As local government faces one of its most significant restructuring efforts in decades, conversations have largely centred around streamlining services, driving efficiency, and improving accountability. But what’s often overlooked is the human experience the emotional toll on individuals whose careers, identities, and workplace culture are all in flux.

In a world of constant change, increasing complexity, and rising expectations of leaders, traditional leadership development just isn’t enough anymore. Organisations are no longer asking, “How do we lead people to perform?” they’re asking, “How do we lead people to thrive?”

When it comes to recruiting senior and executive leaders, there is one question every organisation should be asking: Are we hiring for personality, or for real leadership capability?

At The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, this question sparked a transformative journey, one that replaced limited recruitment tools with the Real World Leader assessment, fundamentally changing how leadership potential is identified, nurtured, and embedded from day one.

Let’s face it, most organisations think they know their culture. They’ve got values on the wall, internal campaigns, engagement data, maybe even a few glossy slides in a board report. But the truth is that culture doesn’t live in posters or policies. It exists in people’s lived, daily experiences. And unless you’re asking the right questions of everyone in the right way, you’re flying blind.

Don’t Let Your Executive Team Operate in the Dark. You can’t fix what you can’t see. And in the high-stakes world of executive leadership, assumptions are a risky game. If you’re serious about developing your Executive team, the smartest first step is a clear, honest view of where you are now.

There’s one thing every exceptional leader has in common, and it’s not charisma, confidence, or experience. It’s self-awareness. If your organisation is serious about growing authentic, inclusive, high-performing leaders, this is where the journey begins.

The Truth About Local Government Podcast Episode Title: Building Resilience Through LeadershipWith Juliette Alban-Metcalfe, CEO of Real World Group Local government is under pressure like never before. Reorganisations, budget constraints, and growing community needs...

Unlocking Leadership Excellence in Fire and Rescue Services: Join Our Exclusive Webinar ???? Date: 2nd April???? Time: 12.30-13.30pm Effective leadership is the foundation of a high-performing Fire and Rescue Service (FRS). Strong leadership not only enhances team...

Real World Group at PPMA Conference 2025: Celebrating 50 Years of Public Sector Leadership We are thrilled to once again be attending the PPMA Conference 2024 as a strategic sponsor, a milestone event as the Public Services People Managers Association celebrates its...

WEBINAR Mastering Behavioural Frameworks: The Key to Strategic Talent Management Join us for the first webinar in our exclusive Strategic Talent Management (STM) series, where we explore the key components for effective STM and how to ensure your approach is both...

Unlocking Leadership Excellence in Fire and Rescue Services: Join Our Exclusive Webinar Effective leadership is the foundation of a high-performing Fire and Rescue Service (FRS). Strong leadership not only enhances team productivity and resilience but also fosters a...

Enhancing Leadership in Fire and Rescue Services: A Culture of Growth and Engagement In the demanding world of fire and rescue services, leadership is not just about making critical decisions under pressure—it is about creating a culture that enables individuals and...

In the ever-evolving landscape of Fire and Rescue services, effective leadership and a strong organisational culture are critical to success. But what does "good leadership" really look like in the fire service? And how can the right culture support teams in...

Discover the Nature of Truly Great Leadership: A Conversation with Professor Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe and Juliette Alban-Metcalfe  At Real World Group, we’re passionate about reshaping the way the world thinks about leadership. That’s why we’re thrilled to be featured...

Real World Group, a renowned UK-based organisation specialising in leadership development and evidence-based psychometric tools, is excited to announce the appointment of Mark Powell as Head of Consulting to our growing business. With over 25 years of experience as a...

Real World Group "Unlocking Leadership Potential: Real World Group's Insights from 'Transformational Thinking for Health Leaders'" PODCAST Recently, Real World Group had the privilege of appearing on a podcast to discuss the powerful impact of 360-degree feedback in...

Real World Group at the Local Government Annual Conference and Exhibition 2024 We are thrilled to announce that Real World Group will be attending and are jointly exhibiting with North West Employers Organisation at the Local Government Association (LGA) Annual...

AI & Leadership: Getting It Right In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, the integration of AI into various business functions is inevitable. However, the question remains: should AI replace traditionally human-directed activities, particularly in...

Real World Group is thrilled to invite you to our upcoming webinar, "Mastering Hybrid Leadership: Leading Well in a Hybrid World," designed to help leaders navigate the complexities of hybrid teams and workplaces and equip with the skills needed to thrive in hybrid...

