ACP Consulting

31/08/2026

"Knowing my PRINT profile and learning about my triggers."

"The report felt very accurate and applicable to both work and life."

"Understanding the motivators of others to work with them better."

These are just a few of the reflections from our recent PRINT® workshop with the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.

One of the things we love most about PRINT® is that it goes beyond describing behaviour. It helps people understand why they behave the way they do, what motivates them, what happens when they're under pressure, and how they can build stronger relationships at work.

Our participants told us they left with greater self-awareness, a better understanding of their teammates, and practical strategies they could apply immediately in both their work and personal lives.

A huge thank you to ACP Coach Nicole Heffernan, and the team at DWER for your openness, curiosity and willingness to lean into the conversations.

24/08/2026

Grit Doesn't Just Happen. Great Leaders Grow It.

Angela Duckworth's research made one idea famous: grit is one of the strongest predictors of success.

Not IQ. Not talent. Not even EQ on its own.

It's grit — the combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals.

If grit matters this much, what's the role of a leader? Can we actually help our people become grittier?

I believe we can.

At ACP, we define grit as the ability to keep showing up when the outcome isn't immediate. Research suggests it isn't fixed. It can be strengthened.

The question is how.

Many leaders respond to struggle by motivating, advising or solving. But what if the more powerful response was to coach?

Coaching doesn't remove the challenge. It helps people build the internal capacity to move through it.

When leaders ask thoughtful questions instead of supplying answers, something shifts. People reconnect with their reasons for continuing. They remember how far they've come. They focus on the next small milestone instead of the whole journey.

Instead of relying on external motivation, they build internal conviction. That's where grit grows.

The leaders who build the most resilient teams aren't the ones with all the answers. They're the ones who create space for reflection.

They ask:

→ What's kept you going so far?
→ Why does this goal still matter to you?
→ What's the next step within your control?
→ What will achieving this make possible?

These aren't just coaching questions. They're grit-building questions.

At ACP, this is a core reason we teach leaders to coach. https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?fbclid=IwVERDUATE-TZwZG9mAWZkaWQWUKnPLqi29VfrYOm_bQT28KGQx_DBDmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7kGa6j2h9M41887k3Rs9z7eoGKK3jtdao3SoecJzew0egpameO4U9uds9U9g_aem_K8ks0Vs-nlm_XCwBXcvaNQ

Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn't the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of "grit" as a predicto...

17/08/2026

Growing a business takes more than technical expertise, it takes intentional leadership.

Recently, we had the privilege of partnering with the team at Accord Plumbing & Gas () , a proudly family-owned business led by two brothers who have continued building on the legacy their father started more than 35 years ago.

Their growth over recent years is an incredible success story, but what impressed us most wasn't the size of the business; it was the genuine care Ian and Pete have for their people and their commitment to creating a workplace where communication, trust and accountability continue to grow alongside the business.

Together, we explored how pressure influences behaviour, how stronger communication builds stronger relationships, and co-created The Accord Way – a set of behavioural commitments that will help bring their values to life every day.

Congratulations to the entire Accord team on what you've built so far. We look forward to watching the next chapter unfold.

10/08/2026

We really enjoyed partnering with the team at Glide Accounting () as they entered an exciting new chapter of growth following an acquisition.

It's inspiring to see a female founder grow her business from just three people three years ago to a team of nine today. Together, we co-created The Glide Way—a behavioural framework defining not just what they value, but what those values look like in practice.

A highlight was participants rating 4.56/5 for gaining a better understanding of how their individual role contributes to the success of the whole business, with many committing to practical actions such as taking greater ownership, being more proactive, supporting colleagues and communicating more openly in their day-to-day work.

03/08/2026

Most leaders spend their days on the dance floor.

Responding to emails. Solving problems. Managing stakeholders. Supporting teams. Making decisions. Navigating constant competing demands.

But strategy rarely emerges from the dance floor. It emerges from the balcony.

Recently, we had the privilege of facilitating a reset discussion for the senior leadership team of a leading government agency — the first time in a long while these leaders had come together to pause, take stock, and step off the dance floor of the everyday.

One of the most important responsibilities of leadership is knowing when to step onto the balcony: to gather perspectives from different vantage points, see the bigger picture, and then return to the dance floor with clarity.

