Many organisational leaders admit they are reluctant to intentionally build a whistleblowing culture. And often, the reasons are legitimate: • They are genuinely unsure how to protect a whistleblower after disclosure • Legal budgets don’t stretch to lengthy investigations or years of potential litigation • There are real concerns about reputational damage if the process […]

The growing “industrialised” nature of whistleblowing—complete with mandated processes, third-party hotlines, and compliance reporting—was meant to protect people. I believe this attempt at 'normalisation' has become corrosive, for the following reasons: - Severe personal harm: Even with legal protections, many whistleblowers suffer devastating professional, financial, and psychological consequences. - Weaponisation and fear: Formal systems can […]

The recent murder of DJ Warras in South Africa is a devastating reminder that legislative protection does not always translate into lived safety. He reportedly had five protection orders in place. They did not stop retaliation. This tragedy forces an uncomfortable parallel with whistleblowing policies. Across sectors, whistleblowers are encouraged to speak up under the […]

We live in an environment that is drenched in misinformation, “fake news”, and propaganda, not because of an unavoidable accident but because it has been created by people in pursuit of political and economic objectives.  This is not a natural disaster, it’s human-made. On a positive side, this implies that, unlike for earthquakes or tsunamis, […]

      A CEO transcript of a conference call to Investors post a Merger and Acquisition: What does this narrative actually mean? Perhaps you’ve experienced a similar kind of empty and misleading narrative, produced in a shallow way and intended to lead to some kind of surface agreement.  Did you ever want to call bullshit on […]

We are in the midst of a regulatory arms race to rein in corporate power. Milton Friedman entered the stage during a slump in the economy in the 1970s, an ideal moment for him to influence the deregulation of the Reagan Era. Today, we find ourselves at another inflection point. Mounting global challenges, from climate […]

“Why should I care?  I know the priority du jour is going to change and what's really expected of me is to make my boss look like he knows what he’s doing.  Its not like we’re all in this together." The above comment was made by one of my senior executive colleagues in the company […]