THE INVISIBLE GAMES OF CORPORATE POWER
I advise. I speak. I write. All about one thing: people.
Author · International Keynote Speaker · Advisor
I grew up under apartheid in South Africa. In 1994, I voted in our first democratic election and watched Nelson Mandela show us what was possible when a leader chose to bring people together.
That stayed with me.
A year later, at 19, I began my corporate career while studying part time.
I worked hard, loved learning and wanted to make something of my life. But early on, I was blindsided. I was good at my job, yet I didn’t fully understand the people, relationships and power around me.
It was a difficult lesson, and one of the most valuable. So I learnt to read them.
Doing the work got me noticed.Reading people got me promoted.
Over the next three decades, my career took me across industries, cultures and 24 countries, eventually into the global C-suite in London.
Even at the top, it was rarely the work that kept me awake at 3am. It was the people dynamics. The higher you rise, the more your success depends on reading people well.
At 41, I attended Harvard Business School, studying alongside executives from 49 countries. I arrived with years of leadership experience and left with an even greater appreciation for how much we can learn from people whose lives and perspectives are different from our own.
I’ve worked with everyone from smallholder farmers and suppliers to customers, colleagues, CEOs and boards.
Some people opened doors for me. Others taught me lessons I didn’t know I needed. Both shaped who I am today.
THE HIGHER YOU CLIMB
There’s something about standing on a mountain that changes your perspective.
You learn to observe, to respect the conditions, to trust your judgement and to value the people beside you.
I’ve found leadership is much the same.
The higher you climb, the more complex the terrain becomes. The decisions carry greater consequences. Trust matters more. So does knowing yourself and understanding others.
No matter how high you go, you never stop learning.
WHAT I BELIEVE
I’ve seen what happens when leaders make people feel valued, capable and trusted. I’ve also seen the damage when they don’t.
For me, leadership is about bringing out the best in others while having the courage and judgement to make difficult decisions. It’s why I believe so deeply in human intelligence.
Human intelligence creates connection. Connection builds relationships. Relationships create influence. Influence drives performance.
I advise
I work with CEOs and leadership teams on people, B2B customer strategy, relationships and business performance.
Having led procurement, global supply chains and manufacturing operations, I’ve experienced business from supplier negotiations to customer relationships and leadership development.
I understand the commercial pressures, but I also understand the human decisions behind them.
Today, I bring that experience to advisory work, supported by professional affiliates where complementary expertise is valuable.
I speak
Throughout my career, I’ve spoken on more than 65 stages.
Today, my keynotes explore leadership, human intelligence, connection, relationships and influence.
I share real stories from a life and career shaped by different cultures, extraordinary people, difficult decisions and unexpected lessons.
I want audiences to recognise something of themselves in those stories — and to leave inspired, better equipped to understand others and more confident about the leader they can become.
I write
I’ve been fortunate to have people who believed in me, challenged me and helped me grow.
I’ve also misread people, trusted too quickly and learnt that good intentions don’t always protect us from difficult situations.
So I wrote Read People Before They Read You, a book that gives people dynamics a vocabulary and clear strategies, and created The Invisible Games of Corporate Power playbooks to put them into practice.
I write to help people become more observant, discerning and confident about the people and decisions that shape their careers.
WHY THE FOX?
On Mount Fuji, the idea for my next chapter began taking shape.
In Japan, the fox is associated with prosperity. In London, it has learnt to thrive in a changing environment. I admire its ability to observe, adapt and know when to move.
For me, the fox represents thoughtful judgement, resilience and the wisdom to protect what matters. That’s the inspiration behind Golden Fox House.
Think like a fox. Protect what you’ve worked for. Thrive.
LET’S CONNECT
If you’ve ever worked hard and wondered why it wasn’t enough, struggled to understand someone’s behaviour or wanted to build stronger relationships, I hope you’ll find something here that helps.
If you’re leading others, I hope my experiences remind you of the difference you can make in someone’s life.
— Linda
