The world is going through a period of change more profound than anything we’ve seen since the Industrial Revolution.

As well as the widespread presence of technology and constant regulatory change, one of the biggest changes we are seeing is that of personal attitudes.

Power, once the epicentre of decision-making for business leaders and customers, has been replaced with concept of trust and a desire to see the ‘right thing’ being done.

For NAHL, it’s a period of change we have been able to absorb better than most. I firmly believe that is underpinned by the strong values we work and live by – something I am incredibly proud of.

The Trusted Executive Framework

Though our values have always sat at the heart of what we do, and despite having always maintained a philosophy built around openness to change, the NAHL team remains hungry for and excited by new ideas.

It’s for these reasons that when I was introduced to The Trusted Executive Framework, I knew I’d found something that chimed with the very essence of our business, something I’ve recently launched within the group and in the last few days shared with colleagues across the organisation.

I had been searching for a framework compatible with the personality, values, and ethos of NAHL. So it was something of a ‘Eureka!’ moment when I was introduced to John Blakey and his Trusted Executive leadership model.

The model is based on the belief that the traditional concept of “power” as a method for leading a successful organisation is no longer fit for purpose.

Blakely bases his model on the three pillars of integrity, ability, and benevolence, and nine positive behaviours: Coach, Be Consistent, Be Honest, Be Open, Be Humble, Evangelise, Be Brave, Be Kind, and Deliver.

Ultimately, the Framework is used to promote deeper thinking about how executives operate, how they process their thoughts, and how they act as individuals.

Dealing with change and uncertainty in the rapidly evolving world

We have transitioned into a world where business success is now about dealing with change and uncertainty at high speed, and doing it in an ethical manner. Equipping ourselves to deal with these changes is crucial to our continued success as an organisation. It’s means being open to change and evolution while, at the same time, retaining our core values.

We’ve all seen how trust has been lost in established institutions, from finance and politics, through to the charity sector – with ethics called into question and reputations left in tatters.

And what’s more, no organisation is immune, only recently Google had to respond to an empowered workforce demanding trust and transparency from their leaders.

But it’s not just the change and uncertainty itself that businesses today are needing to deal with, it’s the sheer pace of it. It’s a reality which our business has not been immune from. We are actively working and evolving our business to meet the demands of the government’s Civil Liability Bill and are setting our business up for the future. Having an engaged workforce that believes and is on the journey is key for this to be a success.

Why ‘The Trusted Executive”?

I am deeply proud of our values – the emphasis we place on them makes NAHL unique as a business. We reward against them and they are embedded into every level of our organisation. They really are at the heart of what we do.

Supporting our values, I believe the Trusted Executive model that we are now rolling out is going to further enhance our business, and support our future success.

I invited John Blakey himself to come in and do a workshop with the senior team and it proved to be a most worthwhile exercise. Following that session, the team is utilising the framework to share feedback, learnings and proposed changes, each taking one or two areas, going back into their areas of the business and taking the opportunity to strengthen and demonstrate the nine positive traits.

As this journey progresses, we will go on to identify elements and further support our people with their personal development, nurturing skills - helping them and equipping them for a changing workplace and a changing world.

We’re developing something special here at NAHL and I believe there is every reason to be excited.