Legitimacy and Governance

At the end of October 2025, an important advancement in corporate reporting in South Africa was released. The Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA) and the King Committee of South Africa released this iteration, known as King V, which is a significant move forward, as the landscape has shifted in the past nine years...

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Question of the Month – December 2025

 Question: How can leaders reflect on their year in a way that deepens humility, gratitude, and commitment to serving their people? Answer: Gratitude is an emotion very much worth cultivating. Studies have shown that when we feel grateful, it unlocks the best in us and makes us more generous. Leaders who regularly show gratitude spend...

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Middle Managers Feel the Least Psychological Safety at Work

An article in the Harvard Business Review by Jan U. Hagen, a professor of management at ESMT Berlin, Germany, and Bin Zhao, a professor of management and organisation studies at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business in Vancouver, Canada. COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE BY STEFAAN VAN DEN HEEVER, ASSOCIATE, LEGITIMATE LEADERSHIP: Psychological safety is a...

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If You Want To Make Dotted Line Reporting Work, You Need To Do 3 Things

First published in 2018, this article by Ian Munro, Director at Legitimate Leadership, explores the leadership complexities of dotted line reporting and why making it work requires clarity, consistency, and conscious intent. Its insights remain as relevant today as when it was first written. Effective leadership is easier said than done at the best of...

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Question of the Month – November 2025

 Question: What does the Legitimate Leadership Model say about dealing with “victims” in organisations? Answer: The issue of ‘victimhood’ is surfacing more and more as the world of work has become more complex, and where people are confronted with the lack of time and with mounting pressures to perform. On the surface, this victimhood mentality is...

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Inside Legitimate Leadership’s Recent London Workshop

“I’d do this in a field with a flip chart if I could,” said Sean Hagger of Legitimate Leadership, reflecting on his passion for Legitimate Leadership workshops – and why he’s happy to set a 5am alarm to facilitate them. In other words, it’s not just about the venue – he would do them anywhere....

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October 2025 – Question Of The Month

Question: How do we encourage growth discussions in one-on-ones when all the coachee wants to speak about is work? Answer: Your role as a leader together with your organisational values around growth, are your friend. They give you a starting license for the conversation, so don’t beat around the bush. Say that you’d like to support their...

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Leadership Is Not A Duty, It’s A Responsibility

Isn’t it remarkable how often people find themselves in leadership roles, where their main responsibility is to lead and nurture others, yet they are woefully unprepared or, at times, simply uninterested, in carrying such a critical responsibility? In my experience, it’s not uncommon for highly skilled technical experts to be promoted through the ranks, not...

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September 2025 – Question Of The Month

Question: How do we make time for, and prioritise, people’s growth when the work/status/priority of the project makes it practically very difficult? Answer: Make your one-on-ones about wellbeing, and what growth exists for each person in the work they are doing. Take as many opportunities as are available to stimulate reflection and learning through the...

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What Legitimate Leaders Do

Simon Sinek’s quote, “A boss has the title; a leader has the people,” is one of my favourite leadership quotes of all time. It reminds me of a time when I was abruptly silenced in a meeting by a highly upset executive for saying, “People don’t leave companies; they leave managers.” But that’s a story...

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Legitimacy and Governance

At the end of October 2025, an important advancement in corporate reporting in South Africa was released. The Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA) and the King Committee of South Africa released this iteration, known as King V, which is a significant move forward, as the landscape has shifted in the past nine years...

View full article