ACP Consulting

Accountability isn't something we can demand. It's something we create the conditions for.

We recently had the pleasure of working with the Procurement team at the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (). What stood out most was the genuine psychological safety in the room; a reflection of intentional leadership over time.

We explored how accountability grows when people feel safe to contribute, leaders coach rather than rescue, and teams are empowered to take ownership.

When leaders stop rescuing and start coaching, accountability stops being expected and starts becoming part of the culture.

ACP is proud to partner with as an Expert. We really enjoyed being back with them recently, speaking on one of my favourite leadership topics: Coaching.

The biggest shift? Managers don't need more time; they need better questions.

When leaders stop solving every problem and start coaching people to think for themselves, they build greater ownership, capability and confidence.

Some key takeaways included:
• "Really enjoyed this workshop, I found it very insightful."
• "Great insight in interactions both at work & at home."
• "This topic helps me know when to listen instead of trying to fix."

With a workshop score of 4.9/5.

Looking forward to the next cohort!

Great leaders don't have all the answers. They ask better questions.
We're thrilled to launch Cohort 2 of ACP's Leader as Coach Program with a long-standing client.

Module 1 focused on the shift every leader wrestles with: moving from solving problems to coaching through them. We explored presence, curiosity and the GROW model — and put them straight into practice.

The feedback reinforced what we see time and again: nothing beats practice.

Leaders left committed to:
→ Asking better questions
→ Listening more deeply
→ Creating greater ownership in their teams
→ Making coaching conversations a regular habit

A great start to the next five months. 👏

"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.

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

Grit: The power of passion and perseverance 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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.