Carl Haggerty

Six Months In: From Structure to Substance (And Why I’m Still Learning) Sketch – colours and leaves by me with help from AI on the circular tree If I rewind the clock on these last six (and a bit) months, what stands out isn’t just the frameworks and milestones &…

After six months immersed back in local government transformation with a fantastic group of people at Somerset Council, I’m discovering that real change starts at the intersection of structure and soul. #localgov #localgovdigital #transformation

carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2025/11/04/s...

The Fragility of Trust: Can We Build Relationships Without Certainty? What if trust isn’t about knowing the outcome but about committing to the process together?

“Trust is not about knowing where we'll land - it's about holding each others hands as we leap."

Trust is a process of shared vulnerability and commitment, rather than a guarantee of outcomes.

open.substack.com/pub/carlhagg...

Thanks Nick, appreciate the feedback :)

The Problem With “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” (and What Will) Sketch by Me I’ve always been a sucker for a good quote. They’re like little nuggets of wisdom, perfect for sparking reflection and driving conversations. One quote that’s been sw…

"Our past experiences, both successes and failures, are invaluable assets - but only if we use them as a springboard for conscious growth."

carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2025/02/18/t...

Finding Flow: Leading with the Rhythms of Nature Sketch by Me The last 12 months have triggered a lot of thinking, processing and acceptance of endings and beginnings, a lot of it painful and necessary. And as I approached the end of December las…

I gave up New Year’s resolutions for a more aligned approach with natural cycles

carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2025/02/03/f...

I Would Like to Help, But am I? Sketch by Me I share because I care. I post because I believe in the potential of local public services, in the work we do, in the impact we can have. I want to help councils and colleagues navigat…

In my attempts to help, am I actually pushing people away and making things worse?

carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2025/01/24/i...

Pause, Notice, Lead: One Secret to Smarter Leadership Sketch by Me In the fast-moving world of local public services, leadership is about more than just making decisions—it’s about how you show up in the moments that matter. The ability to pause and n…

Is it time to press Pause?

carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2025/01/23/p...

In high-pressure environments the ability to pause and choose how you show up is one of the most powerful leadership tools you have.

#leadership #change #pausing #noticing #localgov

Simple Shifts to Change How You Show Up Sketch by Me Leadership isn’t just about strategy or decision-making – it’s about how you show up in the moments that matter. Under pressure, it’s easy to slip into reactive habits – de…

Investing in you and your leadership doesn't always have to cost money and resources.

Here are some simple ways you can change how you show up

carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2025/01/21/s...

Embracing a Test-and-Learn Mindset: A New Way of Working In her recent vision for public sector reform, Georgia Gould highlighted the importance of innovation, adaptability, and new ways of working. She called for a shift away from rigid, top-down approache...

What if learning wasn’t just a phase of change, but the way we work every day?

www.linkedin.com/pulse/embrac...

Join @da.vebrig.gs and I for the first ever Change Makers conversation

carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2025/01/15/j...

Where Are the Interesting Conversations Happening Sketch by Me Local government is at a pivotal moment, filled with opportunities to reshape its future. Structural reform is on the horizon, financial pressures invite innovation, and communities ar…

The most interesting conversations are the ones that shape the future - but where are they happening?

#localgov #leadership #change #transformation #conversations

carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2025/01/03/w...

A Christmas Carol – Perspectives on Leadership I love Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,  it is more than just a holiday tale – it is a fantastic story of personal transformation. The journey of Scrooge, from a miserly, selfis…

As I approach the end of the year - one that has been full of personal change.

I share my perspectives on Leadership through Charles Dickens classic - A Christmas Carol

carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2024/12/15/a...

#leadershipcircle #leadership #christmascarol

Laying the Foundation – Going Beyond Surface-Level Values Photo by me taken in South Devon 2021 The Need for True Alignment on Values and Culture You know how organisational values, culture, and systems – are essential but often mistaken for transformatio…

Organisational values and a great culture are essential building blocks for transformation, they aren't transformational in themselves.

I wrote a short post on going beyond surface level change > carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2024/12/11/l...

#leadership #values #valuesbasedleadership #transformation

I recently shared across Linked In and Substack some practical actions when you might be in crisis or feeling overwhelmed, for ease I've captured them all here in one post.

carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2024/12/02/p...

#leadership #change #overwhelm #localgov

Navigating Crisis or Overwhelm – Beyond Reactive Thinking Why Crisis Demands More than Quick Fixes

“‘You know how it feels when you are in a crisis or are overwhelmed, both situations test not only our resilience but also our clarity and foresight.’

#Transformation #Change #Relationships #Overwhelm #Crisis #LocalGov #LocalGovDigital

open.substack.com/pub/carlhagg...

Some of the influences and learning on my approach to supporting Change and Transformation I’ve supported change and transformation for over 20 years and I often reflect and think about how far I have come and where I need to develop and grow next.

What has influenced you in how you work?

I've shared a few of mine here open.substack.com/pub/carlhagg...

#leadership #change #transformation

How do you personally navigate the tension between improving what’s working now and pursuing deeper transformational change?

Or if you can't navigate both what would help you?

#leadership #polarity #tension

Finding the Heart of Change Four Phases of Real Transformation

I've been reflecting on what really needs to happen to create transformation and what gets in the way, I'm starting a mini series of posts that will be sharing my learning, observations and experience.

#leadership #transformation #change #relationships

open.substack.com/pub/carlhagg...

LocalGovCamp 2024 — Broader reflections and looking ahead to the cross roads. Last Thursday I attended LocalGovCamp (after a decade) and reconnected with the LocalGovDigital network crowd. It was one of the most…

Last week I went to #localgovcamp and have shared some reflections and some thoughts about what could happen next

journal.relationshipsforchange.com/localgovcamp...

In wider change approaches, I use "Next logical Step" regardless of whether it is a solution or not...

An experiment – The Fit In or F**K Off Manifesto Photo from https://unsplash.com/@amer_mug Over the summer I shared some of my reflections and learning from working through the challenge of fitting in and or belonging in a work context. I titled the...

I have posted about culture, culture change and fitting in. Sharing an experiment wp.me/pgA3L-NR

Thanks Benjamin

I am well, still adjusting to consulting, but am enjoying the flexibility and freedom, doing some small pieces for a local authority which is great - they are a fantastic group of people. Also doing some leadership learning with some folk which I really enjoy.
How are you?

Hi, it has been so long. Good to be connected on here

Indeed and great to be connected

It all feels like a govcamp conversation space at the moment.
But good to connect to folks again

Hello new connections…already feels more like a community on here

A starter pack for adding folks who work in, with, adjacent to etc.. local government digital and transformation go.bsky.app/4Dx5Coq

Beyond Fitting in or F**king off: The pain of dissonance and the path to purpose I remember the moment well, the moment when I first realised I had the choice to claim ownership of my own story, to hold the pen, my pen.

I wrote about Fitting it of F**king Off...
From high school bullying to unhealthy workplace cultures and redundancy -
I've shared some personal reflections and key lessons on overcoming these obstacles and finding resilience and clarity.

journal.relationshipsforchange.com/beyond-fitti...

8 relationships for unlocking change and transformation Photo by Akil Mazumder on Pexels.com Earlier this week, my good friend Scott Gould posted a few times on Linked In about relationships, in one he spoke about "no difficult people, just difficult relat...

Posted some thoughts on 8 relationships that help unlock change and transformation > carlhaggerty.wordpress.com/2024/01/26/8...