March 2026
Leadership, culture, and performance all come down to one thing: people.
This month we’re thinking about the long game, the relationships, trust, and standards that shape teams and organisations over time.
Inside you’ll find insights on building human-centred workplaces, ways to measure and strengthen engagement, and a look ahead to how leaders are preparing for the future of work.
DARLING’S DISPATCH
This month Liz and I celebrate 30 years of marriage.
Thirty years is long enough to learn a few things about love.
The first is this:
Love isn’t a permanent emotional state. If you’re honest, you fall in and out of love most days. Some days it’s effortless. Other days it’s a decision.
But that’s where the real lesson lives; commitment beats mood.
Over time I’ve realised something else: good marriages look a lot like high-performing teams.
They’re not built on occasional big moments. They’re built on consistent standards.
- Showing up.
- Having the hard conversations.
- Staying on the same side when things get tough.
There’s even a little counterinsurgency logic in it.
Success rarely comes from one decisive victory. It comes from persistent presence: dealing with small problems early, protecting what matters, and never walking away from the mission.
Thirty years in, I can say this:
Love isn’t just a feeling. It’s a discipline.
It comes from facing life together. And like all high performance, it’s built one day at a time.
So here’s to Liz; my partner in life, occasional adversary in debates, and the best long-term ally I could ask for.
Stew
P.S. Thirty years down. Mission ongoing. And yes, I know I married well above looks, brains, and ability.
Live Beyond Your Limits
