OLLIE Phillips, 42, from Shiplake, is an entrepreneur and runs Optimist Performance, a team performance consultancy. To help leaders lead better, teams trust each other more and organisations perform at a level they didn’t think possible. We track our client impact and business performance monthly but I also do an honest annual review of where we are versus where I’d hoped we’d be at the start of the year. When you change how a leadership team performs, they tell people. The evidence is overwhelming that great leadership drives performance, retention and culture — yet it’s often the first thing cut when budgets come under pressure.

Source: Express March 17, 2026 13:53 UTC