One of the biggest frustrations we hear from MDs is that their managers aren’t actually managing.

They were great at their old job, got promoted… and now you’re left dealing with:

• Team issues that land in your lap and mean you spend your weekends doing work you could have got done in the week!
• The consequences of bad hires, increases your staff turnover, costs you more money and erodes your reputation as a good employer
• The fallout from poor communication from your managers which is getting you into ‘hot water’ and costing the business time and money to resolve
• Demotivated teams who are dragging down the performance of others
• And good employees walking out because no one tackles poor behaviour

Does this sound familiar?

👉 That’s exactly why I’m running a free online masterclass:

“Tired of managing your managers and your business?” on Tuesday 7th October at 11am.

In 45 minutes, you’ll discover why managers keep getting it wrong—and what you can do instead.

REGISTER YOUR PLACE HERE

* image credit Emma Browning, Meraki HR

If you’re reading this, you’re probably curious about hypnotherapy. You may have heard of it and even seen it on films or tv.  As you start the new year, like many people, you may be thinking about making changes to your habits or the way you approach life and you’ve heard hypnotherapy can help you.

And yet, you still may not be sure what hypnotherapy is.  Read on and all will become clear.  Hypnotherapy in real life is very different to what you see on the screen. It’s simply a way of harnessing the power of your imagination to make lasting and powerful changes in your life.

What is hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is psychotherapy combined with hypnosis. It’s a way of using the power of your mind so that it works for you and takes you forward in life, in the way you choose.

As a result, this means you no longer have to feel stuck in your life, making the same mistakes again and again. Using the power of your own mind through hypnosis you get to experience what it would be like if things were different. So, you can start to think, feel and act in the way you choose.  Hypnotherapy gives you the chance to imagine your life without the need to struggle. Instead, you get to focus your attention on a positive future for yourself. Hypnotherapy is a potent tool to help you to be your best version of yourself.

It’s a therapy based on empowering you to discover new ways of thinking and acting. Hypnotherapy equips you with a different, better view of yourself and the world. In addition, its a way to support yourself to take action to solve your problems and change your life for the better.

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis enables you to access the power of your own mind. So, as you go into hypnosis you access a helpful, deep form of attention you can use whenever you want. Once you’ve learnt how to do hypnosis for yourself, it’s something you can harness again and again.

Each time you go into hypnosis, you find it easier and you get better results, similar to how muscles become stronger the more you exercise. You may notice you’re getting better at coping with life’s challenges and start to feel more confident. As you practice hypnosis, you start to realise you are making more and more changes. You may even notice each time it’s becoming easier. You no longer feel as if you’re getting in your own way, but as if you’re the one driving positive change in your life.

Can I be hypnotised?

Almost everyone can be hypnotised. Hypnosis is about developing the tools to empower yourself. It’s a safe treatment without side effects. Hypnosis isn’t something that’s done to you. Rather, it’s a skill which you learn in your hypnotherapy sessions. You’re then able to take control and use it whenever you need it.

Where’s the evidence?

There have been thousands of research studies published on hypnosis over many years. To summarise, they show hypnosis is effective for reducing anxiety, managing pain, improving sleep, for managing weight, and treating stress related illnesses such as migraine and irritable bowel syndromei.

Hypnotherapy for weight and eating

Many people associate hypnotherapy with weight and eating. Research shows greatly improved outcomes for weight loss, when CBT was combined with hypnosis rather than CBT alone. And in 78% of people studied, the weight loss had been sustained and improved months latervi. And, another study, of diabetics, found that those who had hypnosis lost the most weightvii

You can find out more about how hypnotherapy helps with binge eating, disordered eating and other weight and eating issues, including anxiety about your weight and shape.

