As organisations navigate constant disruption, from digital transformation to post M&A integration, the ability to align people, purpose, and performance has become a defining leadership challenge. Margaret Jaouadi speaks with Emma Shaughnessy, an experienced Board Director and transformation leader, now working with businesses to drive successful change, unlock the value of culture as a measurable asset, and accelerate results through objective external insight. She shares practical advice on identifying and engaging the right external expertise, integrating it effectively, and communicating its value internally so that the transformation feels owned rather than imposed.
Special thanks go to Rupert Haffenden, Associate Director and Head of Energy Sector at Pacific International, for introducing Emma Shaughnessy to Margaret Jaouadi.
Margaret Jaouadi
You have led organisations through disruption, integrations, and reinventions. When you look back, what distinguishes the transformations that truly succeed from those that stalled?
Emma Shaughnessy
There are always basic hygiene factors in any transformation. You need a solid plan, the right resources, and people who are capable of delivering the change. Those are essential, but they do not ultimately determine success.
The single biggest factor I have seen, both positively and negatively, is aligned leadership. When leadership is aligned, transformation moves faster and delivers stronger outcomes. When it is not, even the best plans tend to stall.
Alignment means leaders share a clear understanding of the need for change, what they are trying to achieve, and why it has to happen now. They need to be united on the level of urgency and on the impact the transformation will have on the business, whether that is driving growth or right-sizing the organisation. Everyone has to be clear on the purpose and confident in the direction.
Where transformations struggle is when alignment is only superficial. You may have leaders who quietly disagree, individuals whose personal ambitions get in the way, or people who feel their views were never properly heard. They say they are aligned, but their actions tell a different story. The organisation then receives mixed messages, and momentum is lost.
When leadership is genuinely aligned, communication is consistent, decisions are clearer, and the organisation sees a united front. That unity builds trust, creates momentum, and increases the likelihood that the transformation will succeed.
Margaret Jaouadi
How do you recognise a lack of leadership alignment in practice, and what signs should organisations look for?
Emma Shaughnessy
The first step is listening carefully to the organisation. It may sound old-fashioned, but having an open-door approach and keeping your ear to the ground really matters.
One of the clearest signs of misalignment is when different parts of the organisation move at different speeds. You might see one area pushing forward with real momentum while another is slower, more hesitant, or quietly resistant. That imbalance often points to differences in leadership alignment behind the scenes.
Another sign is where dissenting voices or repeated challenges consistently come from a particular area or leadership group. Those voices should be listened to carefully because they often highlight genuine concerns or unresolved disagreements. But it can indicate that one or two leaders are not fully aligned with the direction, while others are actively driving the transformation forward.
Recognising these signals early allows leaders to bring concerns into the open and rebuild a shared understanding before the transformation loses traction.
Margaret Jaouadi
Cultural change is often described as the hardest part of transformation. What makes culture tangible, something leaders can actually manage and measure rather than describe?
Emma Shaughnessy
It is a great question because culture is often something leaders are asked to manage, but it can feel intangible and difficult to grasp. I was reading something recently that described culture as almost like trying to catch smoke. Every organisation has a culture, whether intentionally shaped or not, and the challenge is to make it visible and measurable.
Some specialist tools and organisations can provide clear metrics and be extremely valuable. But even without those, the key is taking time to explore what people actually experience and believe, not just what is written down. Quite often, leaders describe culture in terms of the values on the walls or the leadership principles they want the organisation to embody. In many cases, however, there is a gap between what is written, what people experience, and what they truly believe.
For example, an organisation might say that every opinion is valued. In reality, people may sit in meetings and see only one or two voices dominating. Over time, the deeper belief becomes that speaking up is risky and that challenging ideas may lead to being shut down. That underlying belief is the real culture, and it is often very different from the stated one.
In such situations, an independent perspective can be powerful. An external voice can gather honest feedback and relay it to leadership in a constructive, objective way. That clarity helps organisations see their real culture rather than the one they believe they have.
