TableNetwork

**What’s the Best Leadership Style? 🧐**
💡 What does science say?
Two visionary leaders can have two completely different styles. Just look at Steve Jobs and Bill Gates—there’s no one-size-fits-all method to leadership; both achieved monumental success.
But when it comes to what actually works best…

📚 Through 🚀
A comprehensive review of 139 studies published in Psychological Bulletin found that people flourish when they’re given the freedom to determine how to achieve their goals.

I’ve often done this, and it works.
✅ Hire someone for their values and motivation
✅ Show them the ‘End in mind’
✅ Let them propose their job description

When leaders connect individuals to the purpose of their work and offer flexibility in how it’s done, those doing run at full pelt, and everyone benefits.

Science finds that by offering autonomy:
✅ People are more likely to share ideas
✅ Collaboration and teamwork thrive
✅ Motivation remains high

In contrast, controlling or micromanaging individuals leads to the opposite effect:
❌ Less cooperation
❌ More dissatisfaction

Even Amazon’s recent decision to require employees back in the office five days a week contradicts this research.
How’s that likely to go?
Not well, if autonomy is key to motivation.

👪 This doesn’t just apply to the workplace either.
Studies show that when children are raised by parents who provide autonomy rather than control…
The children are:
✅ Happier
✅ Less anxious
✅ More independent
I’ve experience of that too, and it also works.

The takeaway?
This is fundamental to human psychology.
Whether you’re leading a business or raising kids, giving people the freedom to own their work leads to better results.

💬 What’s your leadership style?
Do you empower your team or prefer a hands-on approach?

If you have challenges here, speak to me, or join one of TableNetwork's BrainSTORMs 🤯

🔮 What’s coming next in your field?
If you don’t know…
Ask the right individuals 👥

We’re all striving to stay ahead of the curve, and one of the best methods to do that is by consulting those who already have a pulse on the future of your sector.
Or those who view the industry with a different lens. 👀

Here’s how to make the most of your next meeting:
✅ What trends do you see influencing the future of this area?
✅ Where do you find motivation or new ideas?

Great leaders don’t just adapt—they foresee and prepare.
The more insights you can gather from your network, the better equipped you’ll be to navigate the future. 🌐

Speaking with the right individuals regularly is a habit of many leaders.

Speak to mentors. 🗣️
Be cautious—mentors all have their own agendas.

Some are like parasites—they want the recurring income.
The more dependent they can make you, the better.

💡 My own agenda?
To part ways with my clients as soon as possible 😱
Real leaders get bored quickly, and I’d prefer to help you progress before that happens to either of us.
So if you want a long-term relationship with me, you’d better be advancing! 🏃‍♂️

In my experience… honestly...
🤝 The right peer group is the best answer.
Peers with different skillsets and mindsets broaden our perspectives.
People we trust and who understand us can help the most.
That’s why we started TableNetwork.

🤯 Look for individuals who you can gain perspective from…

💡 A single coffee chat can open doors to trends, opportunities, and insights that you may not even be aware of yet.

💬 What trends do you think will have the biggest impact on your industry?

Navigating Obstacles with a BrainSTORM 🤯
Every entrepreneur encounters challenges.
But you don’t have to face them alone…

At TableNetwork’s BrainSTORM 🤯 sessions, we unite business owners to present their challenges for collective advice and solutions in a true mastermind. 💡

🔍 TableNetwork can be the key to overcoming your business obstacles.
Our mindset is that we are all , and all our activities are designed to bring you fresh insights from those who’ve been in your position.

Our community is a collaborative space where you can share and learn from the experiences of others.

🛠️ What challenges do you confront, and how will you tackle them?
🛠️ What guidance would you offer for handling difficulties?

When you share your challenges, you’re opening yourself up to invaluable insights from people who’ve already navigated similar scenarios.

Often, the solution is just one great idea away—and it’s most likely to come from a fellow business leader.

Other founders can provide you fresh perspectives and solutions you hadn’t considered.

💡 By building a strong network, you’re not just gaining connections—you’re acquiring valuable tools to help you progress.

💬 What business challenge would you bring to the table? Let’s brainstorm together.

🔄 Evolving Your Pitch

How to Stand Out Without Standing Still 🚀

In the world of sales, standing out is crucial. But in a rapidly changing market, we need to adjust.
The challenge is being unique while remaining flexible.

