive the group can be. If a lot of time is spent managing everyone's energy, worrying about reactions, sorting out disputes or inertia, that's what I call ineffective productivity.

Effective productivity

Effective productivity translates as projects running smoothly because the people dynamics work towards an agreed common beneficial outcome. It doesn't mean everyone is woo woo happy, or even fully on board with the way things are run, they may even...Read More

Invitation to the garden

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 03:13:42 -0800

Yesterday I heard in depth from someone with (in)credible, rich and varied experience in INGO (International Non-Governmental Organisation) work. They have worked all over the world on policy, funding, international relations, conflict resolution, monitoring and evaluation - you name it, they've been there.

I felt privileged to spend some time with this person and learn so much in a short time.

We both came to one interesting insight.

The success of any mission, any organisation, any project or programme rests on the Culture and the culture.

Though it's an imperfect shortcut, I'll divide it into: 1. capital C, 2. lowercase c.

1. Culture - the visible signs that make up how things work - structure, branding, mission, policies, value statements, events, leaders, external partners

2. culture - the stories we tell, the underlying atmosphere, the speed things get done, enthusiasm, behaviour expectations and tolerance, the unspoken amount of agency and autonomy of action people have, the assumptions we make.

Culture is a complex weave, shaped by human interaction, circumstances and the ways people rise to challenges and opportunities.

As Edgar Shein put it: “The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture.”

What's the one change I would ring?

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 02:46:59 -0800

If I went back 4 years, to starting up Clear as a Bell, this is the one thing I'd do differently.

Don't get me wrong, I love running my own show! Varied work, brilliant clients and energising networks, prioritising learning to enhance my coaching and training programmes, creating my own growth models to widen my reach...

All that is fulfulling and meaningful. But.

It took me years to get to this level of enjoyment. Years of working it out for myself. Never earning quite enough to replace the paid employment.

Until.. I discovered the value of coaching.

As a coach, I knew the value I brought to my clients

"Clare is my business therapist!" (Small business owner).

Blind spot. Coaching would benefit me too!

Having coaching has helped me clarify and accept the value I bring, shifted me to an abundance mindset, encouraged me to work on the business itself as a priority.

Ultimately, it's helped me to become even better at what I do, with the confidence to make Clear as a Bell a business that brings value at every turn.

The one thing I would do differently is to get a coach early on. The months of lonely struggle I could have avoided.

In fact, I would go back 15 years, to when I was setting up new things, a lone voice in traditional...Read More

New Year, No Resolution!

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 05:18:16 -0800

I photographed this old-fashioned phone on a table in an alcove at Charleston farmhouse in Sussex (it didn't ring!). The whole house and its furniture, and the local church. were painted by the eclectic Bloomsbury household, that included Vanessa Bell and Clive Bell.

Welcome to your year of more Flow

You may have been lucky enough to take a break over Christmas and are now thinking about a new start. If you didn't manage a break, you may be wondering about managing your energy right now. Either way, I'm here to help with my top Flow Tip today.

Don't make any New Year's resolutions

Yes, really. I haven't taken new year's resolution fordecades - and yet I am healthier, fitter and more fulfilled than ever I was
when I used to.

Join my No Resolution Revolution.

'Resolutions' focus on behaviour, on doing (I will go the gym, Iwill eat a healthy diet, see my friends more, take up that new hobby...).

Without examining and stating the reasons behind why you want todo these things, it's unlikely you'll stick to it.

For the What are the most sought after skills today?

1. "Analytical thinking remains the most sought after core skill among employers" (my own bold emphaisis).

2. This is followed by "resilience, flexibility and agility, along with leadership and social influence.."

3. "AI and big data top the list of fastest-growing skills, followed closely by networks and cybersecurity as well as technology literacy."

4. "Complementing these technology-related skills, creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility, along with curiosity and lifelong learning, are also expected to continue to rise in importance over the 2025-2030 period."

In other words, while it's one thing to be technically skilled, the value comes from those other skills that have traditionally been called "soft".

Myth number one

Soft skills are "soft". They are no such thing! They have been labelled that because of not being in the traditional systems.

