The definition of insanity...

As the leader of the Utilities Practice at Douglas Jackson, I’m often approached by CEOs, COOs, and CPOs with pressing questions:

• How can we make our business more attractive?

• How do we foster diverse thinking at the Board, Executive, and Leadership levels?

• How do we ensure gender equality as opportunities for progression arise?

• How do we drive innovation?

• How can we achieve ambitious growth targets?

These are big questions, and the answer is simple: To get different results, you must do things differently.

Breaking the Cycle of "The Same"

If I had a pound for every time someone told me, "Holly, I didn’t think of that," or shared their surprise when a new perspective opened their eyes, I’d be quite well-off. The “aha” moments are plentiful, but they come when leaders step out of their comfort zones and embrace new approaches.

As Albert Einstein wisely said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

This applies not only to your business strategy but also to how—and whom—you hire. Expecting transformational outcomes while repeating traditional hiring practices is a recipe for stagnation.

Rethink How You Hire

Let’s face it: past approaches to hiring have often involved one of the following strategies:

• Posting bland, generic job ads that fail to resonate with top-tier talent.

• Over-promoting internal candidates who might not perform as hoped.

• Playing it safe with risk-averse choices, banking on incremental improvements.

• Relying on familiar faces or individuals from your existing network.

While these methods sometimes yield satisfactory results, can you honestly say you’ve secured the best person for the role? Can you confidently predict that they will exceed expectations and drive growth?

Or, as is often the case:

• You settle for "better the devil you know"—choosing someone who performs adequately but falls short of transformational impact.

• You cling to "we’ve always done it this way"—resisting change even as opportunities slip by.

The Case for Change

In recent years, businesses that have dared to disrupt the status quo have reaped remarkable rewards. These organisations are:

• Growing revenue faster than their competitors.

• Diversifying client bases to reduce risk.

• Enhancing customer experiences (CX).

• Streamlining operations to focus on profitable areas.

• Replacing underperformers with individuals who drive real value.

Change is hard, but the proof is undeniable: bold moves lead to exceptional outcomes.

Where Do You Start?

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering: how can we make this happen? That’s where I come in.

I take a “professionally nosy” approach—asking the right questions to truly understand your business. Together, we’ll explore:

1. Your starting point: What’s working, what isn’t, and how you got here.

2. Your vision: Where you want to be and the milestones you hope to achieve.

3. The gaps: What’s missing, and what needs to change to bridge the divide.

Then, we’ll craft a tailored plan to achieve your goals—refining and adapting as we go. Working with an agile, boutique consultancy allows me to deliver a bespoke experience that aligns with your unique needs.

Why Choose a Different Path?

With years of experience, I’ve seen what works—and what doesn’t. My mission is to help businesses avoid common pitfalls and unlock their full potential. Whether you need to:

• Attract diverse, high-performing leadership talent.

• Transform your recruitment strategy.

• Reimagine what’s possible for your business.

I can guide you toward success.

Let's Talk...

If you’re ready to break free from outdated practices and explore how doing things differently can drive exceptional results, let’s have a conversation. Together, we’ll uncover what’s possible—and turn ambitious ideas into reality.

I help CEOs, COOs, CPOs, HRDs and business leaders improve the diversity, success and retention of their new C Suite, Executive and leadership hires across the Utilities sector, providing recruitment consultancy and Executive Search services. Helping you deliver a much-improved performance and ROI. If you would like to talk more about your unique challenges and to see if I might be a future resource for you, book a call here.