Executive Search Leaders

ES Leaders is excited to announce that they are continuing their partnership with 2024 BTCC Independent Champion Árón Taylor-Smith. After a record-breaking 2024 season together, both sides are ready to take things up another gear for an even bigger and better 2025 campaign. Aron had a phenomenal year, dominating the Independents championship with 20 race wins, five spots in the prestigious ‘Quick Six’ shootouts, and points in all 30 races. He regularly gave the big manufacturer teams a run for their money, quickly becoming a fan favourite. With Executive Search Leaders continued backing, he’s already setting his sights on even bigger goals for 2025. Reflecting on the renewed partnership, Aron said: “Working with ES Leaders is something I’m really proud of. Nick Workman has been such a great addition to my BTCC journey—having him, his family, and his client’s trackside makes all the difference. Their support played a huge role in my success last year, and I’m so excited to build on that in 2025. In this championship, consistency is everything—both on and off the track—and I couldn’t ask for a better partner than Nick and ES Leaders.” Nick has always been passionate about motorsport, showing up at races throughout the 2024 season and bringing plenty of energy along the way. For 2025, the partnership is set to grow even further, with more VIP guest experiences and their branding once again taking pride of place on Taylor-Smith’s car. As the UK’s most-followed motorsport series, the BTCC will once again broadcast every race live on ITV. Nick, representing ES Leaders, shared his thoughts: “We couldn’t be prouder to support Árón for another season. Last year blew our expectations out of the water—from unforgettable race experiences to our BTCC end-of-season partner kart race. What started as a marketing initiative has grown into something much more, thanks to Árón’s hard work and dedication behind the scenes. We can’t wait to see what 2025 brings.” The 2025 BTCC season gets underway at Donington Park on April 27th.

ES Leaders is excited to announce that they are continuing their partnership with 2024 BTCC Independent Champion Árón Taylor-Smith. After a record-breaking 2024 season together, both sides are ready to take things up another gear for an even bigger and better 2025 campaign. Aron had a phenomenal year, dominating the Independents championship with 20 race wins, five spots in the prestigious ‘Quick Six’ shootouts, and points in all 30 races. He regularly gave the big manufacturer teams a run for their money, quickly becoming a fan favourite. With Executive Search Leaders continued backing, he’s already setting his sights on even bigger goals for 2025. Reflecting on the renewed partnership, Aron said: “Working with ES Leaders is something I’m really proud of. Nick Workman has been such a great addition to my BTCC journey—having him, his family, and his client’s trackside makes all the difference. Their support played a huge role in my success last year, and I’m so excited to build on that in 2025. In this championship, consistency is everything—both on and off the track—and I couldn’t ask for a better partner than Nick and ES Leaders.” Nick has always been passionate about motorsport, showing up at races throughout the 2024 season and bringing plenty of energy along the way. For 2025, the partnership is set to grow even further, with more VIP guest experiences and their branding once again taking pride of place on Taylor-Smith’s car. As the UK’s most-followed motorsport series, the BTCC will once again broadcast every race live on ITV. Nick, representing ES Leaders, shared his thoughts: “We couldn’t be prouder to support Árón for another season. Last year blew our expectations out of the water—from unforgettable race experiences to our BTCC end-of-season partner kart race. What started as a marketing initiative has grown into something much more, thanks to Árón’s hard work and dedication behind the scenes. We can’t wait to see what 2025 brings.” The 2025 BTCC season gets underway at Donington Park on April 27th.

Navigating Delicate Conversations: Advising a Client on Brand Perception   One of the more delicate tasks we sometimes have to undertake as executive search professionals is telling a client that their brand and reputation may not be as appealing as they think. This conversation isn't just about delivering unwelcome news; it's about nurturing a relationship built on trust and strategic insight.   Let me share a recent experience. I approached two candidates for two different clients. The first remarked bluntly, “If you pitch that brand to anyone here, they’ll laugh at you.” The second, with an admirable turn of phrase, said “I know that firm, and life’s too short to work for them.”   Conveying this feedback to the clients demanded consideration. I revisited Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott, a book that champions the value of candid, respectful dialogue. It should be on the reading list of every salesperson.   At the onset of a search, clients often say, “We value honest feedback—positive, negative, or neutral. Tell us what the market is saying about us.” So why do we find these conversations challenging? They demand a nuanced approach tailored to each client’s communication style. For some, directness is appreciated; for others, a more diplomatic approach is essential. Also, it’s important not to imply that it’s the client’s fault that the search is tough – it was my choice to take it on and represent them in the market, and my job to test, explore and push back on candidate opinions.   The outcomes were revealing. One client embraced the feedback, initiating significant adjustments in their branding and strategy. We conducted a detailed compensation review with them. In time, their leadership and organizational culture evolved positively, and they were able to attract a higher calibre of candidate. It’s worth noting though that even major change internally takes time to be reflected in the perception of a firm from the outside.   Conversely, the other client opted not to make changes. They continue to face challenges with their hiring, despite their undoubted successes in other areas. It’s a failure to evolve that I think may come back to bite them in the future.   As executive search professionals, our relationships with clients hinge on delivering candid insights. Honesty not only fosters growth but also solidifies the trust that is integral to long-term partnership and success. #executivesearch #leadershipadvisory #difficultconversations

