The Age of The Accidental Leader
Some people set out to become leaders. Others find themselves there almost by accident - a phenomenon seen not just in government, but in business, too. And while accidental leaders may acquire a title, they’re not always given the training manual that should go with it.
In this edition, we introduce the newly-founded HH Partnership, which shines a light on the often-hidden costs of this phenomenon for businesses - and, more importantly, offers a way forward.
Over the summer, we were delighted to broker a new partnership between Curation and Winterflood Securities, giving listed companies a new and informative way to engage with retail investors.
Meanwhile, AI continues its march into the workplace. We meet Tercero Analytics, helping SMEs navigate the AI revolution with a personal touch - making it simple and easy for you to embed the very latest tools that best support your work and clients.
We also raise a glass to two of our chosen charities, The David Yarrow Family Foundation and Street Soccer, who joined forces for an unforgettable evening in Boston this June, raising an astonishing $2.3 million for good causes.
And finally, in Stepping Out, we head to the Wallace Collection, London for an exhibition by history's most famous accidental leader: Winston Churchill.
We hope you enjoy the read.
William Meadon
Founder
Leading: From Accidental to Intentional
Plenty of business leaders are promoted either by chance, or because they excelled at their own job, not because they were taught how to lead others.
The Chartered Management Institute puts the scale of the problem in stark terms: 82% of new leaders in the UK are "accidental", promoted with no formal training in management, a gap it links to low staff engagement, inconsistent performance and weaker profitability.
The HH Partnership, founded by two former Army officers, Gordon Hogarth and Andrew Hughes CBE, exists to help these accidental leaders find their footing.
Gordon led marketing and sales teams internationally in financial services up to board level; Andrew spent 30 years commanding and training soldiers before running operations for family offices and becoming a CEO. Both now bring that military-honed grounding in leadership fundamentals to corporate teams.
Particularly suited to SMEs without in-house HR or training resources, The HH Partnership works with clients in four ways: Foundational Team Leadership Programmes, Small Group Coaching, Executive Coaching, and Leadership Development courses "in the Wild" - military-style off-site programmes that develop and reveal leadership potential.
The HH Partnership offers "Accidental Leaders" steady, experienced guidance close at hand.
To learn more: enquiries@thehhpartnership.com
The Rise and Rise of the Retail Investor
There's nothing accidental about this - a partnership we were pleased to broker over the summer.
Winterflood Securities, a leading UK retail-focused capital markets distributor, and Curation, an AI infrastructure platform for retail investor relations, have joined forces through Steppingstone to strengthen retail investor engagement for companies raising capital through the Winterflood Retail Access Platform (WRAP).
The partnership combines Winterflood's capital markets expertise with Curation's retail engagement technology, helping listed companies attract, engage and better understand retail investors during capital raises and across their public-market lifecycle.
Under the deal, Curation's retail investor relations capabilities will be made available to companies raising equity or fixed income through WRAP, helping issuers grow their retail investor base while measuring engagement along the way.
Winterflood will also extend its proprietary Winterflood Retail Intelligence (WRI) tool to Curation's corporate clients, giving companies sharper analytics on retail trading behaviour and the effectiveness of their engagement strategies.
We’re delighted to be working with both parties to help companies tell their stories more effectively to retail investors.
To learn more: william@sstone.co.uk
A helping, (human!) hand with AI
You don’t need to be an AI expert. You just need someone to apply the right AI to your business — and that’s where Tercero Analytics comes in.
Tercero's dedicated team works with you to build solutions around your existing data, systems and processes, rather than forcing your business into generic software with little guidance.
Their experts identify where AI and automation can have the biggest impact on your business, then build practical solutions around your specific needs - from a single workflow to an AI-enabled layer across the whole business.
That means automating repetitive admin and reporting, connecting information scattered across your spreadsheets, PDFs and databases - all without adding headcount.
And, if you mention “Steppingstone”, they will give you the first hour of support for free!
To learn more: jeremy@terceroanalytics.com
Leading the Charge!
Nevada’s Black Rock Desert,1983: Richard breaks the World Land Speed Record at 633.5 mph.
Richard Noble, the double world record-breaker of 1983 and 1997 is now chasing a third - this time on water.
Richard’s project, ThrustWSH, which is aiming to break the world water speed record of 317mph in Scotland in 18 months time, is making good progress and will be testing the pilot boat on Loch Awe this autumn.
Later this year, Steppingstone will be introducing Richard to a select group of corporates and high-net-worth individuals to discuss support for this world record-breaking attempt.
With Netflix filming his journey every step of the way, backers will gain a truly global profile.
What a result!
Some of the most successful charity fundraising campaigns are born when people, who never set out to be fundraisers, unexpectedly find themselves leading one.
The Tartan Army came together in Boston this summer with our friends and partners at the David Yarrow Family Foundation's "One More Party" and together they raised an incredible $2.3 million for charity.
The gala was organised in partnership with the Hunter Foundation and our chosen Christmas charity, Street Soccer Scotland, which supports socially disadvantaged communities through the power of football.
The star-studded event brought Scotland's World Cup supporters together with celebrities, business leaders and sporting icons for an unforgettable night celebrating Scotland's return to the World Cup.
Stepping Out
Something cultural, because life isn't all about work
Winston Churchill: The Painter
Saturday 23 May - Sunday 29 November 2026
The Wallace Collection, London
Book here
Sir Winston Churchill, most commonly known for his political passion, was also a passionate and prolific painter.
The first major retrospective of Churchill's paintings since his death, this exhibition brings together more than 50 of his works, more than half from private collections rarely accessible to the public.
"Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely. Light and colour, peace and hope, will keep them company to the end." - Winston S. Churchill, 'Painting as a Pastime'.
With thanks to
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Disclaimer: The information provided is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, financial or investment advice. Steppingstone is neither a financial advisor nor an authorised person within the meaning of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The information shared should not be relied upon for making financial decisions.