Teaching minds and talents technical skills is how the world of education and work have been set up. The value of using them creatively and flexibility, buildling in resiliece and agility can only be achieved by prioritising curiosity and lifelong learning. Organisations, society and individuals edge the advantage from the way we behave and think.

Myth number two

These skills, which we will call Human Skills, cannot be taught or learnt. They absolutely can!

What is not a myth is that organisations who invest,...Read More

Have you met the 'manager translator'?

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 08:54:08 -0700

Have you met the 'manager translator'?

🪅 Translating a fizz of ideas and strategies into 🗃️ practical projects and workstreams

📉 Translating details into formats for many different audiences

🎆 Translating what needs to be done into actions and reports

They work alongside us and they are 🍋 Squeezed. They are too stressed to perform at their best.

They're thinking of leaving.*
What would change if your managers were excited and equipped with the skills to perform at their best? You could expect them to

✅ Advise on opportunities and ✅ risks

✅ Present options and ✅ Scenario plan

✅ Focus on optimising outcomes

✅ Stay

Get in touch today to find out about our "Frantic to Calm Change Maker" participative learning programme for translator managers.

* I have spoken, in the last few weeks, to about a dozen managers who have said...Read More

Training or coaching? Both!

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 03:21:42 -0700

#FridayAfternoonThought

I met my coaching supervisor this morning - and wow, do I love my coaching supervision sessions!

The opportunity to explore and share ideas while going deep, high and wide is second to none.

Today we explored the value of a coaching approach to Change Leadership training.

💡 Awareness and applicable skills are the focus

🤼 People participate actively to practise, explore and share tools and techniques

😊 participants leave with confidence to deal with different situations in their own change leadership journey

While you can't stop change happening, there are ways to overcome, or even embrace, the discomfort and uncertainty. Playing your part in shaping in the change is to open up the potential offered by doing things differently.

Clear as a Bell offers a half-day or full-day training package "Firefighting to Calm Change Maker" for purpose-led businesses. You will leave with tools and techniques you can apply straight away for those uncertainties and shaping the change. Find out more by emailing Read More

DO LESS AND ACHIEVE MORE

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 04:25:00 -0700

Welcome to this first of a short series of posts for calmer ways to work.

The problem

Leaders, you are struggling to fit an ever expanding workload into your days, weeks and years. You are tired. You live in a competitive world that seems to be accelerating and twisting away from you, there are more new technologies to get your head around, regulation seems to be ever changing, costs are rising... In other words, you can find yourself constantly fighting fires and struggle to make the progress you need.

I've been there and that is why I quit my job, four years ago, to set up Clear as a Bell, live a better quality of life with purpose and enjoyment. Since then, I've helped dozens of people get clarity on their projects, make small and not so small changes that eventually add up to big changes, turning things around for better results with a calmer mind and body.

In this short series, we will cover topics with practical things you can do to lessen the pressure while looking after the results.

Caveat

I make no guarantees about what will change; you'll need to find what works for you, find your own definition of "too much" and "results". You will do the work. What I can offer is an opportunity to think about your priorities, offer a number of ideas to try out, options for you to decide on what to implement and where to focus your resources.

Topic 1 Delegating

Why delegate?

Think of someone you admire. What are they good at? What do you think they're not so good at?

The best leaders recognise their own strengths and surround themselves with people who have the strengths that they don't. Delegating to an expert or another pair of hands is one way to do that, for better results. I don't, for...Read More

n., & v.t. 1. n stretching, being stretched; mental strain or excitement... 2. (mech)... part of system in equilibrium or motion...

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 03:22:55 -0700

Update January 2026

I tend to talk about friction and flow, rather than tensions these days. Friction and tensions are closely related but obviously not quite the same. The Flow Builder page explains how to harness friction to build your own flow, here: https://www.clearasabell.uk/build-your-flow.

You can access lots of free tools from the download page too https://www.clearasabell.uk/downloadable-top-tips

Original article

Oxford Concise Dictionary

n., & v.n., & v.t. 1. n stretching, being stretched; mental strain or excitement... 2. (mech)... part of system in equilibrium or motion...t. 1. n stretching, being stretched; mental strain or excitement... 2. (mech)... part of system in equilibrium or motion...

I'm writing the narrative for part three of the C-Change, and the word is...

Tension

Notice that tension can describe "mental strain...Read More