Articles
Dive into a collection of white papers and articles curated by Dulcie Swanston…from nurturing emerging talent to refining established leadership skills.
Whether you’re navigating the complexities of senior management or fostering the growth of early-career professionals, explore invaluable insights to elevate your team’s performance and drive organizational success.
Sometimes mentoring means teaching rather than coaching. Explore how the Firm Foundation Builder hat helps mentors share knowledge, develop confidence and recognise when to step back.
Sometimes the best thing a mentor can offer isn't advice, but reassurance. Explore why a calm, trusted presence can help others feel safe enough to think clearly again.
Explore the first of the 8 Hats of Great Mentoring: the Confidence Building Coach. Learn why asking the right questions, rather than giving advice, can help others build confidence, think independently and take ownership.
Spring often feels like a fresh start—a chance to clear the clutter not just in life, but in your mind too. If you constantly tell yourself “I’m too busy” or “there aren’t enough hours in the day,” the real issue might not be time, but how your brain is using it. This article explores the science of Negative Automatic Thoughts (NATs), why your brain repeats unhelpful patterns, and how changing your thinking can boost productivity, focus, and wellbeing.
With the arrival of spring and a sense of fresh energy, you may find yourself focusing on small, practical habits that improve how you show up at work. One simple breathing technique, shared during a recent coaching programme, can quickly become part of your daily routine.
When things go wrong and emotions spike, it’s not lack of self-control — it’s biology. When the brain senses threat, it diverts resources away from rational thinking into survival mode, triggering fight, flight, freeze or appease responses. Understanding this — and what triggers it through models like SCARF — can transform how we manage stress, behaviour and decisions.
Feedback gets talked about a lot. But unless the brain feels safe, it doesn’t work. Drawing on neuroscience and real-world research, this article explains why feedback triggers threat — and how the SAFE model helps people hear it, use it, and grow.
Resolutions get a bad reputation — not because they’re useless, but because we’re not great at setting them up to succeed. This New Year, hit refresh with a science-backed approach to goal-setting. From why writing goals down boosts success to how SMART goals help individuals and teams follow through, this is a practical refresher on turning good intentions into real results — well beyond January.
What if great leadership isn’t about being born exceptional—but about practising the right things? In this Christmas edition of Neuroscience in a Nutshell, we explore the 2% Club, Top Right Thinking, and the neuroscience that explains why only a few lead naturally—and why the rest of us can learn.
Learn how the Skill : Will model helps managers decide when to coach, when to teach, and when to manage. This simple framework from 100 Brix shows how skill, motivation, mindset and confidence shape performance — and why great leaders adapt their approach to get the best from every person.
Discover how small shifts in everyday conversations can unlock deeper learning. This post explores the “Learn Well – Teas and C’s of Learning That Sticks” model and shows how pausing, asking better questions, and avoiding the “I’ll fix it” trap creates real Top Right learning moments that build confidence, capability and independent thinking.
When you’re delegated a task using the DELEGATE model, delegation becomes more than just handing over work—it becomes clear, supportive, and empowering. In this guest blog, 17-year-old work experience student Belle Burgess shares how leadership expert Dulcie Swanston used her own DELEGATE model to guide a real project. The result? A first-hand look at how effective delegation can build confidence, creativity, and results.
Looking for better coaching questions? From tackling imposter syndrome to unlocking fresh thinking, these tried-and-tested prompts help you coach others—and yourself—more effectively.
I delayed recording my audiobook, telling myself I was “too busy.” The truth? I was afraid. Leadership growth often starts here—facing resistance, leaning into discomfort, and discovering the breakthrough on the other side.
Years of research reveal the secret to effective performance isn’t complicated—just three simple manager habits: clear goals, timely feedback, and strengths-based work.
Imposter thinking—aka “it”—isn’t a hidden truth; it’s just your brain conserving energy while you grow. Explore the five flavours of “it” and learn how to name it, laugh at it, and move past it with neuroscience-based insights.
Tears in coaching or leadership aren’t a sign of weakness—they’re a signal that something important is surfacing. Discover how embracing emotion can deepen trust, create psychological safety, and lead to meaningful change.
Adam Grant’s daily calendar is a small but powerful tool. In this post, I share a standout quote on authenticity, the science behind daily reflections & how tiny nudges can shape resilience, focus & how we show up.
Ever wondered why your best ideas strike in the shower or on a walk? Discover the science behind the Default Mode Network and how to harness it for creative breakthroughs – in coaching, work, and everyday life.
Learn how to reframe challenges as creative opportunities in leadership and coaching. Embrace imperfections to foster innovation and resilience.
Discover how two little words—Get and Feel—can transform your training sessions and meetings. Grounded in neuroscience and psychology, this simple technique boosts focus, engagement, and emotional clarity, helping participants leave with clear takeaways and a stronger sense of purpose.
Contracting isn’t about paperwork—it’s the foundation of trust, clarity and productivity in coaching, mentoring, and leadership. Discover how to do it well.
Ever walked into a difficult conversation fully prepared, only to have it go completely off track? The Three Seats is a simple, science-backed tool to help you shift perspective, lower the heat, and move towards understanding—without making things worse.
We’ve all been there—you receive feedback, smile politely, and say you’ll reflect... but nothing actually changes. Not because you’re unwilling, but because feedback can trigger overthinking, self-doubt, and inaction. In this post, discover the 5 S’s: a practical, people-first framework to help you turn feedback into real progress—without the mental spiral.
Tired of resilience being treated like a magic trait you either have or don’t? THRIVE breaks it down—six no-nonsense steps to help you build lasting resilience, boost your mojo, and bounce back without burning out. It’s not bloody rocket science. But it is science—and it works.
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