Hypnotherapy for pain

Hypnosis is often used to help people cope better with pain. For instance, a recent study shows patients who had hypnosis found it easier to cope with the pain and distress of surgery and took 40% less medicationii. While another study shows hypnosis helped women with breast cancer reduce their pain and to have a better quality of lifeiii.  For more on how hypnotherapy can help with pain, check out https://www.blossomhypnotherapy.com/coping-with-chronic-pain/

Hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome

Hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is recommended by the NHS’ National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE). For instance, research shows, showing those with IBS how to use self-hypnosis has proved an effective tool in helping them to regain control over their symptoms and improve their quality of lifeiv.

Hypnotherapy for stress and anxiety

Research into hypnotherapy for stress and anxiety shows those using hypnosis found it easier change in how they thought and acted, reduced what made them anxious and experienced general all round improvement. Furthermore, when treating both anxiety and depression, there is good evidence that self-hypnosis is effectivev.

For more see https://www.blossomhypnotherapy.com/worry-what-to-do-when-you-cant-stop-worrying/and https://www.blossomhypnotherapy.com/fight-flight-understanding-body-responds-stress/

Client story

Once you know how to use hypnosis, you can use it in many ways.

John’s problem

John came to see me because he had given up his job to become an online trader. It had been his dream for a long time. He wanted to be able to support his family this way, and dreaded failing and having to go back into the workplace.

As he was sitting at his desk every morning, he’d start telling himself “I must succeed at this” and then his doubts set in. He’d start a conversation in his head about if he could really do it.

As a result, John was struggling to concentrate at crucial moments as his worry took over. The more he tried to succeed, the more difficult it was for him. He’d be gripped by fear and he was making the same mistakes over and over again.

After a while, it was all he could think about and he was becoming more distant from his family.

John’s results

Using hypnotherapy, John discovered how to manage his thoughts. He discovered how to be calm, aware and in control as he went about trading.

We worked together to develop tools to help him to relax and focus on what he was doing, so he could make decisions calmly and rationally. He discovered how to be in control whatever happened with his trading. Finally, as he let go of the thoughts that were holding him back, he was enjoying what he was doing. In his words “I didn’t believe it could be like this.

John is now supporting his family through trading which he loves.  This is what he says about his therapy.

Initially I was quite uncertain of hypnotherapy, but I am so pleased I took the plunge. Hypnotherapy is not entirely what you think it is. Yes there are “hypnotherapy sessions” but just as important is how aware you become of your habits and compulsions. Whatever it is you want to overcome, you must really want to achieve it and hypnotherapy is a great help in doing so. Celia thoroughly got to the root of the habits which were causing my problems and set out a course in trying to correct it. It’s something I’m still working on and listening to the recorded sessions since, really does help. Many thanks for your help.

You can find more client stories here

How to hypnotise yourself

Self hypnosis is a powerful skill once you’ve mastered it. Try these ways to hypnotise yourself and you can use self hypnosis to enhance your life.

1. Use an anchor word

• Find somewhere comfortable to sit where you know you won’t be disturbed.
• Place your feet flat on the floor and breath slowly, deeply and evenly.
• Next, choose a word that represents how you’d like to feel, For instance, you could try calm, peace or relax.
• Every time you breathe out say your word to yourself.
• After that, think of a place where you felt happy. Vividly re-experience it, remembering the sights, sounds and smells around you. Notice if it’s warm or cold? If there’s intense colours, or perhaps a scent in the air?
• Use your imagination to add your own elements to it, to make it even more comforting. Above all, be aware whatever appears will be right for you.
• Next, focus on making it as comforting as possible for you.
• To come out, simply count to 3 in your mind and open your eyes

Try practising for 3-5 minutes a day and start to see the difference.

2. Use breathing and sensations

• Find a comfortable place to sit where you won’t be disturbed.
• Place your feet flat on the floor and breath slowly, deeply and evenly.
• You can lie down if you want even more relaxation.
• Focus on your breathing to deepen your relaxation.
• Breathe in through the nose and slowly exhale.
• Try and make your out breath last longer than the in breath.
• As you breathe out allow yourself to just let go of all the tension in your body. Maybe you can notice that each breath is becoming deeper and easier for you.

