Les Duggan

Einstein is quoted to have said "The first sign of madness is to expect a different outcome by doing the same thing." I believe that human beings have immense capability that is only limited by the way they think. As an enthusiastic learner and coach, I help people draw up strategic plans for the future by connecting their strengths, relationships and passion to achieve the outcomes they really desire.

Continuous professional development is at the core of my leadership philosophy. If you want to succeed you have to continuously improve through learning and personal development. Successful leadership in Education engages staff and students, supports continuous learning and focuses on strategies that deliver outstanding performance and results. Traditionally leadership was defined by telling people what to do, a top down approach. However, in my experience coaching or asking encourages thinking and independence and is the most productive way to create a high performance culture.

My work in schools is based on these key principals: intrinsic motivation and leading through a coaching approach. Schools understand their students and the socio/economic environment. My role is simply to be a facilitator in order to help clarify goals and ensure action is taken and significant progress is made.

I started my journey in Cadbury Ltd in sales and through a number of management roles which included heading up training and a stint in Cadbury Russia, developed an interest in strategic implementation, coaching and leadership.

In 1997 I co-founded Developing Potential. The aim was to help individuals and organisations make a step change in thinking, to produce outstanding performance.