In the old Ogham calendar, the Celtic tree calendar that gives each part of the year its own tree, we are in the month of the Holly. Known as Tinne. It runs from the 8th of July to the 4th of August, the eighth tree month of the year, following on from the mighty Oak.

The oak is June's tree. There is an old saying I keep returning to at this time of year: from small acorns, great oaks grow. It is the kind of phrase that can slip past you if you are not paying attention. But sit with it for a moment.

The hawthorn is in bloom. All month it has been preparing for this, its thorns present long before its flowers. May is the moment it lets itself be seen.

Before the blossom, before the new growth, before anything breaks through the surface, something is already happening underground.

A reflection for April.

Whether we're leading a team through uncertainty, making a difficult decision, or shaping the culture of an organisation, creativity is the source we draw from to do it well.

For many leaders, January arrives with urgency. A new board cycle, a fresh quarter, targets to be hit, and strategies to be set. There’s a temptation to leap into action, to deliver answers, to set a direction with clarity and speed. But nature doesn’t rush. It emerges.

As the year draws to a close, many leaders find themselves carrying both weight and wonder: a mix of accomplishments, uncertainty, decision fatigue, moments of joy and challenge. Often, there is a final surge - one more meeting, one more report, one more thing to wrap up before the break.

Leadership sometimes lands in a season of letting‑go, quietness and preparation. It may feel like everything is stripped back, uncertain, even brittle. But what if this is not a sign of weakness, but of wise vulnerability?

October brings a deepening. The light tilts. The trees turn. The mornings are edged with mist and breath. This is the quiet season, a time not of retreat, but of re-rooting. Of tending what lies beneath.

The trees move with new intent, their branches catching the breeze in ways they didn’t just weeks ago. Light slants differently through the day, and the green of summer begins to give way.

In leadership, we often focus on clarity, direction, and action. Yet at the heart of courageous leadership is something far more subtle: the willingness to listen.

Courage is often mistaken for boldness - for being loud, stepping in first, or appearing fearless. But what if courage, true courage in leadership, is quieter than that? What if it begins not in certainty, but in vulnerability? Not in the mind, but in the heart?

When we’re not wholehearted, we’re not fully present. And over time, the cost of this disconnection can look like burnout, misalignment, and emotional withdrawal.

Wholehearted leadership is a way of being that invites us to bring our full selves - body, mind, heart, and spirit - into how we live and lead, guided by Curiosity, Care and Courage.

In our workplaces, our friendships, our families, and in the way we lead, community is built through small, intentional acts that create and nurture trust, belonging, and a shared sense of purpose.

This month, I am embracing conversations, creativity, and community in new and exciting ways, and I want to share some of the moments that are inspiring me, gatherings, discussions, and reflections, that I hope will resonate with you, too.

This month, I invite you to take a step back and consider self-care from a different side, not as another item on your to-do list, but as a way of being, a practice rooted in self-awareness and self-compassion. Rather than chasing an ideal, what if we focused on what truly supports us, moment by moment?

As we step into a new year, many of us find ourselves facing the familiar chill of January, with its dark mornings and early nights. The slower pace of this month can be a challenge for some, but for others, it’s an opportunity to reset, reflect, and set intentions for the year ahead.

As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the journey I have taken - on the changes that I have embraced, the challenges I have faced, and the joys that have sustained me.

The examining of things that we’re tethered to and what we might choose to untether from is a profound journey of self-awareness and growth. It requires us to recognise what stabilises us, what keeps us grounded and connected, and what we might need to release to move forward.

In nature, as in leadership, the signs of change are there, some more subtle and some more obvious, and it is important to our growth and development to take the time to notice them.

In our roles as leaders, we are regularly faced with circumstances that involve stepping into something new, perhaps unknown. Our reactions to them can affect the mindset that we are bringing to our leadership and imparting to our teams.

Discovering and exploring what helps us to be, think, and feel creative can reinvigorate our imagination, allowing us to delve deeper into aspects of our minds and bodies that may have been ignored or overlooked.

We all make constant assumptions about people and situations. It is a natural response to making sense of a situation based on our previous experiences, on what we know, and what we don’t know. However, assumptions that go unchecked can lead to huge misunderstandings between people, sometimes making it difficult for people to work together.

With so much taking place in my life, and with the encouragement of those around me, I am consciously practising and making time to challenge complexity, and to find simplicity. It is not always the easiest thing to do but I do deeply believe in its value and importance.

Although it may not often be seen as a strength, our individual differences can enable us us to stand out, give us an edge, and provide a set of unique perspectives and thoughts. What makes us different can influence creativity and drive results.

Balance is the key to life and leadership. It is something that lingers quietly in the background of everything we do in our work, in our interests, and the everyday comings and goings of life.

March has been a month that has offered a lot on which to reflect. It has been a time in which I have enjoyed conversations with a number of leaders for my podcast, Leaders in Conversation with Anni Townend, workshops, various invitations to speak and co-host, and my work with Lucy Kidd on our Collaboration Equation™.

Throughout the month of February, I have been intentionally adopting a more adventurous mindset and each day having a micro-adventure; it is one of my purposeful undertakings. But what are the benefits of thinking adventurously on a daily basis? And what is a micro-adventure?

I believe that genuine courage is something that so many people possess but don’t necessarily know that they have.

It is a belief of mine that the role immersion in nature plays in self-care is not to be underestimated. I believe that setting aside time to be in and engage with nature can have an almost curative impact on our minds and bodies. However, it can be a big ask to ourselves to carve out that dedicated time slot to spend in our natural world; it can seem almost frivolous when our lives demand so much from us.