• Now imagine that you’re floating somewhere safe and comfortable like a warm bath, a lake, a warm sea or just floating in space. Allow yourself to feel safe and comfortable just floating wherever you have chosen.
• Now imagine something you would like to change in your life.
• While still feeling that sense of floating and comfort allow your imagination to focus on how it could be different – maybe you could be more confident or have more focus.
• Allow your imagination to focus on what it would be like to be the person you want to be in that situation.
• Imagine the best possible scenario, in which things go even better than you’d hoped. Try in your mind to experience this with all of your senses—feeling it, seeing it, hearing it.
• Imagine making it stronger, brighter, and more intense.
• Anchor this feeling into your body. Bring your hand to where you feel it strongest in your body, and breathe into it.
• To come out, simply count to 3 in your mind and open your eyes.

The more you practice the easier it will become.

*image credit Celia Griver

Do you notice yourself worrying more than you used to?  Do you feel that life’s constantly changing and that by worrying you can come up with a way to deal with it?  It’s quite natural to worry about what life has in store. There’s certainly a lot to worry about right now, the cost of living, the environment, your job, your kids.  The list goes on and on.  Once you start to worry about the future, it can be all too easy to get caught up in worrying about things that are out of your control.

Worrying is part of life

Everyone worries.  It’s a normal part of life.  It can even be helpful to worry about day to day life and the future.  For instance, a small amount of worrying can motivate you to do your tax return, pay your bills on time or start a pension.  But too much worrying can stop being helpful and start to have a negative effect on your wellbeing.  When you start to spend a lot of time worrying about what could possibly happen in the future, it can start to encroach on you day to day life.  Before you know it, worry can end up dominating your life. It can feel as if your mind’s constantly on high alert asking “what if…?”

But, the more you worry, the more you end up feeling anxious and overwhelmed.

If you’re struggling with overwhelm check out five ways to escape overwhelm.

Facing uncertainty

Life is always changing.   The last few years have brought so much change, so quickly.  So much is unknown, and it makes it hard to use what you’ve done in the past to know what to do in the ever changing world. Above all, your mind likes certainty, so facing  new situations can leave you feeling stressed and anxious. And, that often leads to even more worrying.

The worry cycle

It’s normal to worry when things go wrong. But spending a lot of time worrying can give the worry a life of its own. Once an idea gets in your head it can get escalate into something much bigger. What starts as a thought about, for instance, forgetting to wash your hands, can end up as believing all your family will get sick and you won’t be able to cope.

As a result, it can feel as if the same worries are repeatedly running through your head on a loop. You may find yourself worrying about money, if you’re getting enough sleep, the cost of living, your mortgage, your heath, if your children are happy, their future, what will happen if…

It’s not all in the mind

Constant worrying has physical effects too. It can leave you feeling restless, unable to concentrate or sleep, with headaches, stomach problems and tense muscles. So, you may end up taking your frustrations out on the people closest to you. Or, as a result, try to avoid the feelings by eating and drinking too much.

For more on the effects of stress on your body, read fight or flight – how your body responds to stress.

The weight of worry

Maybe you’re one of the millions of people in the UK who are taking the weight loss jabs Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic and have noticed that as you stop worrying about food and your weight, you start worrying about other things.  You may catch yourself worrying more and more about stuff that didn’t bother you before.  Or it may be you’re worries are about how you feel about yourself.  If food has been a way you coped with life, you may find worry and anxiety rearing their heads more and more.  

If this is you, have a look at these ways to boost your self esteem

Stopping the worry loop

There are ways you can stop worry from having such a hold over you.  It’s possible to learn how to cope better with uncertainty.

When I work with clients who can’t stop worrying, we develop strategies to break the worry habit.