The final piece is intention. Leaders need to be clear about what they want the culture to achieve, whether that is reducing attrition, improving engagement, or strengthening collaboration. Once there is a clear purpose, culture becomes measurable and trackable, and that is when organisations create the greatest and most lasting transformation.
Margaret Jaouadi
Whose responsibility is it to maintain culture over time, and how should leaders handle the small behaviours or standards that start to slip?
Emma Shaughnessy
Culture cannot be delegated away from the CEO or the leadership team. A CEO cannot hand it to HR and expect them to fix it. HR can provide tools and advice, but ownership sits with the most senior leaders, and they all need to be aligned on the culture they want to create.
At the same time, in organisations where culture is deeply embedded, everyone takes responsibility for maintaining it. I worked in an organisation where one of the core values was all colleagues, one team. People could not say that something was not their job. Colleagues would actively support each other and reinforce that shared value. That kind of peer accountability is a sign of a mature and healthy culture, but it always starts with leadership setting the tone.
One of the biggest risks leaders face is tolerating behaviour that delivers strong business results but undermines the culture. A leader may see someone performing well commercially, but if their behaviour damages trust or collaboration, it slowly weakens the culture. Addressing that requires courage and clarity about what the organisation stands for.
Culture has to be intentional. If leaders do not actively nurture it, a culture will still exist; it may just not be the one they want. The key is to focus on a few meaningful cultural practices and protect them. Consistency keeps the culture strong and ensures trust does not fade as pressures increase.
Margaret Jaouadi
What advantages does an external perspective bring to transformation and cultural change?
Emma Shaughnessy
The first advantage is the ability to see the organisation with fresh eyes. You are not shaped by the history, relationships, or internal dynamics that influence how people think and act. That allows you to ask more open and objective questions.
Another important advantage is impartiality. You are there for a defined period with a clear purpose. Internal stakeholders, even with the best intentions, can sometimes be perceived as having their own agenda. An external perspective removes that concern because there is no personal agenda beyond the organisation’s objectives. That makes it easier to build trust and openness.
There is also less fear of long-term consequences. Employees understand that an external consultant will gather insights, provide recommendations, and then step away. That creates space for more candid conversations and a clearer understanding of what is really happening.
Margaret Jaouadi
Sometimes history and legacy are essential to a company’s identity. A good example is Burberry, where leadership revived the brand by going back to its roots and reinforcing its British heritage. How do you ensure that an external perspective respects and strengthens what makes an organisation unique?
Emma Shaughnessy
It is a really important point. When I go into a business, I am not only looking at what needs improvement. I am also focused on understanding what must not be lost. That balance is critical.
I always start by asking two simple but powerful questions. What is great about your organisation and what works really well? And what is not working optimally? The risk with any external intervention is focusing only on what is broken and unintentionally removing the very things that made the organisation successful in the first place.
Every organisation has grown and developed for a reason. There are differentiators, strengths, and cultural elements that have driven its success. If those are not understood and protected, you can end up stripping the business of its essence. Transformation should build on what is strong, not erase it.
A key part of the role is getting to the root cause of issues rather than addressing symptoms. Without deeper exploration, it is easy to fix the wrong problem. An external voice can ask the difficult questions, look beneath the surface, and help leaders understand what is really driving the issue.
Margaret Jaouadi
You have worked with governments, investors, trade unions, boards, and employees. How do you align such different stakeholders around a single change agenda when their interests can be very different?
Emma Shaughnessy
It would be unrealistic to say this is easy. My philosophy is not to be afraid of conflict. By conflict, I do not mean confrontation or hostility. Even in challenging environments such as working with trade unions, conversations are rarely aggressive. What matters is creating space for healthy and constructive disagreement.
Where stakeholder alignment often breaks down is when organisations avoid the most difficult conversations. Those concerns have to be brought to the table and genuinely listened to. Even when you do not agree with a particular perspective, there is usually something valuable in it, and understanding that builds trust.
