It’s not gone, just harder to reach...

Today I facilitated the National Archives' 'Leadership Skills: Confidence, Communication and Influence' event, built around a simple idea...

👉 You don't lose confidence at work. You lose access to it under pressure.

We explored this through panel discussions and case material. My role was to frame the day psychologically and make sense of what drives confident communication, difficult conversations and influence.

The conversations kept coming back to three practical leadership challenges:

👉 Speaking with authority when you are not the final decision-maker

👉 Handling difficult conversations without becoming defensive or over-careful

👉 Influencing priorities, resources and decisions when formal power sits elsewhere

A thoughtful, engaged group. And a useful reminder that CPD is not just about adding knowledge, it's about strengthening professional judgement, confidence and voice.