Not Leadership

Writer

Ware

Managing Director

REID Lifting

Global Marketing Manager

AluK (GB) Ltd

- Developing and implementing strategic marketing plans and campaigns for the UK market for Trade/Residential, End-User and Architectural Specification audiences
- Marketing Campaign of The Year Winner | 2019 | FIT Show

Marketing Communications Manager

- Excellence in Marketing Winner | 2017 | Monmouthshire Business Awards
- Social Networker of The Year Winner | 2016 | The Fenestration Awards

Marketing Communications Executive

Marketing Assistant

Euro Commercials, Mercedes-Benz

Marketing & Design Assistant

Timto Ltd

- Developing the company Brand Guidelines, Tone of Voice and Social Strategy
- Collaborating with associated charity partners such as MacMillan Cancer to deliver white labelled marcomms deliverables

Graphic Designer

Managing Director at Ware 💙 Leadership without the corporate BS | Real talk. Practical tools. Better teams.

Hey, I'm Laura 👋

I’m here for the leaders, managers and people-people who know the old ways aren’t working.

The ones trying to lead with empathy and impact. Who care about culture, but hate the corporate BS. Who want honest conversations about what it really takes to build healthy, high-performing teams and workplaces.

I share what works (and what doesn’t) so you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

Think of this space as a mix of practical advice, hard-won lessons and the occasional nudge to do better for your people and for yourself.

Drop me a DM if you want to chat, collaborate or just need a sounding board for the messy, human side of leadership.

Good morning, everyone!

EXCEPT…..

The CEOs who brag about culture 
(that they have never earned)

The leaders who talk transparency 
(yet hide the truth when it matters)

The managers who protect their titles 
(instead of their people) 

The employees who always complain
(but choose to change nothing)

If any of this stings, good.

Self-awareness is the starting point.

Own the gaps.
Do the work.

Culture is not a slogan. It is behaviour, hour by hour.

♻️ If this hits, share to your network.

Laura Morgan

Group Director 💙 Leadership without the corporate BS | Real talk. Practical tools. Better teams.

A crisis doesn’t create leaders.

It reveals them.

In a crisis, leadership is revealed.

Some step up. 
Others fall apart.

The best leaders own the moment, act fast and inspire trust.

What GREAT leaders do:

→ Communicate clearly. Honest, direct updates keep teams focused.
→ Own the problem. No blame games. They take accountability.
→ Protect their teams. They take responsibility, not shift it.
→ Make fast decisions. Action beats waiting for perfection.
→ Learn and adapt. Every crisis is a lesson for the future.

What BAD leaders do:

→ Ignore lessons: Move on without fixing the root cause.
→ Blame others. Point fingers instead of owning mistakes.
→ Delay decisions. Wait too long and let the crisis worsen.
→ Stay silent. Avoid tough conversations, leaving people in the dark.
→ Protect themselves. Throw teams under the bus.

Taking responsibility isn’t about blame, it’s about leadership.

Agree?

♻️ Repost this to help other managers in your network.

👋 I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 38K+ readers here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

No one gives you a rulebook for this:

Maybe they should?

How to deal with "that" person at work.
Yes, I know you know exactly who I’m talking about.

Always difficult.
Talks down to everyone.
Challenges for no reason.
Does the least, but somehow stays untouched?!

And then there’s you.

The one keeping it together.
Working harder.
Staying polite.
Holding it down whilst they create chaos.

So if this resonates, keep this front-of-mind:

→ You’re not weak for staying calm.
→ You’re not soft for taking the high road.
→ You’re just focused on the long game.

So keep doing the right thing.
Stay loud through your results.

The noise will fade.
After all, real players rise.

♻️ Repost this to help others in your network.

👋 I’m Laura I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 38K+ readers here: https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

Real friends promote each other like they’re on the payroll.

We cheer for weddings.
We post for babies.
We celebrate the big moments.
(As we should.)

But we don’t clap for the grind enough.

The late nights.
The small wins.
The people still showing up when no one’s watching.

Jessica and I have been friends since we were 16.
And for most of that time, we’ve lived over 5,500 miles apart.

But that’s never stopped us from backing each other,
Through ideas, new roles, loss and change.

Always pushing forward. Always believing.

That’s what real friendship looks like.
Growing side by side, even when the paths look different.

