Partnering with Leaders to Define SUCCESS and Achieve It.

Thank you for visiting my profile.  I'm Angela Crawford, a strategist and leadership consultant who empowers people and organizations to grow through authentic connection and a relentless commitment to helping others succeed.

With over 20 years of strategic leadership experience, I provide organizational consulting, along with coaching and leadership development through my customizable Leaders SUCCEED Together© system.

Let's work together to define success for yourself and your organization--and achieve it!

Who I Help:
- C-Suite Executives in privately owned companies
- Senior Leaders tackling new challenges
- HR Professionals seeking leadership development solutions
- Education and Healthcare Administrators

How I Can Help:
- Provide consulting services across organizational development, HR, sales, marketing, and operations.
- Design custom leadership programs to attract and retain top talent
- Serve as your confidential sounding board with fresh perspectives
- Enhance team dynamics and performance with tailored solutions
- Navigate the unique challenges of education and healthcare leadership

Why Choose Crawford Partners?
- Extensive cross-industry experience
- Proven, research-backed Leaders SUCCEED Together© System
- Flexible, client-focused approach
- Deep commitment to your success
- Over 13 years of delivering results

Ready to grow your organization like never before?  Let's connect.

P.S. Even if leadership development isn't your current focus, feel free to pass my information along to someone who might benefit. I'm passionate about helping leaders become the best versions of themselves.

Angela Crawford

➡️ Here's what most leaders miss about organizational culture:

They think culture change happens from the top down through mission statements and company values.

The reality?

73% of culture transformation initiatives fail because leaders diagnose the stated culture instead of the enacted culture.

After studying Cameron & Quinn's Competing Values Framework and Schein's organizational culture theory, I've adapted a 4-phase diagnostic that reveals what's actually happening:

The Framework:

✅ Phase 1: Behavioral Evidence Gathering (Weeks 1-3)
→ Track decision patterns, not policy documents
→ Observe meeting dynamics, not org charts

✅ Phase 2: Informal Culture Assessment (Weeks 4-6)
→ Map promotion patterns vs. stated values
→ Analyze crisis responses vs. company principles

✅ Phase 3: Force Field Analysis (Weeks 7-9)
→ Identify reinforcing vs. disruptive cultural forces
→ Calculate net change pressure

✅ Phase 4: Integration & Action Planning (Weeks 10-12)
→ Plot cultural reality gaps
→ Design evidence-based evolution strategy

The difference? Companies using behavioral diagnostics see 3x higher success rates in culture transformation.

You know you've succeeded when: Your promotion patterns, resource allocation, and crisis responses actually match your stated values.

Which assumption about your company culture needs challenging?

Share your biggest culture gap discovery below. ⬇️

—

👉 DM me “GROWTH” to book a free 30-minute strategy call.

And get actionable leadership tips right in your inbox every Wednesday.

(Newsletter link in my bio).

Angela Crawford, PhD

Business Owner, Consultant & Executive Coach | Guiding Senior Leaders to Overcome Challenges & Drive Growth l Author of Leaders SUCCEED Together©

👉 Strategy without a framework is just a wish.

You can't build a solid house on a shaky foundation. The same goes for your business strategy.

Too many leaders either overcomplicate their planning or "wing it" and hope for the best.

The secret to effective strategy isn't having a 100-page document. It's about having the right tools to think clearly and make decisive moves.

Here's a cheat sheet with 5 battle-tested frameworks that I use with my clients to turn ideas into action:

→ SWOT Analysis: Your 360° View
↳ To honestly assess your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Start here for a clear picture of your current reality.

→ TOWS Matrix: Your Action Blueprint
↳ To turn insight into action. This framework helps you match your internal strengths to external opportunities and create a concrete plan.

→ SOAR Framework: Your Vision Igniter
↳ To build a future-focused, positive vision. It rallies your team around Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and measurable Results.

→ PESTEL Analysis: Your Early Warning System
↳ To see the bigger picture. Analyze Political, Economic, Social, and other macro-trends to anticipate shifts before they impact you.