The most effective transformations occur when diverse stakeholders work together to shape the solution. Some level of compromise is usually necessary. The focus should be on finding common ground first, then working through the areas of disagreement and agreeing on how to mitigate negative impacts as much as possible.
The key is to ask the obvious and sometimes uncomfortable questions early. Instead of trying to push a change through, leaders should actively invite challenge and critique. Once the real issues are visible, it becomes much easier to find solutions, build alignment, and move forward with a shared understanding.
Margaret Jaouadi
For leaders managing large-scale transformations today, often without the luxury of time, budget, or full resourcing, what practical lessons have proved most valuable?
Emma Shaughnessy
This is a very real scenario for many organisations today. Change is no longer a one-off initiative. It has become part of day-to-day business, and many organisations are trying to manage multiple transformations simultaneously, often with limited resources.
The first practical lesson is focus. Leaders need to be very clear about which changes matter most and which will deliver the greatest value. Not every initiative deserves the same level of attention. Prioritisation is essential because spreading effort across too many initiatives quickly leads to fatigue and diluted results.
The second is building a compelling narrative. People need to understand why the change is happening, why it is urgent, and what success will look like. Without that clarity, change feels like an additional burden and progress slows. You can force change through, but when people are genuinely behind the direction, momentum builds naturally.
Another important factor is clarity of expectations. In many organisations, change is delivered alongside day jobs. Leaders need to be honest about time and capacity. If people are expected to deliver change, they also need to know what they can stop doing. Deciding what to deprioritise is one of the hardest but most necessary conversations.
Embedding change into individual and team objectives is also critical. If transformation is treated as something people will do when they have spare time, it will never happen. When it becomes part of performance objectives, it is taken seriously and consistently progressed.
In fast-moving environments, simplicity and discipline keep transformation on track. Focus on the most important changes, communicate clearly, create space for people to deliver, and keep the fundamentals strong.
Margaret Jaouadi
More leaders are recognising the importance of neuroscience in transformation. If change runs counter to how the brain responds to uncertainty and fear, it is unlikely to succeed. How important is this human and psychological dimension?
Emma Shaughnessy
It is extremely important because change naturally triggers fear and uncertainty. It taps into the basic fight-or-flight response, asking people to move away from what they know and step into the unfamiliar. That emotional reaction is often at the heart of resistance to change.
That is why it is so important to bring concerns into the open. When people share their worries, leaders often find that they can address many of them through clear information, reassurance, or practical solutions. Creating space for open discussion reduces anxiety and builds trust.
Effective leaders also adapt their style. Some employees need a clear, big-picture view and a strong sense of direction, while others need detailed explanations of what will change in their day-to-day work. The focus should be on what individuals need to hear to feel confident and engaged.
Transformation is ultimately about helping people move through the change curve at their own pace. Recognising these differences and responding to them thoughtfully helps leaders bring people along the journey rather than pushing them through it.
Margaret Jaouadi
As part of the processes you set up, do you build in feedback loops?
Emma Shaughnessy
Absolutely. Feedback loops are critical. Often, when you are brought into an organisation, you are asked to solve one specific problem. But as you work, other issues emerge, and the scope can expand naturally. Without structured feedback, it is easy to miss important signals.
Feedback needs to come from multiple directions. You need to check in with the stakeholders who hired you, but equally important is gathering feedback from the people you are engaging with directly. Regularly checking the mood and sentiment across all affected groups lets you adjust your approach and address emerging concerns before they block progress. A transformation will stall quickly if leaders rely solely on feedback from the commissioning stakeholder and ignore the wider organisation’s reactions.
Margaret Jaouadi
What is the typical time frame for managing or implementing change through your consultancy?
Emma Shaughnessy
The time frame varies depending on the organisation’s needs and the scope of the work. I usually work on a part-time basis on any given project, perhaps one, two, or three days a week. Full-time involvement is rarely necessary because access to executives and key decision makers is what matters most, and they have other responsibilities alongside the change.
