Three days, a room full of senior HR and L&D leaders, and a lot to think about. Anissa Oukhiar joined us at Courage to Lead, our 2026 conference, and came away with a set of reflections they’ve kindly let us share.
Their notes pick out the moments that stuck. Kelly Grainger of Perfectly Autistic asked whether we recognise genuine capability or just reward people who think like us. Christian van Nieuwerburgh talked about the barriers to really listening. Faye and Kerry from A Brilliant Thing CIC showed what communities can achieve when they carry each other.
A theme ran through every session: we put a lot of weight on leaders, particularly middle managers, and much of their success depends on the conditions around them. We can train someone to challenge constructively. The harder question is whether the organisation actually welcomes it.