I work with many start-ups and founders, and I’m known for my ability to help with strategic insight, especially when a pivot is required. 💡

One founder came to me for assistance. They had carved out a unique niche in their industry. Their pitch was strong, well-differentiated, and resonated with their target audience. But as the market transformed, so did the competition. 🔄
Suddenly, what made them unique wasn’t sufficient.

I helped them realize this and to unstick themselves from the rigidity of what had worked previously. They made a transitional shift.
They adjusted their pitch to reflect the changing landscape, incorporating new insights and feedback from recent interactions.
By evolving their message, they stayed ahead of the curve and once again stood out in a crowded field. 💬

And their sales? 💰
They not only recovered; they excelled beyond expectations because they were now leading the field. And the message was clear—they listened to their customer feedback.

✅ Differentiate:
Know what makes you distinctive and make it the cornerstone of your pitch. Specialization is key to standing out.

✅ Adapt:
Don’t be afraid to evolve. The market changes, and so should your pitch. Waiting for perfection will only hold you back—start pitching and refine along the way.

The members of TableNetwork collaborate together to help each other with positioning, pitching, and all things founders could do with refining.

The key to a successful pitch isn’t just being different—it’s being different in a way that’s relevant and responsive to the market, your customers, and their wants and needs. 🎯

💬 How do you ensure your pitch stays fresh and relevant in a changing market?

🤔 Are Your Prompts Overloading ChatGPT?
ChatGPT’s latest model, OpenAI o1, is a whole new beast. It doesn’t just answer - it reasons. Are you leveraging the way it’s been designed? 😶

OpenAI have released guidelines to get the most out of OpenAI o1. I asked ChatGPT about them, and it agrees. They will deliver the best results.

So…

Here’s how to get the best out of the new ChatGPT:

✅ Keep It Simple
When prompting, clarity is crucial. Long, formal instructions are out. Short, clear prompts are in. Just like a senior leader, ChatGPT understands the context.

🛠️ Let It Think for Itself
You don’t need to outline every step. Ask the question and let the AI figure out the rest—just like a capable team member managing a task without micromanagement.

✂️ Split Your Instructions
Just as you wouldn’t dump too much info on someone at once, break your instructions into segments. Use headers, dashes, or line breaks to help ChatGPT follow along.

🚦 Don’t Overload It
Less is more. Don’t feed the model excessive details—it’ll just slow things down. Focus on what matters most and let the AI handle the rest.

💡 If you want faster, more precise responses from ChatGPT, it’s time to rethink how you prompt. Adapting to this new way of prompting can be the difference between waiting and winning.

💬 What’s your biggest challenge with AI?
How are you evolving your prompting game?

Join TableNetwork for BrainSTORM 🤯 tomorrow. AI is bound to come up in the discussion.

Just like a Freddie Kruger movie... 😱
The Bill is back to HAUNT YOUR DREAMS! 👻
Landlords may want to check out my blog on the Renters Rights Bill...

See how it contrasts with the Renters Reform Bill that the last Government discarded at the 11th hour. 🕚

I'm sure many Tory backbenchers are currently drowning their sorrows. 🍺

They'll be regretting that they didn't advance their own bill. 🙈

D-Day is set for 2025, so if you need to sell, act fast. ⏰

But the market might falter for anything even slightly lettable, so if you need someone to manage it until you can get a better price, talk to us at TableNetwork. 📉

We have plenty of investors in our community who aren’t rattled by the Bill. A solid business can still thrive. 💼

If it's in the right spot, I'll even take it myself! 😎

The blog is here for some nighttime reading:
https://lnkd.in/e-qJWW44

What makes a founder different from a manager? 🧐
It’s the willingness to focus fully on the goals you’ve set for yourself and your team. And to live by the goals alone!
This isn’t just an idea—it’s a reality. Founders build something from scratch, while managers usually handle what others have already created.

- Do Whatever It Takes 🚀

While in Boston with CEOs and fund managers from the UK property sector, I talked about founder mindset with Richard Jackson, founder of Apache Capital and Moda Living. He and I were the only entrepreneurs in the group. Both of us had built our businesses from the ground up.

Richard summed it up perfectly: “You and I were willing to live in a van and eat porridge until it worked.”

I haven’t had to live in a van, but during an interview on David Johnstone’s The Property Funding Podcast, I did say, “I would happily burn every bridge I’ve crossed to get to the next one.” 🔥

The founder mindset is unique, but how?

👥 Founder Mode vs. Manager Mode: Brian Chesky, founder of Airbnb, said “manager mode” doesn’t work for founders. Founders need to keep their independence, stay involved in every part of the business, and focus on the vision.

