About One Degree
Decision support when leadership issues keep repeating
We exist to support better leadership decisions under pressure.
Not by judging leaders, and not by prescribing familiar interventions, but by helping organisations see what they are missing before acting.
Our role is decision support.
How we see the work
Most organisations do not struggle because leaders lack intent.
They struggle because urgency changes leadership impact, often without leaders realising it is happening.
As pressure increases, communication tightens, tolerance shifts, and accountability is applied inconsistently across the system. Intent remains sound, but leadership is experienced differently.
When this happens, the organisation does not usually fail outright.
Instead, the same people and leadership issues keep resurfacing.
Operations become harder than they need to be. Risk increases quietly.
Our work helps senior leaders see these patterns clearly, so decisions about intervention are based on understanding rather than momentum.
Where this perspective comes from
Our approach is grounded in lived leadership experience.
Across more than two decades in the Royal Air Force, leadership operated under constant pressure, real consequence, and clear accountability. Standards mattered. Discipline mattered. Attitude mattered. Psychological safety existed, but it was not about comfort.
Psychologically safe environments were demanding environments.
People were supported, challenged, and held to account.
If someone was not pulling their weight or was undermining the team, it was addressed. Excellence was non‑negotiable, but leaders were expected to understand what each individual needed in order to deliver it.
That experience now informs our work with complex construction, engineering, and manufacturing organisations facing sustained operational pressure.
The Values That Shape This Work
Clarity before action
Behaviour over intent
Name what is happening
Restraint is a professional choice
Clarity before action
Decisions are slowed just enough to understand what is actually happening, particularly when pressure is high. Acting without clarity creates activity, not progress.
Behaviour over intent
The focus is on what is happening, not what was meant. Leadership effectiveness is shaped by how behaviour is experienced, especially under pressure.
Name what is happening
Avoidance allows patterns to persist. Behavioural dynamics are noticed, named, and understood before they escalate or become personalised.
Restraint is a professional choice
Not every issue requires intervention. Training, coaching, or programmes are not prescribed unless there is clear evidence they will help.
What we believe
We believe that:
Leadership intent rarely changes under pressure, urgency does.
As urgency increases, leadership style changes, whether leaders notice it or not.
Repeated people issues are usually signals of system inconsistency, not individual failure.
Leaders are often blamed before they are properly supported to lead well under strain.
Accountability, standards, and psychological safety must coexist, or none of them work.
These beliefs shape how we work and what we refuse to simplify.
What we do, and what we avoid
We work across the full leadership system, from senior leadership through to operational layers.
We are actively involved, not observing from a distance.
Our work typically focuses on:
Understanding how leadership intent is translating into organisational impact.
Identifying where accountability and standards are applied inconsistently.
Clarifying where pressure is distorting leadership behaviour unintentionally.
Supporting leaders to make proportionate, well‑judged decisions.
We avoid judgement.
We do not offer safe, familiar measures for the sake of activity. This work requires a willingness to become uncomfortable, to look honestly at what is happening, and to do what is necessary rather than what is easy.
Scale and boundaries
We are intentionally small.
That allows us to move quickly, remain flexible, and stay close to the work. Where appropriate, we take associate roles or work alongside larger organisations, including current associate work with Pearson TQ supporting their contract with KPMG.
There are also clear boundaries.
If the scope is too large and the urgency too high to deliver responsibly, we will say so. In those circumstances, organisations may complete a full Leadership Impact Under Pressure Review and take that clarity to a larger consultancy with greater capacity.
We will not make promises we cannot deliver.
Who this work is for
This work is for organisations that:
Are dealing with repeated leadership or people issues.
Recognise that safe, familiar responses have not worked.
Are willing to become uncomfortable in order to improve.
Want clarity before committing credibility, time, or budget.
It is not for those looking for quick fixes, reassurance, or safe familiarity.
Professional Accreditations
© One Degree Training & Coaching Ltd 2022-2026
Company No: 14053252 | VAT Reg No: GB 428 995 340
One Degree Training & Coaching Ltd is registered in The United Kingdom at One the Brayford, 20 Brayford Wharf North, LINCOLN, Lincolnshire, LN1 1BN