Don’t deny your own strength. You may wish to be kind and considerate to others, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hold your space, views and don’t have to always compromise and adjust.

Staying on into Sixth Form. Persuaded by my Mum to do that, it led to me deciding on office work of some sort and the rest is history.

I think it’s true that people can work together without a manager and be self-managed and equal. That we’re only motivated by money.

It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want To Be by Paul Arden

Reinventing Organizations by Frederic Laloux

A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Clayborne Carson

Rutger Bregman – who is calling out everyone from billionaires and politicians to economists and business leaders for their part in the growing wealth divide.

Have dreams and share them with me as enthusiastically as you like; Go deeply into things – no superficiality or surface level only; and Be prepared for my disdain of the word – can’t.

That I’m naive, fixated on work, that I try and hold too many relationships at any given time and don’t have enough credibility in my professional field.

That I need to be around people all the time. I don’t. I love solitude.

My interest in people. Misunderstanding of motives. Openness mistaken for over-familiarity. People think I have ulterior motives.

Lifting others.

Someone’s heritage. They can’t choose that and it’s probably a huge part of their identity and beliefs system.

Yes. I believe in a state system that protects the vulnerable and equalises everyone’s chance to succeed in life. Built on the pillars of free education; healthcare and justice. Call it left, socialist if you like. I call it humanist.

The murder of George Floyd shocked me into a state of near trauma. So much so that I haven’t found the words to describe what I am feeling yet.

I have often been an outsider. People would assume I’m always at the heart of everything but I’ve been very callously cast aside by many groups and people. It appears I can be ‘too much’ for people at times. There was a group of ‘Social HR’ practitioners I was a big part of in 2010-2016. Around 6 or 7 of that group very deliberately turned their backs on me and whilst it bothered me for some time, it taught me a LOT about how fickle people can be. I haven’t lost anything by not being in their clique anymore, and it strengthened how much I value those who’ve stuck by me.

I think it’s acceptable to not let on to your colleagues how much you earn that will be taboo tomorrow with radical transparency and value add in the open.

My Google Pixel Phone. Best phone ever.

An artistic shot of a Lambretta scooter.

A spongy footrest to sit under my home office desk. Support my posture and feels quite therapeutic that something so supportive is also so soft and comforting.

My most prized possession is my house. I still can’t believe that a council house boy could live in the 3-bed detached house I live in.

Vegan Chocolate – because I don’t do animal products.

A 1930s Jazz Joint. Like the Cotton Club.

Milton Keynes. A truly soulless place.

Design what work is needed to stay alive and by whom.

King Kong. A big guy who it turns out, just likes to protect his girl.

Berry Gordy Jnr

Jacinda Ahern

Dr Martin Luther King Jnr

Never sell. Always have a genuine interest conversation and be prepared to walk away with nothing more than a nice exchange with another human being.

I was overworked, I desperately wanted to try and put together a leadership event to symbolise ‘I got this’ I booked the venue got the trainer; and when no delegates came, I was faced with a £14k loss. Because of my keenness. I had a lot of humble pie to eat on that one. Never again put myself in that situation.

Ability to connect other people.

Deciding to undertake a consultation/awareness roadshow on my own visiting 200+ offices over a period of 4 months. I was exhausted.

I undertook a work-based accreditation programme that sounded great but was full of bureaucracy – and whilst a good idea, I under-scoped it totally. As I came to the end of my last corporate role, this was one reason why I had to leave. And a couple of other things I did and didn’t do.

Pushing things to the last minute. I do it too.

The current team are the best I couldn’t single one of them out. So I’ll say the best person I ever hired is Jessica-Kirsten-Crystal-Broch-Catalina-Clare-Emily.

Simon Lancaster and I built a Language of Leadership course for my senior leaders at the time. My goodness that man knows about the power of speech and we built a brilliant course that a very choosy leader said was the best thing she’d EVER been on.

Do you want the same things the company stands for?

Yes. I was the newest and most naive of Heads of L&D. I just fessed up and worked with my peers and eventually became the one to throw in the ‘creative’ curve balls. I couldn’t pretend so I was honest.

The amount of mediocre professionals who think it’s ok to practice as if it were the 1980s or 1990s.

Toxic leadership – some people are just happy being assholes.

Recruitment can be outsourced. The most important decision you make is who is invited into your company and you’d trust someone other than your own people? You need someone who loves your organisation’s purpose and reason for being to make that call.

End commutes. Only work from a place if you absolutely have to. What will we see? More shit leadership and people stuck in the 1990s.

Winners – soulful organisations who make products and deliver services people genuinely need and give a shit about. Losers – people who don’t add value to the world but think they do.

When you don’t know the answer, be nice.

A former HR Director who agreed to mentor me and helped me get into HR. I owe her so much for that amazing turn of events to a profession I absolutely love being part of.

C-J Green

What’s the phrase I live my live by. And it’s this The measure of who we are; is what we do, with what we have. Vince Lombardi – Head Coach of the Green Bay Packers.

Siobhan Sheridan

Thanks to Perry Timms, for contributing to The Recruiters Tribune. Connect with Perry on LinkedIn and Twitter