→ VRIO Framework: Your Competitive Edge
↳ To find your "unfair advantage." Identify resources that are Valuable, Rare, and hard to Imitate to build a moat around your business.

Stop guessing and start using a framework.

Which one will you use to plan your next quarter? 👇

—

👉 DM me “GROWTH” to book a free 30-minute strategy call.

And get actionable leadership tips right in your inbox every Wednesday.

(Newsletter link in my bio).

Last week, I facilitated sessions with a cohort of high-potential leaders. It’s always fun and energizing to watch them dive in.

In this particular session, we focused on something many leaders find challenging: giving and receiving feedback through coaching conversations. 

Among the models I share, the GROW Coaching Model (Goal | Reality | Options | Way Forward) consistently resonates most powerfully. It creates space for open dialogue without handing over ready-made answers.

I’ve found that most people don’t respond well to being told exactly what to do. We tend to commit far more deeply to solutions we help discover ourselves. 

GROW supports that beautifully by guiding the coachee to define their own goals, examine their current reality, brainstorm options, and commit to actionable next steps, all while building ownership and momentum.

With performance review season underway for many organizations, revisiting this timeless framework can be especially valuable. It helps leaders foster genuine growth conversations that keep top talent engaged and clear on what success looks like moving forward.

Attached is a helpful visual overview of the model (adapted from John Whitmore’s Coaching for Performance).  

If you want more tools for your leadership toolbox, subscribe to my weekly newsletter (link in my bio) and get them right in your inbox every Wednesday at 8 a.m. EST.

Who Do You Really Need? Probably More Support Than You Think. 

Take a look at the graphic in this post: Therapist. Coach. Consultant. Mentor. 

Most professionals think they need to pick one or maybe two people to support their growth.

But in today’s environment, I have found that you may need all four.

And here’s the truth: it’s not indulgent.  It’s strategic. 

The Reality of Today’s Workplace: 

➡️ Leaders are juggling nonstop change and complexity: financial pressures, workforce disruptions, and tech transformation, all at once. 

➡️ Over half of employees today report stress and fatigue. Nearly one in three struggles to balance work and life. We’ve never been asked to navigate more challenges than we are right now. 

Why Multiple Forms of Support Matter 
✅ A therapist helps you process the emotional side. 
✅ A coach accelerates your growth and clarity. 
✅ A consultant brings frameworks and fresh expertise. 
✅ A mentor offers real-world wisdom. 

Alone, each plays a role. 

Together, they help you build resilience, strategy, and confidence. 

That’s why hybrid coach-consultants are on the rise, helping leaders think differently and act decisively. 

Insight + Implementation = Sustainable Change. 

The ROI of Investing in Yourself:  The data speaks for itself: 
💲 Leadership development returns $7 for every $1 invested (Bridge LMS, 2025). 
💲 Coaching boosts financial performance by 14–19% (ICF, 2024). 
💲 94% of employees say they’d stay longer at a company that invests in their growth (LinkedIn Learning, 2025). 

But beyond the numbers, the right support builds confidence, energy, clarity, and capacity, which are the hallmarks of great leadership. 

When you thrive, your organization thrives. 

So here’s the question every leader should ask right now: 
👉 What kind of support are you giving yourself this year? Is it enough for the change and complexity you’re facing? 

Because investing in your own development doesn’t just lift you, it lifts everyone who depends on your leadership. 

Send me a DM if you want to chat about consulting and coaching.  Or, sign up for my weekly newsletter at the link in my bio and get resources in your inbox every Wednesday.

26 Leadership Books to Read in 2026:  What's on your list?

As I looked over my bookshelf and through my Kindle over the holidays, I thought about how many timeless books I read and which new ones have impacted my clients. 

Here are 26 for 2026 that I've curated by analyzing bestsellers from the past year and including favorites from leadership legends. Each book brings something unique to help you grow, inspire others, and create positive change.

As we enter 2026, effective leadership matters more than ever. Whether you're leading a team, developing yourself, or building organizational culture, change is everywhere. These books offer timeless wisdom and cutting-edge insights to elevate your impact.

