Exciting emerging evidence from neuroscience and psychology suggests that the way we think is crucial and can be developed. So tapping into how the brain works and its amazing capacity for change, cultivating a growth mindset and reconnecting with people’s motivation for public service is likely to produce more sustainable transformation in Wales than a horde of external expert consultants!

The space to think – and think well – so often gets squeezed out of hard-pressed diaries and we become too busy and weary to question whether we are using our time and talents well. Giving attention to how we think and make sense of our world can be the means of achieving improvement and transformation that lasts. This is especially true for leaders and senior teams. Evidence and experience shows that deliberately paying attention to how we think and what we think about profoundly affects our perception, generates new solutions and develops our identity in a very real way.

Research indicates that introducing external support and deliberate stretch into the process can have a substantial impact on our learning and development. Thinking partners can do this by bringing expert executive coaching skills, awareness of the context for public service leaders, and the experience of very senior roles to provide genuine peer relationships that support integrated learning and productive outcomes.

For senior leaders with limited options for internal or confidential thinking space this can mean the difference between old solutions driven harder and a sustainable way forward.

So where do you get the time to think?