We work in partnership to look at the role worry has in their life. While going at the clients pace, I take time to support clients to develop the skills they need to make changes. Similarly, we explore ways to relax and recharge and let go of unhelpful beliefs and habits so they can enjoy their lives.

Have a look at these ways to create calm to help you.

Client story

Emily’s problem

Take Emily, for instance, a 31 year old surveyor who had just started her own business.

Emily came to see me because she was spending a lot of her time worrying and it was affecting her business and her life.

Her mind would go round and round thinking about how she would cope in different scenarios. She was also spending a lot of time worrying about what people thought of her.

Emily was finding new situations particularly difficult. More and more, she was avoiding going out in case something happened and she couldn’t cope. She was even struggling to make phone calls to her clients in case they didn’t go well.

Emily’s was starting to withdraw from more and more areas of life. She was paralysed by the “what if…” thoughts going round in her head, thinking she wasn’t good enough and frightened of making a mistake.

To avoid her thoughts, Emily was constantly busy, always trying to achieve more. Because she worried so much about getting things wrong, she was spending more and more time at work. This left her feeling exhausted and guilty about neglecting her friends and family, making her extra anxious.

Emily’s results

We worked together over a number of weeks to help Emily to manage her worrying thoughts and anxious feelings. Emily began to understand what was causing her to worry and that rather than helping her, it was keeping her stuck.  We developed easy to apply strategies that Emily could put into her life to stop her worry cycle.  

Emily really enjoyed putting little experiments into her life to see if the things she was worrying about would come true.  When they didn’t, she found it easier to let go of her constant worrying.

Now, Emily no longer spends her days worrying. She spends less time working and finds she achieves more.

These days, Emily focuses on doing the things that give her life meaning and she no longer feels anxious all the time. Emily has discovered the less she worries, the easier it is to focus on what she’s doing and the more she enjoys herself.

In Emily’s words

I was extremely impressed with the level of detail in the consultation I had with Celia.

This enabled her to personalise my sessions which had an amazing impact on me. I have suffered from severe anxiety and at one point struggled to even leave my house.

Celia helped me to identify the key thoughts and bodily sensations that occur when I start to become anxious and establishing coping mechanisms to prevent the anxiety from leading to a panic attack. She was great in explaining how these thought processes work in a simple and understandable way.

The tools that Celia has given me have transformed my mind and I am now finding my confidence again. The hypnotherapy sessions helped as I could imagine myself doing things differently and it’s great that recordings are provided so I can revisit.

I have come on leaps and bounds and cannot recommend Celia enough.

I have had medication, CBT and counselling in the past and I can honestly say that I feel this has been the most successful treatment for me.

Try my six ways to help you escape from worry right now.

1. Tune into your emotions

For many of us, worrying about things that scare us is often a way to avoid feelings we don’t like. We can’t change the fact that Covid-19 is here, or other situations going on in the world today.  What we can do is recognise that we’ll have a lot of anxious thoughts and feelings and try to accept them.

It’s natural to feel sad about losing our normal way of life, and to worry about our jobs or how our kids are coping.

Furthermore, research shows if we avoid our emotions, it only makes them stronger and last longer.

Breathing slowly and deeply can help you to accept any feelings or sensations you are having right now.

First of all start to breathe deeply. While you inhale and exhale, try to imagine you are a curious scientist observing what is going on inside your body. Notice the feelings, thoughts and sensations you don’t like. Try and view them with curiosity and describe them as if you are observing them for the first time. Finally, let them go.

Also, check out the benefits of body awareness for more.

2. Have worry time

Worry time doesn’t stop you from worrying, rather it helps keep it under control.

Here’s how to do it:

• Finally, follow your worry time with something you enjoy.

3. Focus on what’s helpful

Helpful worries are those you can take action on right away. For example, if you’re worrying about coronavirus, making sure you wash your hands and wear a mask are most certainly helpful things to do.