This approach can feel uncomfortable, but it’s what makes start-ups successful.

✅ Why Founder Mode Works:

1️⃣ Vision Over Delegation:
Founders focus on what really matters and personally ensure their vision is carried out. In start-ups, every decision can make or break the business.

2️⃣ Direct Engagement:
Strong founders don’t just manage their immediate team. They work closely with everyone to make sure the vision is being executed at all levels. This creates unity and momentum.

💼 At TableNetwork, especially at our Tables, we see this mindset in action all the time. It’s not about following a manual; it’s about creating your own path.

Founders aren’t usually the best long-term managers. But...

If you want to succeed in a start-up, this kind of leadership is key.

💬 What roles do you think founders should keep, even when managers step in?

Connections: Social Media vs. Zoom 🤝
Networking on Socials is effective.
But does Zoom allow for more human connection?

At a glance:

Social Media
✅ It’s fast to grow connections
✅ The reach is good
✅ Your message rings loud and clear

Zoom
✅ Reap the rewards of face-to-face interactions
✅ Network without leaving your desk
✅ Understand your connections at a deeper level

Social media can be a powerful tool. Whether you’re looking to build a better profile, increase your reach, or create quality posts, it’s essential to make every minute count.

In-person meetings have their benefits, and Zoom has changed the game. Save travel time while still benefitting from conversation. It adds much more than a personal touch.

🕓 Your time is valuable—let’s make it count.
At TableNetwork, we understand that balancing time on social media with real connections is key.
That’s why we hold MeetCUTE 🤝
Join business leaders and make connections over Zoom on Wednesday.

🎯 Here are some relevant facts:

✅ 77% of SMEs use social media to connect with customers
✅ 41% depend on social media as a revenue driver
✅ 76% of users have purchased something they saw on social media
✅ 50% of Millennials trust influencers’ product recommendations

💼 And some stats you may find interesting about LinkedIn:

✅ LinkedIn has over 1 billion members
✅ LinkedIn users have twice the buying power of the average online audience
✅ >60% of LinkedIn users have degree or above education
✅ 60% of users are between the ages of 25 and 34

And that’s why we’re asking:
❓What’s your goal on LinkedIn?
🎯 Are you getting the most out of LinkedIn? 🤔

🔍 Raising the Next Generation 👩‍💼👨‍💼
Worried your child isn’t destined for success?
Think success is only about talent?

Actually, it’s the traits we develop that make all the difference.

📚 A fascinating read, Raising an Entrepreneur by Margot Machol Bisnow, explores what the parents of 70 successful entrepreneurs might have gotten right.

Here’s what stands out from my experience as essential for anyone aiming to lead and succeed, whether they’re future doctors, engineers, or business leaders:

✅ Grit:
Success isn’t about how smart you are, but more about persistence. Encourage your children to stay committed to their goals, even when challenges arise. Praise their effort and resilience much more than their accomplishments or achievements. Interestingly, grit has recently been shown to have health benefits as well!

✅ Curiosity:
The drive to understand things. To take them apart and enhance them. Whether in business, science, or medicine, a curious mind pushes boundaries. Teach your children to ask questions, occasionally be persistent in doing so, and explore innovative solutions.

✅ Embracing Failure:
It’s not about avoiding failure. It’s about learning from it. Successful leaders see setbacks as stepping stones. Let your children know it’s okay to fail. Then they’ll grow stronger and wiser with each challenge they overcome.

💡 Leadership and success in any field require more than just knowledge. By fostering the traits above, we can help our children build the foundation that sets them up for a fulfilling and impactful career.

Are you cultivating these traits in your children?
How do you prepare them for success and leadership in their chosen paths?

Selective Licensing: Help or Hindrance? 🏠
Is the new scheme requiring landlords to permit the council to conduct property inspections just another financial strain for landlords? 💸

Will it result in better housing for tenants in Peterborough? 🔍

⚖️ Double-Edged Sword for Compliance
While the council’s goal of improving housing standards might be admirable, many compliant landlords feel unfairly targeted. The scheme effectively focuses on properties that are already fully compliant or nearly so, yet these landlords are still burdened with extra work, licensing fees, and inconvenience.

This raises a crucial question: are these fees truly justified, or are they merely another layer of bureaucracy?