Curiosity is the antidote to so many things. Combining curiosity with care and courage enables deeper reflection and more courageous conversations. The more curious we are, the less judgemental we can be.

From a very young age, we are taught the importance of socialisation, learning to share, to communicate, to give and take. Taking turns and interacting with peers is a skill we have to learn and practise. As adults, and especially as leaders, this is no less important. So, this article will look at how we can develop those strong collaborative relationships to drive future growth.

I dreamt of living in a place from where it was possible to walk directly into nature, without having to get into a car, or catch a bus; a place from where the transition from being inside to outside was easy, and back again.

Being confident and resilient in leadership is often paired with the success of building fantastic teams and generating results within organisations.

The practice of reflecting has huge benefits - it can boost confidence and productivity, and it can increase your own awareness of your behaviour whilst giving you the opportunity to identify patterns regarding your accomplishments. With this in mind, we can remind ourselves to think of reflection as the opportunity to ‘keep up with yourself’. To ensure we are showing up and integrating actions into our lives, which help us to achieve our goals.

Collaborative working has its benefits - stronger team relationships, increased creativity and inspiration and reduced stress in the working environment. With this in mind, as leaders we hold a key role within our organisations in implementing a collaborative working culture.

Did you know that May is National Walking Month? With longer and lighter evenings, May is the perfect time to integrate walking into our daily lives. Aside from this, walking is one of the easiest ways to improve our health, creativity and thinking. Research shows those “who are more connected with nature are usually happier in life and more likely to report their lives are worthwhile”.

In recent years, wellness and wellbeing in the workplace have become prominent topics, with Covid-19 as a major catalyst. Whilst it was important before, now, it’s one one of the most important factors in decision making.

International Women’s Day, on the 8th of March, has been a key date in the women’s rights movement for decades - and even a public holiday in some countries. Its earliest version reputedly taking place in America in 1909, it was adopted by the United Nations in 1977 as the mainstream global holiday we recognise now.

Anni was asked to comment on the importance of a healthy work-life balance. You may be surprised to know, many people do not take their annual leave. To find out just how many - and some of the reasons why - people don’t, read the Annual Leave Allowances: The Survey | Just Eat Business

Anni recently dropped into Lewes Football Club to meet with Karen Dobres and Bradley Pritchard, both of whom she has interviewed for the Leaders In Conversation podcast.

Anni was delighted to be invited to speak on The Parent Equation with Ayesha Murray, where they discussed collaborative childcare, parenting older children and much more.

Anni was delighted to be invited to speak on the ‘Keep walking with me’ podcast by Walking Mentorship. She got to combine my love of walking whilst talking on this podcast and was delighted to select three pieces of music that are significant to her. Take a listen to hear her chosen tracks.

Anni was delighted to join Roberto Funari, CEO of global footwear manufacturer Alpargatas, during their month-long focus on mental health to discuss self-compassion, purpose, and collaboration.

Anni is interviewed by Elif Köse for the Confidence Leads to Success event series. Join the discussion and discover how to create a culture of care, connection and collaboration.

Anni was delighted to be featured as a guest speaker on the Coaching Conversations Podcast with Carey and Julian. This established podcast series was created by Carey Davis-Munro and Julian Roberts to understand what drives people like her to become a leadership coach.

Hind Farag, an Executive Coach and Strategy Consultant, talks to Anni about family trauma, the power of open communication, and how nurturing the special mother-daughter relationship later in life has enabled her to show up as a leader.

Discover how to practice a culture of kindness in this video discussion with Leadership Consultants Anni Townend, Natalie Shering and Lucy Kidd.

Executive Team Coach and experienced Facilitator Anni Townend talks to John-Paul Flintoff about how to lead and facilitate large team or group virtual meetings.

Anni Townend is interviewed by Sophie Slade, Imago Workshop Presenter and Senior Clinical Instructor, about the importance of relationship building in successful leadership.

Anni Townend in video discussion with The Decorcafe Network - a collaborative community of creative home professionals - on the topics of confidence, connection and collaboration in leadership.

In this post Anni Townend shares the 12 top tips learned about making virtual meetings more effective and collaborative, by creating a space in which people feel included, connected and able to have meaningful conversations.

Anni shares why side by side conversations create the space for reflecting and re-focusing in times of change

In challenging times, how can communication help you to improve employee performance? I was recently asked this question when invited to contribute to a special report produced by Raconteur on The Future of HR, which was published in The Times and Sunday Times.

This blog post explores gratitude and remembering to say thanks.

Join me as I talk about how to create space for courageous conversations. Creating space for people and creating spaces in which people can have conversations that matter is what I aspire to do.

In this blog post, Anni explore the art of listening. She mentions books, stories and experiences about listening with your eyes and your heart.

Over the years of working with leaders and their teams, from small through to very large organisations, I have distilled the key qualities of bold leadership into The 7 C’s. Discover them in my latest blog.

Join Anni as she discusses her top three marketing leaders and what it takes to be a great marketing leader.

How to Have Brilliant Team Meetings: Leadership tools and tips to stimulate creative thinking, share ideas, to challenge each other’s thinking and to build on each other’s thoughts.

Exploring Pilates with Instructor Izi. it really makes a difference in the every day through increasing awareness of breath, posture and strength.

Anni Townend talks to Lelia McKenzie, founder and CEO of DIAL global about why who you’re being matters just as much as what you do in leadership.

Anni discusses an article on The Power Of Self-Compassion.

Here are some tips and tools for encouraging and receiving feedback. Gain valuable insight into their experience as well as into how others might also experience you in similar situations.

Anni shares the importance of creating targets that teams can connect with.