Writing and reflection
Essays and reflections on law, public service, technology, education and civil society, and on the connections between them.
These articles bring together personal essays, professional reflections and observations drawn from a working life spanning law, technology, education, justice, governance and civil society.
The pieces are less formal than my academic and professional publications. They provide space to explore the experiences behind the appointments and institutions recorded elsewhere on this site: the people who shaped my thinking, the unexpected connections between different parts of a career, and the lessons that emerge only after a little distance and reflection.
Some articles consider judgement and decision-making: how difficult choices are approached, what experience contributes and why certainty is often elusive. Others are concerned with professional identity, institutional life, education, ceremony, kindness and the influence of people whose contribution can easily pass unnoticed.
These are essays rather than definitive answers. They are written for a general audience and are intended to be readable without specialist knowledge. Some begin with a particular event or memory; others develop from a question encountered through public service, charitable work or professional life.
The collection will continue to grow as further pieces are written and earlier material is revisited. A broader personal account of the connections between the different parts of my working life can be found in my longer-form biography, Connected, not planned.
Academic journal articles, books and other formal publications are listed separately on the publications page.
September 2026
6 minute read
A reflection on thirty years of trusteeship: the value of challenge, the discipline of good decision-making and why a smooth board meeting is not necessarily the sign of a well-run charity.
July 2026
9 minute read
What was it like to return to College after four decades and meet up with the people who shared my student years? Reflections on my 40th anniversary reunion dinner at St John’s College, Cambridge.
April 2026
4 minute read
Reflections on judgement, education and the habits of thought that help us navigate uncertainty.
April 2025
4 minute read
Some of the best leaders I’ve known have been the quiet ones: people who listen, make space for others and understand that leadership isn’t always about being the person at the front.