💰 The Cost of Compliance: Who Really Pays?
The reality is that these additional costs won’t vanish. They’ll be passed on to tenants through rent increases. Landlords upholding high standards find themselves in a dilemma: absorb the costs and reduce returns, raise rents, or sell up, potentially abandoning the very tenants these regulations aim to protect.

Who’s actually benefiting here?

🔍 Inspection Inequities and Tenant Intrusion
The inspection programme set to start next month faces its own set of challenges. Concerns have been raised about the frequency and fairness of inspections for both landlords and tenants. How will tenants respond to these intrusions, especially when such terms weren't part of their initial agreements?

With a backlog of unlicensed properties, is the council prepared to manage the scale of enforcement required?

🚂 Licensing or a “Gravy Train”?
There’s growing sentiment among landlords that selective licensing schemes are becoming more about generating revenue than genuinely improving housing conditions. With the threat of substantial fines, the scheme feels more like a trap than a solution for many in the industry.

There are rumours that Meta has supplied the application process and the council is just taking a small margin.

🏗️ The Bigger Picture: Housing Supply and Regulation
As more councils adopt similar schemes, landlords are increasingly cautious of the regulatory environment. Some are choosing to leave the market entirely, leading to fewer rental properties and higher rents overall. This is already worsening the housing crisis, not alleviating it, especially in areas where affordable, high-quality rentals are scarce.

💬 Rob Moore, you’ve got a number of properties in Peterborough.
Are we solving the housing crisis or merely shifting the burden?

What’s your take on selective licensing?

Join the conversation at TableNetwork
And for some wider context about the state of the market, see my blog from last week
https://lnkd.in/e8Z39_mb

Putting 20,000 Lives at Risk 🏚️

🔥 It’s shocking, but not surprising. Hackney Council, where our founder Ed spent over 45 years living, working, and even teaching landlords how NOT to burn their tenants to death, has failed its residents miserably.

🚨 Recent reports reveal that over 15,000 homes in Hackney lack valid electrical safety certificates, nearly 9,000 are without smoke detectors, and more than 1,400 suffer from damp and mould.

This isn't just negligence.
…
It's a ticking time bomb!

🔧 When Ed worked in Hackney and had a portfolio of BTL properties, he toured the UK teaching others legislation. As a landlord and a builder, Ed found it was easy to understand the essentials and how to provide them.

✅ The importance of safety and how to provide it
✅ Having windows in bedrooms
✅ Quiet Enjoyment
✅ Making sure properties were habitable

Councils like Hackney fine private landlords up to £30,000 for these very issues. For professional landlords, those with decent sized portfolios, fines can run up to £100,000 per property.
But they let thousands of residents live in unprotected, hazardous conditions, in properties they own.

👎 How is it that Hackney, and councils like it, can get away with such incompetence?

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has only given them a slap on the wrist. If these were private landlords, they’d be fined to the point of bankruptcy for such blatant disregard for human life.

💡 What’s worse is that these are the very councils tasked with protecting us.

They enforce the rules with an iron fist on private landlords, yet they’re content to leave their own properties non-compliant.

The hypocrisy is galling.
🚫 It’s not just negligence.
🚫 It’s immoral.
🚫 It’s corrupt.

It’s clear that councils need to be held to the same, if not higher standards as private landlords. The lives of over 20,000 residents in Hackney alone depend on it.

💬 How can we trust councils to enforce regulations when they’re the biggest offenders?
Isn’t it time for real accountability?
What do you think?

If you have a portfolio and want to meet and discuss issues with peers, get in touch with Ed.
And join us at TableNetwork.

🏠 Is it good for tenants if smaller landlords leave the market?
Or does it just force rents up?** 💭

Recent data shows a 34% rise in sales of buy-to-let properties and second homes, with landlords feeling the pinch from higher taxes, stricter regulations, and the potential for further capital gains tax (CGT) hikes under a Labour government.

This trend has led to a notable reduction in the number of small landlords in the market, particularly in London and the South East.

💼 While some argue that fewer small landlords could lead to better regulation and higher quality rentals, there's a flip side:
A shrinking supply of rental properties could drive up rents, making housing even less affordable for tenants.

With fewer listings coming onto the rental market, is this exodus of smaller landlords really in the best interest of tenants?

Or are we on a path where rents are likely to soar, worsening the
housing crisis?

📊 As landlords exit, the market dynamics shift - How do you think this will impact rental affordability and availability?

See my new blog on the state of UK buy to let and rental at TableNetwork:
https://lnkd.in/e8Z39_mb