Steering Point Articles
Leadership vs Management: Why Organisations Need Both
We often hear people say “we don’t need managers, we need leaders.” It sounds compelling, but it misses the point. Organisations need both. Without leadership, people lose sight of the bigger picture. Without management, nothing actually gets done. Think of it like a garden. Leadership is deciding what to plant, where the sunlight will fall, […]
Getting a grip on ‘meeting culture’
Meetings have become the defining ritual of corporate life. They structure our calendars, consume our energy, and far too often erode our productivity. According to the Wall Street Journal, the average worker spends two days a week in meetings and on email, equating to 40% of their time at work, while executives spend an astonishing […]
Leading in the absence of clear direction from the C-suite
The modern workplace faces a peculiar paradox. Whilst organisations invest heavily in strategic planning and leadership development, a growing chasm exists between executive decision-making and operational execution. This disconnect manifests in multiple ways, from C-suite indecision that paralyses middle management to misalignment between human resources teams and senior leadership that undermines people strategies. The result […]
Why Different Leadership Styles Still Matter
Leadership isn’t a one-size-fits-all game. Some leaders inspire with vision, others thrive on structure. Some give freedom, others provide close direction. Each style comes with strengths and pitfalls. In today’s working world — hybrid teams, generational shifts, and the rise of AI — the leadership style you lean into matters more than ever. Not because […]
Avoiding the AI Experimentation Trap
The MIT Media Lab/Project NANDA recently released findings showing that 95% of investments in generative AI have produced zero returns [1]. This revelation comes at a time when the underwhelming launch of OpenAI’s GPT-5 has provided ammunition for sceptics questioning whether AI’s progress is slowing, with The Economist suggesting that generative AI is entering its […]
The Strategic Art of Startup Investment Timing
The collapse of Color Labs in 2012 stands as a stark reminder that massive early funding can become a startup’s greatest liability. Despite raising £41 million before even launching their photo-sharing app, the company shuttered operations within two years, leaving £25 million unspent [1]. The failure wasn’t due to lack of capital, but rather the […]
The False Choice Between Competition and Collaboration
In the corridors of corporate offices and the pages of business journals, leaders routinely frame competition and collaboration as opposing forces. This binary thinking suggests organisations must choose between fostering internal rivalry or promoting teamwork. Yet mounting evidence from across industries reveals this perceived dichotomy to be fundamentally flawed. The reality is that competition and […]
The Experience Gap: A Threat to Ireland’s Fintech Future
Introduction The fintech sector has experienced explosive growth over the past decade. Traditional banks, once reliant on outdated payment systems, have shifted towards digital banking and digital payments, with increased adoption of blockchain technology. This digitalisation of the banking industry has revolutionised financial services and accelerated the rise of fintech banks. The emergence of fintech […]
Why Leaders Should Master the Skill of Emailing in 3 Moves
A good chess player can think seven moves ahead. But ask any grandmaster and they’ll tell you: after the third move, the board always changes. New possibilities open, opponents react in unexpected ways, and the plan you had in your head gets reshaped by reality. Good communicators work the same way. Too often, especially over […]
Is Pay Transparency the Answer?
For decades, workplace culture has treated salary discussions as taboo, with managers routinely advised to maintain secrecy around compensation decisions. This conventional wisdom suggested that transparency would inevitably lead to dissatisfaction amongst employees who discovered they earned less than their colleagues, whilst those earning more would simply feel their compensation was justified. The result, according […]
Everything you need to know about ChatGPT-5
When OpenAI launched GPT-5 early this month, it positioned the model as the company’s “smartest, fastest, most useful” release yet [1]. Sam Altman, co-founder and chief executive, described it as a “major upgrade” and “the first time that it really feels like talking to an expert in any topic – a PhD-level expert” [2]. OpenAI […]
Conquering the summer slump
The irony of summer productivity is palpable. Despite longer days and the promise of increased energy from vitamin D exposure, workplace performance often plummets when temperatures rise. In the US, around 36% of workers report being less productive during summer months, whilst 34% admit to slacking off when their boss takes summer holiday [1]. The […]