How gracious are you in defeat?   A recent candidate of mine was lucky enough to have three job offers.     Firm A offered through me and the candidate accepted the position. Firms B and C had initially been approached directly by the candidate.     We know that much effort and optimism go into that process of meetings, interviews, references, planning, and eventually deciding to welcome someone new to the team and pitching the offer at just the right level. And we know the satisfaction of finding a great person – not only in filling the immediate need, but securing a hire we can see progressing and thriving in the longer term.     So when the candidate says “No, thank you”, what is the correct reaction?     At Firm B, the Partners listened and tried to negotiate, but accepted defeat. They spoke highly of firm A, wished the candidate every success and stressed that their door remained open for the future.    At Firm C, the Partners took defeat rather more personally and less graciously. They ridiculed Firm A, questioned the candidate’s decision making and said that, based on the candidate’s decision, they were relieved that their offer had been declined.   It's often said that you learn what a company is really like when you resign from it. Sometimes, you learn as much by not joining it.   #executivesearch #leadershipadvisory #situationsworthpreparingfor 

In an effort to stand out, to differentiate, most businesses talk about their 'niche' – their value-adds. So, what’s that for us?  Well, we find senior search professionals for retained executive search firms globally. We are tracking down those that do the tracking down for their own clients.  And when we speak to a target for the first time and explain who we are and why we want to talk to them, the response I often receive is along the lines of “Ooh, tough gig!”. And it can be. But isn’t that what makes victory taste all the sweeter?  So, when our market is tight, how do we stand out? Not just against competition from our own industry, but against the myriad of emails, InMails, texts and phone calls that we all receive daily?  I read a short piece by a well-known celebrity investor recently, which was effectively saying that the most successful people actually DO pay attention to detail and DO sweat the small stuff. Detail differentiates. And it really resonated with me.  Be persistent, yes – but be relevant, qualitative, specific and transparent. Our mission is to engage with the individuals that our clients expect us to reach, at least to elicit a response from them. If they’re plain not interested, fine. At least we know.  We regularly receive compliments about our tenacity and the professionalism of our targeted approach. So I am pleased to say that we do stand out – to some at least. #executivesearch #leadershipadvisory #standout

More haste, less speed…      At ES Leaders, we do so much of our communication by video or in person. We work internationally, we meet as many people as we possibly can, and we will happily book a flight for a meeting or a conference.    But written communication is still a huge part of what we do. We write role briefs, candidate profiles, client agreements, approach messages, emails and more. Plus, there’s the quick-fire back and forth of scheduling a meeting to suit multiple parties.    So in a world where speed is always of the essence, how important is it to slow down and get it right?  Sure, the occasional typo can be overlooked. People even note it at the bottom of their messages – sent from my phone, please excuse any errors. And of course, we do.    But those bigger documents, surely, need to be just right. We use a terrific proofreader, Lizzie Sabin, who checks all of our documents. She has a microscopic focus and can identify the most minor grammatical mistake – but, better than all of that, she makes our work read more effectively. With her, we can be confident that we’re producing a quality document for our clients and candidates. And that’s really important to us.    Let me know: how do you present your work?  (Sod’s law, there’ll be a typo in here after all that...)    #executivesearch #leadershipconsulting #proofreading

AI and automation are playing a critical role in talent acquisition. From previous research done by Stepstone Group, approximately 63% of hiring professionals have already adopted automation to streamline tasks, such as screening application documents. It makes the hiring process as seamless as possible. When it comes to professionals. they are using AI tools such as ChatGPT to write their resumes and prepare themselves for interviews. 2024 is the year to fully harness AI's capabilities and unleash its potential. To get more insights, read more in the link below: https://bit.ly/3SV8RES #AI #Automation

Massive thank you to Pinot & Picasso UK for a superb team building event. Grant Beveridge, Luke Schanche, Nick Workman, Carolyn Howitt, Lara Langman PCC and Emer Rohan had a fabulous time.

Here’s why your company needs to practise Psychological Safety…     I learnt about something new last week: Psychological Safety. And it really grabbed my interest. Psychological Safety is feeling secure enough to ask that extra question in a meeting, look for more clarification from your manager, or simply say you don’t understand. It means you can turn down a 6pm meeting because you have a child to pick up, or an 8am meeting because you fit in a gym session before work – and you can do this without anyone batting an eyelid. You can protect your boundaries and find a solution that works for everyone. It means not worrying that those in the room will think less of you, judge you, or wonder if you’re committed to your job. Lara Langman PCC, Head of Leadership Advisory Services at Executive Search Leaders, explains why it’s crucial for your company culture: “Psychological Safety is foundational for any business that wants to sustainably thrive and foster high-performing teams. In such working environments, people will bring the best version of themselves. If people operate in fear, in the long run, they will check out. Productivity, engagement, motivation and the bottom line will suffer. It is a no brainer!” Psychological Safety is everyone’s responsibility. So, really, we all need to ask ourselves the question: “Do I make people feel safe?” #executivesearch #leadershipadvisory #psychologicalsafety