Unhelpful worries are those where you can’t take action. So, thinking “What if I’ve given coronavirus to someone, what if I get ill” are unhelpful because there’s nothing you can do about them.

Firstly, decide if your worry is helpful or unhelpful. Then, if it’s a helpful worry, think of all the possible actions you can take. There’s no need to find a perfect answer, but rather to focus on what you can do, not the things that are beyond your control. Then, once you have a list of options, you can make an action plan.

Maybe actions you can take right now could include exercising, eating well, learning something new and spending time with your family. Usually, taking action helps us to feel better.

4. Interrupt the worry cycle

When you find yourself caught up in a worry cycle, try and interrupt the anxious thoughts so you can give yourself a break.

As soon as you notice yourself worrying, first of all, get up and get moving. Exercise releases endorphins, and as a result it relieves stress, boosts energy, and helps you feel better.

So, by focusing on how your body feels as you move, you can cut short the constant worries running through your mind. You can still do this if you’re self isolating. You could dance around the kitchen, run up down the stairs or do some housework.

5. Create your new normal

Usually, the more structure and routine we have, the less we tend to worry.

All our daily activities have changed, so we need to find new ways to organise our time and boost our wellbeing. As a result, it maybe helpful to spend some time thinking about how you want to look after yourself, those you live with, and also your community.

So, as you plan your new daily routine, also try and include activities that give you a sense of achievement, ones that help you feel connected to others, and things you enjoy.

6. Concentrate on the here and now

Because we spend so much time worrying, anxious thoughts can become so automatic that we don’t notice our worry anymore. Rather, it’s as if we are hypnotised by our thoughts. Mindfulness is a way we can learn to “dehypnotise” ourselves.

Mindfulness has been used for centuries as a way of stepping back from worrying thoughts. It can be done anywhere. Mindfulness involves noticing how your body feels, the rhythm of your breathing, how your emotions change, and the thoughts that drift across your mind.

Meanwhile, if you get hooked by a thought, simply bring your attention back to the here and now.

Certainly, it takes a bit of practice, but it’s a skill you can learn just like any other.

Here’s how to do mindfulness.

• First of all find a quiet place.

• Then, sit comfortably, with your back straight and your hands resting on your upper legs.

• As you close your eyes, start to breathe in through your nose, while also allowing the air to travel down into your abdomen.

• Let your abdomen expand fully.

• Next, breathe out through your mouth. As you do so, let your abdomen return to normal.

• Now, focus wherever your breathing seems like it is the most vivid to you. For instance, this could be the sensation of air flowing into your nostrils and out of your mouth or your abdomen rising and falling as you inhale and exhale.

• Above all, notice when your mind starts to wander, and simply return your focus to your breathing.

As you focus on your breathing, you’ll probably also start to notice your worries. Rather than try and push them away, just try and acknowledge them and then let them go. Similarly, try and simply observe your thinking, without reacting or judging.

You’ll probably notice that when you don’t try to control the thoughts that pop into your mind, as a result, they soon pass.

You could also check out https://www.blossomhypnotherapy.com/how-to-stop-overthinking-and-start-living/ for more ways to help.

Would you like to make living life easier, right now? Get your free Live Life on Your Terms recording here and begin to live your life with confidence.

*image credit Celia Griver

I'm working with a CEO right now whose business trajectory reads like a strategic masterclass. He's just closed a significant investment round, he's in talks about a potential merger, and he's building relationships that are uncovering opportunities with global clients. His net worth reflects decades of strategic decision-making and exceptional leadership.

But here's what's fascinating: this same executive—who can command a room, close complex deals, and navigate high-stakes negotiations—believes he needs to fundamentally alter who he is to build strategic visibility.

The Performance Trap

Here's what he told me: "I'm great at playing the game but when I'm thinking about posting on LinkedIn I can't find my voice. I don't know how to be me there."