It was hard to keep the list to only 26. What's on your 2026 reading list? 

👇 Drop your favorite leadership book in the comments. I'd love to hear what's shaping your thinking!

If you are as passionate about leadership, then subscribe to my weekly newsletter where I share free guides, tips, and links. 8 a.m. EST every Wednesday. No spam, no junk, just resources to help people and organizations grow. See the link in my bio.

What's your why?  Simon Sinek is famous for asking leaders to articulate their why. And he’s right—purpose matters. It’s how we stay grounded, fulfilled, and energized in the work we do. 

When I reflect on my why, which is my mission to help people and organizations grow, I don’t think about frameworks or programs first. 
I think about people. 

🌟 People like Courtney Jo, who sent me this video. She is a software engineer who completed my Superpower Pyramid program and is now continuing her leadership journey in one of my client organizations’ leadership programs. 

 ➡️ I think about Bob, a 63-year old maintenance supervisor who attended one of my leadership programs and told me, “This is as much leadership development as I’ve received in my entire career.  I really wish I had learned this sooner.” 
➡️ Or Bill, a CEO who shared something many leaders quietly experience: “The more I have moved up in the organization, the less honest people are with me. I need someone who understands this complexity, both as a consultant and a coach.” 
➡️ I think about Jennifer, a CMO navigating relentless change and an entirely new business reality, needing a trusted partner to help her make sense of what’s next. 
➡️ Susan, an HR leader, was told she must “be more strategic,” and she needs someone who truly understands HR and strategy to help her grow into that role. 
➡️ Cindy, a nonprofit leader balancing a complex web of stakeholders while facing the most challenging season of leadership she’s ever known. 
➡️ And John, a new college graduate, starting his career, unsure which path to take. 

No, these names (except Courtney Jo) are not their real names, but they are real people.   

Yes, I’m growing a business. But for me, this work has always been about impact. Walking alongside people I genuinely care about.  Earning their trust.  Helping them navigate their biggest challenges, hopes, and dreams. 
That is my why. 

And I am deeply grateful for the leaders, Courtney Jo Zuboski, who trust me with it and are willing to share their stories.

What’s your why?  Who do you have in your corner to walk beside you toward the growth you desire?   

Interested in growing in strategy and leadership?  Sign up for my 1 x per week newsletter (link in my bio).

Kicking off 2026 by doing something a little different…I pulled together my top 10 posts from 2025. These are the ones that sparked the most saves, shares, and “this is exactly what I’m dealing with” messages from leaders.  

Inside this curated set, you’ll find short, practical insights on:  
👉 Why a strategy without a framework is just a wish. 
👉 What most leaders miss about organizational culture and why their best talent leaves.
👉 How to give feedback that actually lands, without damaging relationships. 
👉 Why most companies only use half of SWOT and what to do instead 
👉 What 20+ years of senior leadership experience, education, and working with thousands of leaders have taught me about building thriving workplaces. 

If you’re a busy leader who wants straightforward tools to improve strategy, culture, and communication, not theory, you'll want these in your back pocket for the year ahead.  

Want all 10 posts (beautifully packaged) delivered straight to your inbox next week?  
👉 Sign up for my newsletter using the link in my bio, and you’ll get the full Top 10 from 2025 as a downloadable set, right in your inbox

Hard truth that took me too long to learn: no one will ever intentionally invest in your career growth as much as you will. 

You may have leaders, mentors, and colleagues who care deeply about you, but at the end of the day, you are the one responsible for your own career.

After reading the December 2025 Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey & Company and LeanIn, I felt, honestly...sad. 

The data is a sobering reminder that progress is fragile and that waiting for organizations to take care of us is a risky strategy.

Early in my career, I believed my boss owned my aspirations. She was wonderful, supportive, smart, and a mentor. I took the classes, earned degrees, and did all the right things inside the system. Over time, I learned a tougher lesson: organizations change, internal politics are everywhere, and if you are not intentional and strategic about your career, it will not unfold the way you hoped.

