Leadership
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The Power of Perception – It’s Not What You Say That Matters, It’s What They Believe
- 04 March 2026
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- by Stephen Le
Most leadership teams believe that reputation is built on performance. Deliver strong financial results, launch credible products, comply with regulations, and communicate clearly. If the fundamentals are sound, reputation should take care of itself. That assumption is dangerously incomplete. Volkswagen learned this difficult lesson in 2015 For years, it marketed itself around engineering excellence and environmental responsibility. When regulators revealed that the company had installed software to cheat emissions tests, the issue was not only regulatory...
Strategic Communications in the New Tribal Age
- 09 February 2026
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- by Stephen Le
It is a recipe for a crisis that many organizations assume they will never have to face. In 2010, Taiwanese-owned and Apple-supplying Foxconn found itself in the middle of an international reckoning after a spate of suicides at its Shenzhen megalopolis in China, drawing attention to the unforgiving and intense pressures of factory life. This is not a problem unique to China. Japan has long struggled with karoshi, or death from overwork. Japan’s Ministry of Health...
Turn the Page With Me, Into 2026
- 29 December 2025
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- by Stephen Le
5 lessons I am bringing into the new year As the year ends, I find myself thinking less about resolutions and more about clarity. Every year teaches us something valuable. What matters is taking stock of those lessons and deciding what we bring along for the road ahead. These are five lessons I’m bringing with me as I turn the page into 2026. 1. Credibility is quieter than praise Who do you trust? I’ve come to...
Everything Rises and Falls With Leadership
- 03 December 2025
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- by Stephen Le
Why one person can accelerate or sabotage an entire organization. Can one person really make such a big difference? Can an organization possibly thrive under subpar leadership? Can 100 good employees make up for the lack of a leader? We love to believe organizations are powered by systems, structures, and strategies. They are. But strip everything back and you’ll find something far more decisive sitting at the core: Leadership. And I’m not talking about the job...
5 Lies We Tell Ourselves About Success
- 30 October 2025
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- by Stephen Le
What if the finish line we’re chasing was never real to begin with? Bursting Our Bubbles Look all around you and you’ll see many buried in the hustle and bustle of life. Somewhere along the way we were taught to chase success like oxygen. I grew up with the famous saying, “You can do anything you set your mind to do.” The bottom line was to work hard, stay focused and become successful. Across our diverse...
Are Our Opinions Really That Important?
- 26 September 2025
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- by Stephen Le
Since when did being heard matter more than being right? So incredibly noisy! We live in an age where silence is incredibly rare. Scroll your social feeds and you’ll be bombarded by hot takes, think pieces and instant reactions to everything and anything. From the latest corporate scandals to “breaking news” happening halfway across the world…doesn’t it seem like having an opinion and broadcasting it has become a requirement of modern life? But why? Since when...
Behind the Briefcase: Lawyers Who Changed the World
- 05 September 2025
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- by Stephen Le
What do Gandhi, Lincoln, and Mandela have in common? (Besides the statues.) They were all lawyers. Say “lawyer” and most people think: contracts, billable hours, maybe a perfectly ironed suit. But look a little deeper, and you’ll find something else. There are many lawyers who have gone beyond their “scope”, lending their skills of advocacy, logic, persuasion to change the world they’ve come to love. Some have become incredibly famous (history-books-kind-of-famous) for their impact, we sometimes...
The Court of Public Opinion: Trial by Media in the Digital Age
- 06 August 2025
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- by Stephen Le
Most people think trials happen in courtrooms. You have a judge, lawyers on both sides, a stream of evidence, people interjecting with “objection!”, and then finally a firm verdict. But in today’s world, many trials begin and sometimes end in the court of public opinion. Evidence comes in the form of a viral tweet, the jury is the comment section (often more brutal than any courtroom panel), and the verdict is delivered long before the actual...
Gatekeeper or Business Partner? Rethinking the Role of In-House Counsel
- 01 May 2025
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- by Stephen Le
Somewhere along the way, in-house counsel got a label: The Gatekeeper. The one who says “no,” draws the red lines, and stops bad ideas before they spiral. Necessary? Absolutely. But today’s businesses need more. If we only ever show up to block risks, we miss half the reason we’re here. Businesses today need more than watchdogs…they need co-pilots. Partners who understand the mission, anticipate the turbulence, and help chart a course that gets everyone to their...
Designing The Future: Why 2025 Is The Year For Leaders To Architect Possibility
- 04 January 2025
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- by Stephen Le
Dear leaders, have you taken the time needed to pause, reflect, take stock, be grateful and envision a better 2025? We all need to do this to get to vision. Great leaders are not just managers of the present—they are architects of the future In a world that craves progress – and is rushing through so much of life mindlessly – the most influential leaders are those who design beyond immediate needs and envision what could...
Why Cultural Diversity Matters to Achieve Our Global Ambitions
- 01 September 2024
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- by Stephen Le
IQ vs EQ vs CQ In today’s interconnected world, understanding cultural diversity isn’t just an option—it’s essential. But how prepared are you to navigate this complexity? Beyond IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient), there’s CQ—cultural intelligence. CQ measures your ability to be effective in culturally diverse settings, which is increasingly critical in a globalized space. Consider any aspect of your life, and it is likely influenced by your culture – the food you eat, the...
Managers, let your employees fail
- 03 May 2024
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- by Stephen Le
I understand the tension – do I step in or do I take a step back? Exert more control or allow for more autonomy? Good management is somewhere between the two, and our job as managers is to find the delicate balance. Different folks, different strokes. I am aware, of course, that this is easier said than done. Failing is almost taboo in many Asian cultures. There is a perfectionistic, face-saving mentality, weaved into the very...
