About James

I've been an unconventional leader since I was a teenager. First with the scout movement, then the Territorial Army. After university I joined the UK civil service on a graduate management development programme. My career is now in its third decade and I've worked in Finance, HR, policy, strategy, IT, change, operations management and internal consultancy. Over the years I've mentored, coached and developed dozens of senior managers and hundreds of people.

Scottish Independence – 5 Steps to Avoid Bias

Bias is everywhere. Spotting it is a key skill for voters in Scotland (and people everywhere all the time). We all have biases, even me. This is a normal part of being human. We like being part of a group Continue reading Scottish Independence – 5 Steps to Avoid Bias→

Book Review – Would They Lie to You? by Robert Hutton

Would They Lie to You? by Robert Hutton My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is even better than the previous book Romps, Tots and Boffins: The Strange Language of News by Robert Hutton which was a look at journalese. Continue reading Book Review – Would They Lie to You? by Robert Hutton→

Book Review – Romps, Tots and Boffins by Robert Hutton

Romps, Tots and Boffins: The Strange Language of News by Robert Hutton My rating: 4 of 5 stars A really interesting commentary/dictionary on the language used by journalists. Well worth reading. The chapters are themed, e.g. Politics, Sex, Death etc. Continue reading Book Review – Romps, Tots and Boffins by Robert Hutton→

Book Review – Bullets and Brains by Leo Murray

Brains and Bullets: How Psychology Wins Wars by Leo Murray My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is an excellent and very readable book which tries to put some hard numbers on a variety of psychological tactics that can be Continue reading Book Review – Bullets and Brains by Leo Murray→

Thunderclap campaign #StartatGOVUK

The UK’s Government Digital Service are launching a thunderclap (http://thndr.it/1qsJ9Cv) to encourage people to start at GOV.UK when accessing UK government information and services (#StartatGOVUK).  Be awesome and beat the scammers! Misleading websites There is a problem with websites pretending to be official UK government Continue reading Thunderclap campaign #StartatGOVUK→