The report notes that only about half of companies are still prioritizing the development of women leaders, and for the first time, there is a visible ambition gap: 80 percent of women versus 86 percent of men say they want to be promoted. 

As AI, automation, political polarization, and constant change impact everyone, women are experiencing higher burnout and, in many cases, lower support. Those who wait quietly for their organization to invest will likely be sidelined from the most strategic, future-focused work.

Here is the encouraging part: in my own work, I am starting to see a shift. Senior women, especially in the C-suite and in HR and marketing, are proactively seeking me out as a confidential sounding board to navigate complex organizational dynamics. Not just as a coach, but as a consulting partner to work through high-stakes career and organizational decisions. Some are even paying out of pocket and not telling their organizations, because they worry their desire for growth will not be understood or supported. Their courage humbles me every day.
Together we focus on:
✅ Becoming more strategic by shifting from a trusted operator to an enterprise-level thinker who shapes decisions, not just executes them.
✅ Navigating politics with integrity by mapping power, influence, and risk so you can advocate for yourself and your function without burning out.
✅ Leading AI and change by positioning yourself as a future-ready leader who understands both people and technology, rather than being pigeonholed into softer roles.

If the 2025 numbers tell us anything, it is this: no one is coming to save women’s careers from the outside.

If you are a senior woman, consider this your nudge to take back ownership of your career. Whether you work with someone like me or not is secondary. What matters most is that you find a trusted partner, a confidential and strategic secret weapon, to walk alongside you as you build the career and impact you desire. 

👏 You deserve it!

What's Your Word for the Year?

For 2025, my word was GROWTH, focusing on growing organizations and growing myself in alignment with my values and purpose as a leader. That word shaped my decisions, my calendar, and my commitments. It reminded me that my mission is to help people and organizations grow, not just in results, but in character, clarity, and capability.
 
For 2026, my word is generosity. It comes from this verse:
 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”  (Based on 2 Corinthians 9:6)
 
Even if you’re not someone of faith, this principle is powerful. When we are generous with our time, treasure, and talent, we become more valuable to those around us. We don’t just do our jobs—we multiply value. We don’t just hit goals—we elevate people.
 
This year, I want to be known for generously sharing with those around me:
➡️ Generously sharing knowledge
➡️ Generously sharing time and attention
➡️ Generously sharing information, connections, and opportunities

I’ve spent time reflecting on a deeper question: “How do I want to be known when I’m gone?”
 
Being remembered as someone generous—with wisdom, encouragement, and practical support—is deeply important to me. Generosity is how I want to live, and how I hope to be remembered.
 
If you’re considering choosing a word for 2026, here are a few reflection questions to get you started:
❔ What are your values?
❔ What do you want to see more of in the world?
❔ How would you like to be remembered?
❔ Where do you believe you need to grow this year?
❔ When you look back at the end of 2026, who do you want to have become?
 
🌟 Then ask yourself: “What single word, if I truly lived it, would change the way I show up this year?”
 
Drop your word for 2026 in the comments. You never know who might need the word you choose.
 
Want a more detailed copy of our Word of the Year Guide? My newsletter subscribers already received it last week. DM me for a copy and sign up for my newsletter (link in my bio) to get actionable tips and guides in your inbox every Wednesday at 8 am EST.

Recently, a colleague asked, "Why don't more organizations have leaders ready to take on larger roles?" 

We both started our careers and quickly advanced because we experienced what many leaders today haven't: foundational leadership development within our organizations. 

So I looked into it. What I discovered reveals a troubling trend: for some organizations, we may have a lost generation of leaders.

➡️ Early 2000s: Organizations invested in leadership training: workshops, mentoring, programs, assessments. Imperfect, but present.
➡️ 2007-2010: The Great Recession devastated L&D budgets. Organizations cut leadership development by over 50%. 
➡️ March 2020: COVID-19 canceled leadership workshops overnight. The real-time mentorship and informal learning pathways that develop leaders simply vanished.
➡️ 2020s: Many organizations shifted to self-paced online modules. While inexpensive and flexible, research shows these lack the collaboration, real-time feedback, and interpersonal connection that actually develop leaders.