The kind of circle that changes your life.
People who:

→ Say your name in rooms you’ve never entered.
→ Cheer for you before you’ve “made it.”
→ Want to see you win, even when they’re still finding their way.

If your network isn’t doing that, it’s not a circle - it’s a crowd.

The right people will push you, promote you and remind you who you are.

That’s how you grow.
Surround yourself with believers.

♻️ Repost if this hits home.

👋 I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 37K+ readers here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

Doing this one thing every month has changed my life.

And it's completely free.

I go completely unplugged.

No phone.
No laptop.
No endless scroll.

Just space to breathe.

And here’s why you should too...

1. You’ll remember who’s in control (spoiler, it's you, not the screen).
2. You’ll realise how loud the world really is.
3. You’ll stop reacting and start creating.
4. You’ll break the addiction to “busy”.
5. You’ll notice what actually matters.
6. You’ll return sharper and hungrier.
7. You’ll reconnect with real people.
8. You’ll feel your stress drop fast.
9. Your ideas will hit deeper.
10. You’ll find calm in silence.
11. You’ll think clearer.
12. You’ll sleep better.

It’s not about escaping the world.

It’s about resetting so you can show up in it stronger.

(No, seriously. Try it.)

♻️ Repost if this hits home.

👋 I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 38K+ readers here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

Dear LinkedIn friends,

Think of this as the public broadcast you didn’t ask for.

(But need to hear.)

There’s ALWAYS room at the top.

So....

Stop wasting energy blocking.
Stop holding others back.
Stop competing.

Start lifting people up.

When more good people win, 
The whole world gets better.

Agree?

♻️ Repost if this hits home.

👋 I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 37K+ readers here:
https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

Here’s why we’re getting culture wrong

(Repeatedly)

Most leaders think culture comes from big moments.

Motivational talks.
Shiny awards.
Team building days.

It feels good. It looks good.
But it doesn’t last.

Why?

Because culture isn’t built on hype.

It’s built on process.

→ Process shapes behaviours.
→ Behaviour turns into habits.
→ Habits repeated, become your culture.

That’s why strong teams feel consistent.
Predictable.
Trusted.

Just like tech has algorithms,
Leadership does too. 
And this is one you don't want to skip.

Process → Behaviour → Habits = Culture

Build that and trust me, you won’t need the  motivational speeches.

Agree?

♻️ Repost this to help others in your network improve workplace culture.

👋 I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 38K+ readers here:
**https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n**

I spent years doing this.

(without seeing the damage it caused).

When I was a junior, I used to prepare my line manager’s board report.

I would research, write and build the deck.

Add post-it notes on every page
with likely questions crossed off.

Keep my phone ready 
(for the inevitable text during the meeting).

Everyone thought my boss was brilliant.

For a while, I felt proud.

My work landed well.
The praise (even if indirect) felt good.

But here is the hard truth it took me years to see:

Covering for people allows bad managers to stay in place.

My manager was happy to let me do the work,
take the credit and carry the pressure.

There was no intention to develop me or step up themselves.

I thought I was helping.
Instead, I was enabling.

So here is my advice:

Support your leader, but do not become their shield.

Do not hide incompetence.
Do not carry their responsibilities without recognition, progression or boundaries.

Doing the work is valuable.
But letting someone exploit your effort is not.

♻️ Repost this to help others in your network.

👋 I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 38K+ readers here: **https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n**

Most organisations kill strategic thinking before it starts.

- Direction swings.
- Ideas outrun execution.
- Focus disappears.

That is NOT strategy. It is reaction.

Real strategy is calm, clear and consistent.

- A few priorities.
- A defined purpose.
- Relentless follow-through.

Hold a steady line and people stop guessing. 
They make better choices. 
They deliver with intent.

This week’s notes drop👇🏼

Why clarity outperforms constant change,
and how to create the conditions for real strategic thinking.

♻️If this hit, repost and subscribe. More leaders need it.

Hey Team 👋🏼 I’ve noticed something consistent across many organisations. The call for “more strategic thinking” often comes from leaders who make st

Open article: Stop blaming teams for “Not being strategic” and fix the conditions holding them back by Laura Morgan • 3 min read

Stop blaming teams for “Not being strategic” and fix the conditions holding them back

Stop treating probation like a test.

Start using it as a launch window.

Too many managers sit back to “see how it goes.”

