Josh Dornbrack

Josh Dornbrack

Josh Dornbrack is the editor of businessleader.co.uk.

Rassie Erasmus book cover mock up

Bookshelf: Rassie Erasmus – stories of life and rugby

Many business leaders are obsessed with the sporting mindset. Communication, dealing with pressure and crisis management are just some of the lessons we can learn from the best in the world sport. With that in mind, we’ve scoured the much-anticipated autobiography of Rassie Erasmus, the double Rugby World Cup-winning coach of South Africa, for some...

April 15, 2024

Ella Mills on her evolving role as a founder and what she has learned from failure

Rock bottom is a painful term to describe the lowest point in a person’s life. But what can come with rock bottom is the opportunity to change and reinvent. It’s not easy by any stretch of the imagination but with true resilience, many can turn this pivotal time in life into their biggest strength. Ella...

April 10, 2024

Sir Martin Sorrell onstage at Cannes Lions 2022

Inside Sir Martin Sorrell’s world: Strategies for building empires

We walk into S4 Capital’s central London HQ a little ahead of schedule. The door to the boardroom is open as we walk past. Several suits sit around the table with Sir Martin Sorrell the main voice conducting the conversation’s symphony. As we wait in a small meeting room next door, it’s difficult not to...

March 20, 2024

A toy figure of a businessman with a briefcase, dressed in a smart suit, in the style of a little green army soldier

The art of business wargaming

It’s 8.30 AM and a team of senior managers arrives in a City boardroom to be greeted by a table groaning with croissants, Danish pastries and Colombian coffee. The managers have no idea why they have been called in. The phone rings and a voice at the other end says, “You are now in a...

February 9, 2024

A pattern with illustration featuring Larry Ellison

Inside the rise of Larry Ellison’s tech empire

Sukhendu Pal spent a decade at the heart of the database giant in its early days. Here he looks back at how a brilliant leader made Oracle an unstoppable force.

February 9, 2024

Understudy Wisdom

Understudy wisdom: Leadership lessons from renowned business duos

For every big name in business, there are understudies that act as sounding boards, confidants, and trusted ears. The world was reminded of the influence that a number two can have in life and business when Charlie Munger passed away just shy of his 100th birthday. We break down a few notable number twos and...

January 8, 2024

Advertising avenues 2024

Advertising avenues to consider for business growth in 2024

Brand visibility is critical and in a digital age, there are hundreds of ways to choose from to get your message in front of a potential consumer. As we welcome a brand-spanking new year, we highlight some advertising avenues to think about in 2024. Podcast advertising With over 4 million podcast shows available and 53,000...

January 2, 2024

What Does 2024 Politics have in store for business

What does politics have in store for business in 2024?

Simon Danczuk, businessman, author, and former MP, looks ahead at the 2024 international chessboard, covering global events and their impact on UK business. November saw the Conservative government deliver their King’s Speech and Autumn Statement for the year ahead. The former is where King Charles is tasked with reading to Parliament a list of what...

December 19, 2023

Collection of images showing the history of an ice cream

How the history of ice cream highlights the importance of IP protection

The year is 1920, in a small sweetshop in Iowa, a young boy stares at a shelf with a frustrated look. He asks the store’s owner for an ice cream, then changes his mind and asks for a chocolate bar instead. The owner asked the boy why he didn’t buy both. The boy exclaims, “I...

December 1, 2023

Disrupting the disruptors

Disrupting the disruptors: Lessons from 5 businesses that failed to adapt to change

“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” – William Pollard It’s not easy being a business leader. No matter the size of your business, disruption is the goal but it’s around every corner. What separates Blockbuster from Netflix,...

November 24, 2023

Jake Humphrey sitting with his hands together

Redefining high performance in life and business

High performance. The buzz term du jour on LinkedIn and in the business community. The man who literally has a podcast on the topic has his doubts about whether people actually know its true meaning. Jake Humphrey is a former BBC and BT Sport presenter and the Founder of the Whisper Group, a multi-award-winning company...

November 8, 2023

Apprenticeships

Concerns grow about apprenticeship levy

The number of apprentices starting in small businesses has plummeted 49% since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy in 2017. That stark figure from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development was included in a new report that also revealed a fall in employer investment in training and apprenticeships, despite labour shortages in many UK...

November 3, 2023

South Africa's team celebrates from a bus with supporters during the Springboks Champions trophy tour in Cape Town on November 3, 2023

What leaders can learn from the 2023 Rugby World Cup champions

South Africa was crowned Rugby World Cup champions for the fourth time in October 2023. The Springboks followed up their World Cup triumph in 2019 with a narrow 12-11 win over New Zealand, making them only the second team to win back-to-back titles. Full disclosure – as someone who grew up in Southern Africa and...

