I left school at 16 in 1977, ambitious and armed with the belief that I could learn anything I wanted, so I could do anything I wanted.

I achieved early career success: an HR Director by age 29, a CEO and award-winning writer by age 36. Over time, I’ve been drawn towards the realm of coaching and leadership development, and this is where I locate myself today.

I have an enduring interest in how enterprises achieve ‘social results’. What we call ‘work’ is I think largely about relationship and conversation, and this is most evident in how we engage with and treat each other in the course of our working lives. That is most obviously ‘social’.

It is also about the nature of business – who it is for, who benefits, who is left out, and the consequences of all of that. I have seen this play out in a wide range of settings, from large corporate environments to grass-roots community organisations, and a whole range of spaces in between.

My accumulated experience leads me to the conclusion that inclusion is central to the idea of social results – shaping perceptions of the ‘bottom line’ and how that is measured. It includes the set of ideas that have become associated with ‘equality and diversity’ – tackling discrimination, and achieving equity and social justice in society.

That matters – I have 60-plus years of life experience in which those themes have featured prominently, encompassing all of life’s highs and lows. Economic inequality is one of the biggest challenges facing the developed world today, and it is a complex one to unravel.

Inclusion is part of that unravelling – and for inclusion to have meaning, it needs to include everyone. It needs to recognise the history and present day reality of disadvantage, whilst also going beyond to realise a vision where everyone flourishes. That means conceiving of a world that does not yet exist, believing that we can all play a role in creating it, and seeing it as a goal worth striving for.

That motivates me in my work everyday. I’d love to work with you if it motivates you too.