Thought Leadership library

    Articles

    Written perspectives

    Articles on finance, strategy, operations and business partnering, written by The Collective team.

    A rugby scrum pushing forward on a green pitch: elite sport's discipline of a few key metrics.
    Article·

    2 October 2026 · Calvin Sellers

    Most of Your KPIs Are Lying to You

    Most businesses have a clarity problem dressed up as a KPI problem. Fifty-six metrics on a dashboard isn't rigour, it's noise. Measure the signals, not the noise.

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    A detailed pencil sketch of the Big Five African safari animals: lion, buffalo, leopard, rhino and elephant, arranged together.
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    21 July 2026 · Calvin Sellers

    The Big 5: What the African Savanna Can Teach UK SME Founders About Scaling

    The entrepreneurial journey mirrors the Big Five African safari animals. Five punchy comparisons to help UK SME founders navigate the wild landscape of scaling.

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    A bold graphic spelling 'I love CEOs' with a red heart symbol.
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    20 May 2026 · Kelly Jepp

    I Love CEOs

    Why the CEO-CFO relationship is one of the most important partnerships in business, and what makes it powerfully transformative when it works.

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    A vintage desk with newspapers, a magnifying glass over a printed chart, and glowing abstract data points in warm light.
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    15 May 2026 · Calvin Sellers

    Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

    The same data set can announce a roaring recovery or a national catastrophe. A look at how context, cherry-picking and framing turn statistics into competing narratives.

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    A small kitten gazing into a mirror that reflects a lion: a metaphor for leadership and self-perception.
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    22 April 2026 · Kim Stokes

    The Truth About Leadership: It’s Not a Title, It’s a Choice

    Leadership isn’t a position you hold. It’s a choice you make in small moments. A look at presence, trust, and the difference between authority and real leadership.

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    A glowing blue unicorn illustration on a dark navy background, symbolising the mythical all-in-one CFO.
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    15 April 2026 · Sam Sellers

    The “Unicorn” CFO Doesn’t Exist

    Founders often hope for one CFO who can do everything. The reality is more nuanced. Start with the problem you actually need to solve in the next 12 months.

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    A white piggy bank on a wooden desk next to scattered coins, with a person reviewing financial documents in the background.
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    24 March 2026 · Kelly Jepp

    We Need to Talk About Money

    Agencies are failing not because of weak creativity, but because of weak financial discipline. Here is why finance needs to move from the back office to the centre of the business.

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    A lone resilient tree bends in a storm of abstract data waves and golden light particles, symbolising antifragile leadership in volatile times.
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    19 March 2026 · Calvin Sellers

    The Antifragile Leader

    Navigating compound volatility in 2026: how leaders can evolve the VUCA framework into a practical model for North Star navigation, AI-era transparency, and antifragility.

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