Sound familiar? You've built exceptional business success by being an authentic leader, making genuine connections, and trusting your strategic instincts. But somewhere along the way, you've convinced yourself that the very identity that built your success is now a liability.

The result? You're treating your authentic self as a business risk rather than recognising it as your competitive advantage.

Why Traditional Business Coaching Misses the Mark

Here's the kicker: most strategic advisory approaches assume your challenge is business expertise. They want to teach you frameworks you've already mastered, systems you're already implementing, strategies you've been executing for years.

But that's not where sophisticated executives get stuck.

You don't need someone to explain competitive positioning—you've been doing it successfully for decades. You don't need help with strategic planning—you've just navigated an investment round and potential merger simultaneously.

What you need is strategic support from someone who actually understands the high-level challenges you face—not theoretically, but from years of experience operating at that level. Someone who gets the complexity of stakeholder management, the nuance of board-level communications, the reality of high-stakes negotiations.

And who can help you leverage your complete leadership identity to its full potential.

The Strategic Confidence Framework

Here's what I've learned after 25+ years developing strategic communication for global brands like L'Oréal, Colgate, and Ryanair—and working in high-stakes negotiations and award-winning strategic campaigns: the most successful strategic positioning happens when leaders can work with someone who genuinely understands the complexity of operating at their level.

It's not enough to understand strategic positioning theoretically. You need someone who gets the reality of board dynamics, the nuance of stakeholder management, the pressure of high-level decision-making—and can help you leverage your authentic leadership identity within that context.

The Real Challenge: Creating visibility that leverages your complete leadership identity.
The Missing Element: Confidence to own your authentic competitive advantage.
The Support You Actually Need: Someone who understands both the business complexity AND the identity positioning challenge

This isn't about business coaching. It's about guidance from someone who's operated at the level where these decisions actually matter.

Here's What I've Learned About Modern Professionalism

After 25+ years working with executives, here's what I've noticed: professionalism has evolved.

There are still leaders who keep personal and business completely separate—and that works for them. But they're not in the majority anymore.

Here's what successful leaders understand: you get to decide what clients you want to work with and what people you want in your business ecosystem. If someone isn't the type of person you want to do business with, that's valuable information.

Being yourself everywhere is actually a brilliant filtering mechanism. The right opportunities, the right partnerships, the right clients—they're attracted to authentic leadership, not performance.

The leaders who've figured this out realise that authenticity isn't unprofessional. It's strategically smart. It helps them build businesses filled with people they actually want to work with.

The Merger Conversation Reality

Think about it strategically: when you're in merger discussions, when you're pitching global clients, when you're leading high-stakes negotiations—you're not wearing a mask. You're leveraging every aspect of your leadership capability.

Your strategic visibility should work the same way.

The Network Effect Multiplier

Here's the kicker: the relationships you're building, the opportunities you're uncovering, the strategic partnerships you're developing—they're all based on authentic connection with the real you.

But when your online presence doesn't reflect that same authenticity, you're missing the network effect multiplier. The people who could amplify your opportunities, refer strategic partnerships, or recommend you for board positions can't connect your expertise with your visibility.

The Real Gap Isn't What You Think

The CEO I'm working with has everything in place for exceptional visibility: proven leadership, significant business success, ongoing high-level opportunities, and genuine insights.

He doesn't need business coaching—he's already the expert in his field. He doesn't need leadership development—he's successfully leading through investment rounds and potential mergers.

Here's where the gap actually is: when you're an expert in your field, when you have product experts, service experts, tech experts on your team, you don't need business advice—you have a CFO for that.

You need someone who can help you leverage your existing strengths to scale.

The challenge isn't learning new capabilities. It's amplifying the leadership identity that got you this far so it works just as powerfully online as it does in person.

Your commercial expertise got you to where you are. Scaling your authentic leadership presence is what will take you where you're going.

