Latest News: WCoMC Talk

Recently I represented Perspectiv at the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants where I alongside fellow Company member Lisa Preuveneers. The event, titled “Two-Face Meets the Illegal Eagle”, took place at the historic The Lamb in Bloomsbury for an evening of insight, wit, provocation, and lively discussion. With proceedings kept firmly on track by Ian White, the room was full of energy, curiosity, and thoughtful challenge.

Andy Wilkins speaking at the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants 2025

Lisa Preuveneers (affectionately dubbed The Illegal Eagle) delivered a compelling and authoritative talk drawing on her decades of experience operating in complex, highly regulated environments. Her perspective on navigating her career through ambiguity, responsibility, and professional judgement was both practical and thought-provoking, and we’d like to offer Lisa our congratulations on a truly engaging and well-received contribution.

My talk, “Two-Faced,” draws its name from Janus — the Roman god often depicted with two faces, one looking backwards and one forwards. From this idea of Janusian thinking comes the concept of holding two seemingly opposing truths at the same time: past and future, stability and change, certainty and doubt. It’s no coincidence that January is named after Janus, a time for reflection and renewal.

In organisational terms, this Janusian perspective is essential for leaders shaping company climate.

The differences between Climate vs Culture Perspectiv©

Climate is what people experience day to day: how safe it feels to speak up, how decisions are made, how pressure is handled, and how leadership behaviour shows up in moments that matter. It is often confused with culture, but the two are not the same. Culture runs deep. It’s the accumulated history, values, and stories of an organisation. Climate, by contrast, is visible, tangible, and responsive.

Culture is the roots of the tree. We don’t rip them out or try to re-engineer them overnight. Climate is the branches and leaves, what people see, feel, and react to every day. This is where leaders have real, immediate influence, and where performance is either enabled or quietly suffocated.

Photo: John Elkann 2010 by Exor S.p.A. / CC-BY-3.0 (link to the source).

Using the #ElkannOut story as a trending news reference, the talk explored how public leadership behaviour (especially under extreme pressure like F1) powerfully shapes organisational climate. What leaders say about their people, particularly in public forums, sends strong signals about trust, accountability, and psychological safety. These signals matter far more than most strategy decks.

An deep dive into Janus will be coming out later on this blog. To find out more about #ElkannOut you can click here.

Events like this reflect what Perspectiv has been focused on recently: engaging with individuals, teams, and organisations who are willing to question inherited management myths and explore what effective leadership really looks like in practice today. We’re grateful to the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants for the invitation, and to everyone who contributed to such a stimulating evening of dialogue and debate.