Some projects are relatively short, perhaps around 20 days of engagement to review a situation and provide recommendations. Others are longer. I have recently been working with a European client on a six-month project spanning multiple phases of strategic oversight and hands-on support. The engagement is always bespoke and tailored to what the organisation needs.
Margaret Jaouadi
Many leaders know they need outside support but struggle with when and how to bring it in. What is the best way to evaluate external expertise, and how should leaders communicate the purpose of that partnership internally?
Emma Shaughnessy
I believe the first step is to keep it informal. You do not need to start with a formal request for proposal. Pick up the phone and speak directly with experts in the area you are interested in. An experienced external adviser can help you clarify exactly what you need and may highlight things you had not considered.
I usually recommend speaking to a few different potential partners and assessing not just their expertise but whether they fit culturally with your organisation. A highly formal consultant in a casual, informal environment can unintentionally create anxiety or resistance. Gather references and ask about their style, approach, and delivery.
Internally, transparency is essential. Explain why the external partner is there, what they have been asked to do, who they need to work with, and how they will report progress. Agree on the messaging with the partner before they start, so everyone is aligned. Introductions should be soft and personal. Simple, clear communication builds trust, reduces uncertainty, and ensures the partnership adds value from the start.
Margaret Jaouadi
Can you give examples of the real impact you have made at organisations, including commercial results?
Emma Shaughnessy
The impact can be phenomenal when you align your work with the business strategy. I focus on connecting transformation initiatives directly to organisational goals, which is where the real results happen.
For example, I worked with an organisation that needed to change its strategy because its market was declining. My role was to help them think through how the organisation should be structured, what skills and capabilities were required, and what teams needed to be in place. The result was a 35% increase in profits before interest and tax.
Other examples include driving growth by aligning the organisation more closely with customer needs. In one case, we enabled teams to pursue new revenue streams that had previously been inaccessible, simply by restructuring commercial teams and clarifying their focus. Within a few months, this delivered millions in additional revenue.
Impact can also come from cost optimisation. The key is ensuring that any change is directly tied to business objectives. When you get that alignment right, the results are tangible and measurable.
Margaret Jaouadi
As part of your work, do you evaluate leadership readiness or assess the skills available within the company?
Emma Shaughnessy
Yes. The approach I take is what I call capabilities-led. It starts with the business strategy. We ask: what capabilities does this organisation need to deliver value consistently? By capabilities, I mean the functions, processes, and behaviours the business must execute well, not the skills of any individual.
Once we understand the required capabilities, we compare them to what currently exists to identify gaps. These gaps are not always about individual underperformance. Sometimes they exist because no one has previously been asked to fulfil that capability, or because processes and structures have not enabled it. Based on that, I assess leadership readiness by determining whether leaders can drive change and fill the roles needed to achieve the organisation’s strategic objectives.
Margaret Jaouadi
Before we finish, is there anything else you would like to add?
Emma Shaughnessy
The most important point is this: do not make changes for change’s sake. It is essential to understand what an organisation is truly trying to achieve and then diagnose what really needs to change. Too often, people ask for help with an issue that seems obvious on the surface. They might say their sales team is underperforming, or revenue is not growing fast enough.
The real cause may not lie with individuals. It could be workflows, decision-making processes, or cultural factors, such as a lack of knowledge sharing. If you only address the symptom, you will never solve the underlying problem. Like a good doctor, you have to identify the root cause and fix that. When you do it well, the results can deliver real business value.
Margaret Jaouadi
That is exactly where an external perspective brings value. You have a zoomed-out view of the business and are not caught up in the day-to-day pressures.
Emma Shaughnessy
Exactly. As an external adviser, your primary focus is on the transformation being delivered. Executives are juggling multiple priorities every day, so having someone whose role is dedicated solely to diagnosing and solving the problem lets you dig deep quickly and get to the heart of the issues. Even a short period of focused attention can uncover insights and drive meaningful change.
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