Ready to stop limiting your strategic visibility? My Strategic Visibility for Ambitious Leaders service helps established CEOs, MDs, NEDs, and senior consultants leverage their complete leadership identity into competitive advantage. This isn't about business fundamentals you've already mastered—it's about strategic positioning that comes from understanding both high-level business complexity and authentic leadership leverage. Book a strategic consultation to discuss how strategic identity positioning can unlock your full competitive potential. Reach out to hello@elainewalshmcgrath.com and let’s get a date in the calendar!

Photo Credit: Elaine Walsh-McGrath

You know that moment when you realise you're not following your own advice?

I was telling my clients they needed to activate their networks—both old and new connections—because opportunities could come from anywhere. Old connections from previous roles, friends, family, even people from the golf club shouldn't be disregarded just because you've pivoted your business focus.

Meanwhile, I was only connecting with new people through formal networking events.

I realised I couldn't authentically tell clients to reach out to their existing connections if I wasn't doing it myself. I needed to experience how uncomfortable that actually felt in order to honestly advise them to take that action.

The reality was, I'd assumed my old network wasn't relevant to my new direction. Having moved away from media agency consulting, I figured former colleagues in publishing and advertising agencies wouldn't have the types of businesses in their networks that would need strategic visibility services.

The Strategic Network Activation Experiment

In 2022, I challenged myself to systematically activate dormant professional relationships. Starting from my earliest LinkedIn connections—dating back to 2010—I methodically reconnected with colleagues I'd lost professional contact with over the years.

The approach was simple and honest: I reached out to see how they were, explained that I advised my clients to reconnect with existing connections and realised I wasn't doing the same myself, and asked how they were getting on. Each message was personalised—no copy and paste approach.

Here's what this network activation exercise revealed.

When I reached out to my former managing director from when I worked in media agencies, I discovered that he had moved to work for a non-profit organisation. We had a proper chat, catching up on what we'd both been doing since we'd last been in touch. A few weeks later, he connected me with a marketing director who was doing consultancy work at Airfield, an urban farm operation in Dublin.

That Airfield content strategy project led to a similar project with Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, where I also coached their communications executive. The results were hugely effective—their campaigns outperformed anything they'd done before. They gained 70% more followers, drove a 30% uplift to their website, and achieved a 30% increase in their email list. This success then led to an engagement with a leading restaurant brand. All because I reached out and touched base with a former colleague.

One reconnection with someone I'd worked with more recently. A cascade effect that fundamentally transformed my business trajectory.

The Common Networking Mistake That Costs Opportunities

This isn't just my experience. One of my former clients, a non-executive director, was attending formal networking meetings regularly. He'd present his services, but his potential clients weren't in the room. The audience wasn't relevant to what he offered.

So he concluded networking didn't work.

But it did work—he was just in the wrong rooms. He hadn't reached out to people he'd worked with before. He hadn't asked them to connect him to the type of person he wanted to work with.

When he finally did activate his existing network, he got the roles and opportunities he'd been seeking all along.

It's completely natural to lose touch with colleagues when you change roles or pivot your business. But when we make these transitions, the people we were close to professionally may be perfectly positioned to help us—and we might be able to help them too. The challenge is that if we don't reconnect and let them know what we're doing now, these mutually beneficial opportunities never materialise.

After working together, this client now has optimised executive positioning across LinkedIn, refined messaging, and crystal clarity on his value proposition. But here's where most senior executives stall: they assume clarity equals market visibility.

It doesn't. Clarity must be followed by systematic network activation. Once your executive positioning is optimised, there's no reason to avoid continuous network engagement.

The Network Multiplier Effect That Creates Opportunities

Here's the miscalculation most executives make: they evaluate their network based on direct opportunity potential—"these agency professionals might require non-executive director services themselves."

That's not how networking actually works. The real value lies in leveraging these connections as multipliers to access their extended professional ecosystems.

