By Katy, Resourcing Team Lead at Humand Talent
Rethinking Leadership Models
Why do we follow leadership models that don’t always serve us? That was the key question explored in Leadership: A Model Problem, a compelling talk delivered by Stephen E. Morris at May’s Agile Oxford event.
Stephen encouraged us to pause and ask:
“Why are we organised like this?”
“Why are we adopting this framework?”
“Who decided this is ‘the way’?”
For many of us in the room, those questions hit close to home – and led to some lively conversation afterward.
Who Is Stephen E. Morris?
Stephen is no stranger to complex leadership. With over two decades of hands-on experience across industries – IT, banking, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, and government – he’s guided large-scale teams and transformations with impressive results.
His achievements include:
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Leading during a period of 400% YoY growth
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Coaching a $300M global software rollout
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Mentoring leadership teams managing 750+ professionals
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Launching 50+ cloud-based products and services
He’s also the author of Leaders, Believers and Expert Deceivers – a thought-provoking book that inspired many of the insights shared in his talk.
Challenging the ‘Next Big Thing’
One of the most powerful themes of the evening was how easily teams and organisations latch onto the latest leadership trend – without asking the hard questions.
“We often adopt leadership models the way we adopt diets – based on hype, not evidence,” Stephen quipped.
It was a moment of humour that stuck, because it’s all too true. Stephen unpacked how flawed assumptions, copied frameworks, and a lack of context-awareness often lead organisations down costly paths.
From Insight to Action
Stephen didn’t just critique – he equipped. Attendees walked away with actionable ideas and smarter questions to ask when faced with the pressure to adopt new processes or reorganise structures. His message?
Don’t blindly follow – think critically, test assumptions, and stay people-focused.
This aligns perfectly with the values we hold at Humand Talent – developing leadership that’s conscious, contextual, and courageous.
Stay Connected with Stephen
🔗 Stay Connected
👉 Stephen Morris on LinkedIn
📘 Dive Deeper into His Thinking
Get Stephen’s book, Leaders, Believers and Expert Deceivers:
Whether you attended or not, we’d love to hear your thoughts or reflections. Feel free to reply to this post or share them on the Agile Oxford Meetup page.
Looking Ahead: July Meetup – RSVP Now!
📅 We’re already gearing up for our July Agile Oxford event, and spots are available now.
👉 RSVP for the July Meetup
If you enjoyed May’s event, why not bring a colleague or friend along next time? It’s a fantastic way to share ideas, challenge your thinking, and connect with others passionate about making work better.
Final Thoughts
Stephen’s talk was a much-needed reminder: good leadership isn’t about chasing shiny frameworks. It’s about questioning, listening, adapting—and doing the work that fits your context, not just the latest trend.
Thanks again to Stephen for the inspiration and to David Michel, Mike Harris, and the Humand Talent team for putting together another great evening. We can’t wait to see you in July!