October 30, 2023

Multi-colored plastic figures

Unlocking the power of DE&I: A guide for SMEs

In this guest article, Amanda Cusdin, chief people officer at Sage, provides actionable steps on how SMEs can drive DE&I initiatives. The past three years have been a whirlwind for DE&I work: we’ve seen lots of big businesses sharing their DE&I plans in response to everything from George Floyd’s murder and the Covid-19 pandemic to...

October 27, 2023

Diversity concept image with figurines

Creating a buzz: Leading the push for diversity in financial services

In this guest article, Romi Savova, CEO at PensionBee, discusses the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It’s no secret that the financial services industry has a history of inadequate diversity. To this day, it remains dominated by men, with minority groups only in a small fraction of top positions. While the setting...

October 20, 2023

Tablet showing internet connection on screen

Navigating corporate transformation in a rapidly changing world

In this guest article, Jean-Philippe Grosmaitre, partner at L.E.K. Consulting, discusses how businesses can implement better digital innovation strategies. There is no escaping the fact that we have entered a new, more volatile, business environment in recent years. In times of uncertainty, businesses want to be as adaptable as they can be, and so conversations...

October 16, 2023

Rich businessman accessories on wooden table

Rituals, routines, habits: The blueprint for transforming your business growth

Pavlo Phitidis, entrepreneur, investor and co-founder & CEO of Aurik Business, covers mastering the art of time and attention investment. Once your business has achieved a ceiling of performance, how you invest your time and attention determines your future success. To understand how we invest our time and attention, we can look at the habits...

August 23, 2023

BYD auto store sign on glass and BYD EV in store

Race to carbon neutrality: Why UK and EU must look to China for affordable EVs

Distinguished professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, Christopher Tang, reveals how Chinese-made EVs could help the UK and EU go green. Our earth is getting hotter. As the summer heat temperature rises, the UK and EU are transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce carbon emissions. To meet their ambitious EV adoption targets,...

August 16, 2023

Puzzle pieces with dancers and the China and Germany flags

The diplomatic dance: Germany’s de-risking plan sparks China tensions

Distinguished professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, Christopher Tang, looks into Germany’s delicate balancing act with China. Amid the trade war and technology war between the United States and China, the German government used the term “de-risking” to describe its strategy on China in a 64-page report on July 13. After establishing a solid trade...

August 2, 2023

The leadership philosophy behind Roc Nation Sports

Roc Nation is an undisputed juggernaut. Since Hip-Hop icon Jay-Z founded the company primarily with the intent of signing pop and rap artists in 2008, Roc Nation has grown into the world’s preeminent entertainment company. Boasting clients such as Rihanna, DJ Khaled, Jess Glynne, and Alicia Keys, the company announced the formation of a game-changing...

July 26, 2023

Lewis Raymond Taylor

Lewis Raymond Taylor’s journey from prison sentences to building a successful coaching empire

Adversity. A word associated with so many high-profile business figures since the dawn of time. James Dyson had 5,126 failed prototypes before coming up with his now legendary bagless vacuum. Self-made multi-millionaire Inger Ellen Nicolaisen, Founder of Nikita Hair, overcame being raised by an alcoholic father and being a homeless 15-year-old with a daughter to...

July 12, 2023

Customer-centricity in the connected era: overcoming five common challenges

In this guest article, Chiara Diana, chief design officer at frog discusses how to develop sustainable products and experiences with a net-positive impact on the environment. From smart watches to software-enabled vehicles, consumers are more connected than ever before. By 2030, the number of connected devices is projected to climb to 29.4 billion worldwide. Meanwhile,...

June 13, 2023

Winning on purpose book on a table with a stack of books and two lights

Winning on Purpose: The Unbeatable Strategy of Loving Customers

In his latest best-selling book, Fred Reichheld introduces NPS 3.0 as a way for companies to enrich the lives of their customers and generate good profits. This approach puts treating customers the way you would want to be treated at the centre of enduring business success. Reichheld provides examples of companies with superior NPS delivering...

May 15, 2023

John Amaechi

The big thinker on a mission to change the future of work

I don’t think there are many organisational psychologists in this world that can claim to be endorsed as a Jedi by Mark Hamill. Professor John Amaechi OBE can. On top of this, John is also an award-winning, international best-selling author, a sought-after public speaker, an executive coach, and the Founder of APS Intelligence. John’s CV...

April 12, 2023