Although many organizations have returned to investing in leader development, others have not, and here's what we lost: 

Collaborative learning that creates shared language, common vocabulary, and frameworks that strengthen culture and accelerate decision-making. 

The bottom line? A generation of talented leaders was promoted because they deserved it, but many never received the foundational development they needed.

This isn't their failure.

We cut budgets when we should have invested. We moved to isolated online learning when they needed collaborative experiences. We canceled programs when uncertainty demanded we double down.

Now, during unprecedented change, I have to ask:  How are you developing your leaders?

Are you creating collaborative learning experiences that build shared language and strengthen culture? Or are you asking them to figure it out on their own?

If we want future leaders, we need to be the ones willing to develop them.

We are sending all ten of these detailed guides to our newsletter subscribers on this Wednesday. Sign up in my bio if you want to receive them.

Entrepreneur & Advisor | On a mission to accelerate people's lives and business growth.

Hey 👋- I'm Jonny Tooze, a UK-based Entrepreneur focused on digital technology, AI, and helping professionals grow on LinkedIn.

I founded my first company as a teenager, spent my early twenties in boardrooms with VCs and global corporates, and went on to build and scale a large independent agency group (LAB) to over 100 people and £7.5m in revenue. Along the way I founded, acquired, or advised multiple businesses across technology, digital, creative, strategy, and marketing, working with global brands as well as ambitious founder-led teams.

That background still defines how I work today.

I’m an entrepreneur, chairman, and operator who helps leadership teams make better decisions as their organisations scale. Sometimes that’s at board level. Sometimes it’s hands-on. Always it’s about clarity, systems, and removing unnecessary dependency on the founder.

My current work spans a small number of focused roles:

At ENDGAME, I’m deeply involved in building and running a cohort model focused on AI-native ways of working. My role sits at the intersection of leadership, delivery, and positioning - translating technical capability into outcomes leaders actually care about, and shaping how AI becomes an operating advantage rather than a talking point. Check it out here: https://end.game/cohort/ or DM me for more information.

I’m Chair of Hewitt Matthews Group, working with the leadership team on growth, structure, and long-term direction across the group. Check them out here: https://hewittmatthews.group/

I’m an Advisor and Shareholder of Sugar Creative, supporting the business at board level as it delivers wonder to the world through AR and VR. Check them out here: https://sugar.agency/

Alongside this, I continue to build and explore new ventures.

Across everything, the throughline is the same: leadership, judgement, and leverage. Helping businesses move from intensity to intent. From personality-led to system-led. From busy to effective.

This feed is where I share my motivation, wisdom, and observations from that work - what I’m seeing, what I’m learning, and what holds up when theory meets reality.

Outside of work, I’m a husband and father of three. I train, read, sail when I can, and spend as much time as possible on the Isle of Wight.

Jonny Tooze

The energy you bring changes everything.

I love this perspective.

It’s easy to think that success is about finding the perfect environment. But true success is about being the person who improves the environment they are in.

My goal this year is simple: To add value to every room I walk into and every team I work with.

Don’t wait for the conditions to get better. Be the reason they do.

I stand by that.

Follow Jonny Tooze for more posts like this.

Entrepreneur, strategist, and architect of modern businesses

We need to stop thinking of AI as just a chatbot. In reality, AI applies to five completely different layers of your P&L. 

Here is the non-technical breakdown for leaders: 

Level 1: Prediction Using data to guess the future. Use case: Predicting cash flow and inventory needs so you don't burn cash. 

Level 2: Perception Processing the physical world. Use case: Digitizing paper invoices or transcribing client calls automatically. 

Level 3: Creation Generating net-new assets. Use case: 80% of your internal comms, drafting, and content creation. 

Level 4: Task Execution Connecting the dots between apps. Use case: Your AI doesn't just write the email, it sends it, books the meeting, and updates the calendar. 

Level 5: Business Autonomy The Holy Grail. Systems that improve themselves. Use case: AI that identifies a bug in your product and writes the code to fix it. 

The Bottom Line: 
Levels 1-3 help you work faster. 
Levels 4-5 help you work less. 