Leading Change: Our Commitment to the Blue Light Charter As a forward-thinking organisation dedicated to driving positive change, we are thrilled toannounce our decision to sign the Blue Light Charter. Our endorsement of this initiativeunderscores our unwavering...

Rethinking leadership assessment to reduce work-related stress Juliette Alban-Metcalfe Leaders today can genuinely assert that their jobs are much tougher than their predecessors’ were. As little as 15 years ago the world was a lot more stable, predictable and...

Juliette Alban-Metcalfe, Chartered occupational psychologist and CEO of Real World Group writes for CONNECTED the Municipal Journal Supplement The use of AI in organisations is increasing exponentially, and potentially without any limits. Organisations are naturally...

The attitudes and values of leaders also needed to shift to enable successful hybrid working, said occupational psychologist and chief executive of leadership development firm Real World Group, Juliette Alban-Metcalfe. Juliette Alban-Metcalfe outlines five tips for...

Real World Group’s latest white paper in partnership with the PPMA addresses what can leaders do to increase productivity whilst preventing burnout, maintaining wellbeing, and increasing the engagement and resilience of employees. This paper summarises this research...

When used for developmental purposes (as opposed to performance appraisal) 360-degree feedback is the best way to gather useful and accurate feedback as a leader

This blog explores how selection processes can block leaders from underrepresented groups from senior posts in recruitment or promotion.

The Keynote was delivered by our founding Director, Professor Beverley Alimo-Metcalfe and…

The Keynote was delivered by our founding Director, Professor Beverley Alimo-Metcalfe and…

Unless you’re a founder, you are most likely looking to move into the CEO position after…

We are delighted to announce that Professor Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe, Founding Director of Real World Group will be…

There is a wonderful speaker line-up, including our very own…

The next complimentary Member-benefit webinar will also show how behaviour is…

Rachel Hannan, Chair of Real World Group offers five tips for leaders on…

We are delighted to reveal that that our chair, Rachel Hannan has been selected by…

As a company committed to inclusion and diversity we’re delighted to once again support the…

Rachel Hannan, Chair, of Real World Group wrote an article a couple of weeks ago for HR Magazine, prompted by…

It’s hard to believe in the 21st century, but there has been a significant, recent decline in the number of women in executive roles in FTSE 250 companies, and no progress among…

The article takes a further look at why we should stop judging women and diverse leaders against outdated leadership criteria and…

The leadership forum was hosted at West Yorkshire Police’s Training Centre of excellence. Deputy Police Constable for West Yorkshire Police…

We are delighted to share the news that Real World Group’s Chair, Rachel Hannan has been featured once again in Insider Yorkshire Magazine as one of the 40 most significant women in Yorkshire business.

Professor Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe And Juliette Alban-Metcalfe explore the five principles of high-performing teams in Personnel Today.

CEO, Juliette Alban-Metcalfe’s article in the Nursing Times explains how a specific approach to leadership, called Engaging Transformational Leadership, provides a framework for nursing leaders to rise to these challenges.

CEO, Juliette Alban-Metcalfe shares her thoughts on leadership in 2018 and beyond with Brewster Pratap’s Unique People Magazine.

Culture change around engagement and wellbeing starts with leaders and their behaviour. But it is also about individuals taking ownership and responsibility to create a climate that enhances employee mental health for everyone, as Professor Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe explains in Personnel Today’s, Occupational Health & Wellbeing Magazine.

We’re proud sponsors of the Engage for Success conference held on the Thursday March 22nd 2018 at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Westminster, London.

Co-founder of Real World Group Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe joins the Great British Speakers selection.

Juliette Alban-Metcalfe – CEO, Real World Group to speak at Ashridge Executive Education and Hult International Business Schools, Women’s Global Leadership Summit, on the 2nd March 2018

You can now sign up for a free masterclass with Juliette Alban-Metcalfe and Forward Ladies.

Juliette Alban-Metcalfe gives her insight into the challenges of career progression for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) leaders, and how to overcome them.

We are delighted to announce Chartwell Speakers now manage the speaker bookings of Real World Groups founding director; Professor Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe.

The impact of the exposure of a lack of integrity on companies’ performance and reputation is well-publicised through cautionary tales such as the fallout from the “Greyball” software being exposed at Uber, and the impact of the emissions scandal at VW.

The World Health Organization has called stress “the epidemic of the 21st Century”, and work-related stress is argued to be the major factor causing this phenomenon (Fink G, 2016).

Real World Group will be attending the 6th EAWOP WorkLab – Practitioner Skills Workshop on Organisational and Culture Change on the 2nd – 4th November, 2017, in Riga, Latvia.