Consider this as a network web. When you systematically engage different segments of your connections and communicate what you're focused on now, you create multiple opportunity pathways. The next time someone in their network mentions "we need a trusted non-executive director" or "we're seeking consulting expertise," your name surfaces through a credible professional referral.

They review your executive positioning on LinkedIn, evaluate your credentials, and they're significantly more likely to initiate contact because the recommendation originated from a trusted professional source.

This is how opportunities actually materialise for senior executives. Not through cold business development or hoping decision-makers discover your website. Through systematic activation of your existing credibility network.

Why Most Executive Networking Strategies Fail

But here's the strategic reality. Most CEOs and MDs read this framework and think, "Strategic concept, but what's the tactical execution?" They want specific guidance on messaging approaches, positioning strategies, channel selection, and segmentation methodologies for different network categories.

Some professional relationships require high-touch strategic engagement. Others operate more efficiently through streamlined interactions. Strategic network activation isn't a uniform approach—it requires understanding how different segments of your professional ecosystem operate and crafting your engagement strategy accordingly.

This strategic network activation is a core component of my Strategic Visibility for Ambitious Leaders partnership.

We begin with clarity—because you cannot achieve visibility without defined positioning. Then we optimise your executive presence across LinkedIn, develop messaging that attracts the right opportunities, and create systematic approaches to network activation that integrate seamlessly with your executive responsibilities.

The objective isn't to become a networking enthusiast. It's to ensure your complete professional network understands what you're focused on now, so when opportunities emerge, your name surfaces naturally through trusted referrals.

Your Professional Network Has More Value Than You Recognise

That transition away from media agency consulting I mentioned? Those professional relationships became the foundation for my current business success. The managing director who connected me to Airfield wasn't within my target market—but his network contained opportunities I couldn't have accessed independently.

Your professional network doesn't need direct alignment with your current focus to create competitive advantage. It just needs to be leveraged properly.

The executives securing the best board appointments, the highest-value consulting engagements, the most significant partnerships—they're not necessarily the most qualified professionals. They're the most visible to the decision-makers evaluating those opportunities.

Your expertise warrants recognition and proper positioning. But recognition requires visibility. And visibility demands systematic network activation that extends far beyond your immediate industry connections.

The senior executives who consistently secure the best opportunities understand this reality: your existing network represents your most valuable business development asset, but only when properly activated.

Ready to transform your professional network into sustainable competitive advantage? My Strategic Visibility for Ambitious Leaders partnership helps established CEOs, MDs, NEDs, and senior consultants create systematic approaches to network activation and positioning. This isn't about building a personal brand from scratch—it's about communication that ensures your expertise reaches the decision-makers who need to recognise it.

Over six months, we'll collaborate to transform not just your visibility, but the quality of opportunities that result from it. Because the recognition your expertise deserves requires more than hoping the right executives notice your capabilities.

It requires systematic activation of the professional credibility you've already established.

About Strategic Visibility for Ambitious Leaders

After 25+ years developing strategic communication for global brands like L'Oréal, Colgate, Fiat, and Ryanair, I've learned that the most successful leaders aren't just excellent at strategy—they're excellent at making their expertise visible to the right people at the right time. My experience in high-stakes negotiations and award-winning strategic campaigns has taught me that visibility isn't about personal branding—it's about strategic communication that positions leaders for the recognition their expertise warrants.

Ready to stop being your own strategic visibility bottleneck? My Strategic Visibility for Ambitious Leaders partnership helps established CEOs, MDs, NEDs, and consultants create systematic approaches to amplifying their expertise without adding to their workload. This isn't about building a personal brand—it's about strategic communication that ensures your insights reach the people who need to hear them. Book a strategic consultation to discuss how strategic network activation can transform your visibility and the opportunities that flow from it. Reach out to my team at hello@elainewalshmcgrath.com and let's get together for a Strategic Discovery Call.

Photo Credit: Elaine Walsh-McGrath