If you are only focused on GenAI (Level 3), you are leaving the biggest efficiency gains on the table. 

Time to level up. ——————————————————————————————————- 
Follow ENDGAME if you care about faster delivery, higher adoption, and measurable returns from AI – not dashboards full of vanity metrics. 

Thanks to Alex Barády for the spark behind this one. 

Follow Jonny Tooze for more straight-talk on AI, product, and delivery.

Speed is only an advantage if you don't crash. 
Most companies are deploying AI coding tools randomly. 

They are buying licenses without a strategy. If you want ROI, you need to map the tool to the business stage.

 Stage 1: Low Investment, High Speed (Vibe Coding) 
• The User: Product Managers & Founders (Non-Technical). 
• The Goal: Kill bad ideas fast. 
• The ROI: preventing engineering waste. If you can prototype it for $0, you don't waste $50k building the wrong thing. 

Stage 2: Operational Efficiency (AI-Assisted) 
• The User: Professional Developers. 
• The Goal: Flow state. 
• The ROI: 20-25% lift in developer output. 
This is your standard efficiency play. 

Stage 3: Exponential Scale (Agentic Dev) 
• The User: Tech Leads & Architects. 
• The Goal: Autonomous execution. 
• The ROI:Time-to-Market. 
This is how you migrate a 10-year-old legacy system in 3 months instead of 2 years. 

Most companies are stuck in Stage 2. 
They are just trying to type faster. 
The winners of 2026 are moving to Stage 3, deploying Agents to do the heavy lifting.
 ___________________________________________________________ 
Follow ENDGAME if you care about faster delivery, higher adoption, and measurable returns from AI – not dashboards full of vanity metrics.

Thanks to Alex Barády for the spark behind this one. 

Follow Jonny Tooze for more straight-talk on AI, product, and delivery.

Entrepreneur, strategist, technologist, and growth expert

It’s easy to point fingers from the back of the crowd. It takes real courage to walk up to the front and offer a hand. Stand apart.

It’s easy to point fingers from the back of the crowd. 

The Crowd Loves to Talk.  

It’s easy to point fingers from the safety of the crowd. 
It feels safe to judge. 
It costs nothing to gossip. 

That’s why those lines are packed. 

But look to the right. 

It takes courage to step away from the noise and simply offer a hand. 
It might feel lonely in that last line, but that is the only place where it matters most. 

The world has more than enough critics. 
Be the one who shows up.

Follow Jonny Tooze for more posts like this.

Most companies are stuck at "Level 2" of AI adoption.  

We talk a lot about AI replacing developers. 
But if you look at the skills required today, the bar has actually gone up, not down. 

We’ve mapped out the 15-step progression from "Playing with AI" to "Engineering with Agents."

(See the roadmap below)  
Here is how to read this for your organization: 

Level 1: 
Vibe-Coding (The Prototypers) • What it is: Using natural language to build apps fast (Replit, Lovable). • The Business Value: Speed. This is for testing ideas, building MVPs, and validating concepts before spending real money. • The Limit: It breaks when things get complex. 

Level 2: 
AI-Assisted (The Optimizers) • What it is: Using Copilot or Cursor to speed up standard coding. • The Business Value: Efficiency. Your senior devs should be here. If they aren't using "Context Engineering" or "Multi-file awareness," they are working too slow. 

Level 3: 
Agentic Coding (The Architects) • What it is: The frontier. Managing teams of autonomous agents (Devin, Claude Code) to execute complex tasks. • The Business Value: Scale. This isn't writing code; this is orchestrating systems. 

The Leadership Takeaway: 
Don't just buy the tools and hope for magic. 
Look at the green section (Level 3). 
Does your Lead Engineer know how to handle "Multi-Agent Orchestration" or "Drift Recovery"? 

If not, that is your training roadmap for 2025. ___________________________________________________ 
Thanks to Alex Barády for the inspiration for this post. 

Follow ENDGAME to accelerate how to use AI in your organisations. 

Follow Jonny Tooze for more insights on AI.

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