As we explored the tension between operational demands and strategic leadership, a recurring theme emerged. Everyone recognised the importance of strategic thinking — but very few felt they had the space to do it.

Naming that, together, was powerful. Once it's collectively seen and agreed, the readiness for change in rituals and structures begins to take shape.

In high performance, we understand that recovery isn't the opposite of performance — it's part of it. The same is true for leadership. Teams need intentional space to pause, reflect, integrate learning, strengthen relationships, and reconnect with collective purpose.

Those balcony moments are what allow us to see patterns instead of problems, systems instead of symptoms, and opportunities instead of obstacles.

So if we expect our leaders to be strategic, adaptive and future-focused, we have to ask:

What space are they preserving to think? And do they have room, as a team, to really think together?

Perhaps one of the most strategic investments an organisation can make is creating the conditions for its leaders to occasionally step away from the dance floor.

27/07/2026

Two fantastic workshops with the Orway team exploring how technical experts can strengthen their influence, navigate resistance, and better support clients through change.

When the team approached us looking to build their consultants' capability to gain buy-in to recommendations and support clients to sustain change long after the final report is delivered, we felt incredibly aligned to the challenge. After all, that's exactly what we help our clients do every day.

It was a pleasure to share practical tools and insights around how a coaching approach to consulting can reduce resistance, increase ownership, and ultimately improve implementation outcomes.

20/07/2026

ACP Consult was proud to be part of the conversation at the Australian Institute of Training & Development () event in Brisbane in May, exploring how we can design more brain-friendly work and learning environments.

It was a privilege for our Co-Founder & Director, an, to share the stage alongside a, Johnston, and Mitchell, with thoughtful moderation from .

One of the strongest themes from the day was the clear shift away from static, standalone workshops toward more intentional on-the-job learning, coaching, and embedded development approaches, something we’re incredibly encouraged to see continuing across the industry.

A big thank you to the Australian Institute of Training & Development for hosting such meaningful discussions, and to J Campbell for having us. With more than 300 minds in the room, it was an energising day filled with insight, curiosity, and forward-thinking conversations.

17/07/2026

We're skipping for our daughter Adeline, and we'd love you to join us.

This August, our family is taking on the 100 Skips a Day Challenge to raise funds for Jeans for Genes Australia and support life-changing research into rare genetic conditions like CDKL5. For families like ours, research isn't just a concept. It's hope. With gene therapy now closer than ever, every person who joins our team helps bring us one step closer to better treatments and, one day, a cure.
Joining is simple:
👟 Sign up via the form on link in our bio
💙 Select team "100 Skips for Adeline"

13/07/2026

Two days. One leadership team. Plenty of honest conversations.

Recently, we had the privilege of working with the Americas leadership team at Lycopodium as they reflected on what leadership, culture and collaboration need to look like to support the next phase of growth.

The discussions were candid, practical and future-focused, resulting in clear priorities and actions to strengthen alignment, decision-making and organisational effectiveness at scale.

Growth is exciting. Leading through it well is where the real work begins.

06/07/2026

A really special way to close out 9 months of our Leader as Coach program with this crew.

People are often skeptical that we can ask a room full of engineers, project leaders and technical experts questions like:

- The leader I am choosing to be…

- What I am letting go of…

- The support I ask for…

…and not be met with blank stares and awkward silence.

But we are always delighted to hear the honesty, vulnerability, humility and some incredibly thoughtful conversations about leadership, culture and growth.

Because the reality is: technical people are still people.

And technically led organisations don’t just need smarter systems; they need emotionally intelligent leadership capability.

Some of the themes that emerged:

- Moving from “fixing and firefighting” toward coaching and empowerment

- Creating cultures where people feel trusted, accountable and safe to grow

- Letting go of perfectionism, over-functioning and needing to carry everything personally

- Building leadership depth and succession for the future

- Learning to lead with both high standards and humanity

- Recognising that sustainable high performance requires psychological safety, connection and honest conversations

- Understanding that leadership is less about having all the answers, and more about creating the conditions for others to thrive

Grateful to facilitate this alongside

The quality of leadership in a business rarely happens by accident. It’s built conversation by conversation, reflection by reflection, and through leaders willing to do the inner work, not just the operational work.