That’s why new starters never hit their stride.

You think you’re being patient.
You’re actually wasting potential.

Those first 90 days?
They set the tone for everything.

Success isn’t luck, it’s intentional design.

So, when you treat probation like a waiting game, people play it safe.
But when you build it like a success plan?

People move fast, grow fast and stay longer.

This week’s notes drop:
 
👉🏼 How to turn probation into a real success plan.

Because great managers don’t test people.
They build them.

♻️ If this hits, repost and subscribe - more managers need to learn how to turn probation into potential.

Hey Team 👋🏼 It's time to stop seeing probation some kind of test. Instead, start seeing it as a launch window. Too many managers treat those first f

Open article: How great managers turn the first 90 days into confidence, not caution. by Laura Morgan • 2 min read

How great managers turn the first 90 days into confidence, not caution.

The conversations you avoid are the ones that cost you the most.

Bad attitudes don’t fix themselves.
Performance issues don’t disappear.
Team tension doesn’t fade with time.

Silence just lets problems grow quietly in the background.

Great managers don’t enjoy tough conversations.

They just know avoiding them is far worse.

This week’s notes drop:

👉🏼 How to handle difficult conversations.

Because leadership isn’t about keeping the peace.

It’s about keeping the standards.

♻️ If this hit, repost and subscribe. More managers need to learn how to have the conversations they keep putting off.

Hey Team 👋🏼 Most managers avoid hard conversations. They tell themselves it’s “not the right time” or “things might improve.” But silence never fixe

Open article: The conversations you avoid cost you the most. Here's how to change it. by Laura Morgan • 2 min read

The conversations you avoid cost you the most. Here's how to change it.

Starting a new role?

Then take a read of this.

We’ve all been there.
Just landed a new job. 
Keen to prove ourselves. 
And attenpting to fix everything at once.

Spoiler: it rarely works.

So instead focus on this….

This is what I would prioritise in the first 30 days.

1. Listen first
Most people rush to prove themselves. 
The quickest way to build trust is to understand the people and the work before jumping in.

2. Learn how decisions really happen
Forget the org chart. 
The real influence lines decide what moves and what does not. Find them early.

3. Get clear on success
Do not guess what good looks like. 
Ask direct questions about priorities, measures and timelines.

4. Build relationships on purpose
Work gets done through people. 
Invest time in meeting colleagues and understanding what they need.

5. Pick one meaningful win
Not a list. One problem that matters. 
Solve it well and set the tone.

The first month is about foundation, not noise. 

Slow down.
Learn.
Connect.
Then execute. 

That is how you build long-term impact.

What would you add?

♻️ Repost this to help others in your network.

👋 I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works.

Join 38K+ readers here: https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

6 things to focus on in your first 30-days of a new role!

Most people do B2B marketing wrong.

Here’s a better way.

After 15 years in strategic growth and product-led marketing roles,
I have seen the same mistakes appear again and again.

Not because B2B is complex,
but because teams rely on shortcuts (and trends) instead of strategy.

Here are the top ten issues holding B2B back and what to do instead:

1. Chasing trends instead of building strategy.
Create a plan that lasts longer than a week.

2. Treating virality as a growth model.
Aim for relevance, not randomness.

3. Leading with features, not problems.
Show the value, not the specs.

4. Posting for volume, not impact.
Be useful, not noisy.

5. Mistaking activity for results.
Measure what drives pipeline and retention.

6. Launching campaigns with no alignment.
Get sales, product, and leadership behind one direction.

7. Ignoring the customer until renewal.
Stay close, listen often, feed insight into your messaging.

8. Copying competitors.
Understand the market, then stand apart.

9. Using jargon to sound credible.
Speak plainly. Clarity converts.

10. Treating marketing as execution.
Bring marketers into strategic decisions early.

B2B marketing works when you stop guessing and start leading with intent.

Do that, and growth becomes predictable, NOT accidental.

♻️ Repost this to help others in your network.

👋 I’m Laura - I write Not Leadership, a weekly newsletter on unlearning bad leadership and building what actually works. Join 38K+ readers here: https://lnkd.in/eZYGtt9n

A handwritten sign is taped to a glass window in an office. The sign reads: “marketing. the only department in the business everyones an expert.” The city skyline is visible through the window in the background. Posted by @wareslaura, Laura Morgan.

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