{"id":31,"date":"2026-09-18T09:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T09:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-stage\/about\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T10:25:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T10:25:11","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-stage\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"31\" class=\"elementor elementor-31\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-section=\"section\" data-bps-section-slug=\"about-01\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3d9da951 section dark moa-xl e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"3d9da951\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f348b4ee e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"f348b4ee\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fad97cb1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"fad97cb1\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-headline-1\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2fd55800 prehead elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2fd55800\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">About<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-headline-2\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0157406b ft-h1 hero-title elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0157406b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">I started this work because I handled a bad year badly<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-subheadline-1\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4205dcd2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4205dcd2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>In 2013 I was running operations for a regional logistics firm when a warehouse fire took out two thirds of our capacity overnight. We were praised for the recovery. Eleven months later half of my managers had left, and the ones who stayed had stopped telling me things.<\/p><p>I went looking for the research and found surprisingly little. So I collected the stories myself &mdash; first as a part-time doctorate, then as four books and a stubborn habit of asking people what month seven felt like.<\/p><p>The work sits in three places now. I write &mdash; books and a Sunday letter read by about 34,000 people. I speak, mostly to organisations somewhere in the long middle of something hard. And I run two or three long engagements a year with leadership teams who want the slow version.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-subheadline-2\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-571b99fd elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"571b99fd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>I am not a motivational speaker and I try never to tell a room that things happen for a reason. What I offer is more modest: a clear description of the terrain, honest language for it, and practices that hold up under load.<\/p><p>I live in Edinburgh with a bad-tempered lurcher and an unreasonable number of index cards.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d1d874a e-con-full bps-media e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1d1d874a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-image-url-1\" data-bps-type=\"image\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bf2564cc elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"bf2564cc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"820\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2026\/09\/ih-b-about-820x1024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-10\" alt=\"Black-and-white portrait of Imogen Hale looking straight at the camera against a black background\" srcset=\"https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2026\/09\/ih-b-about-820x1024.jpg 820w, https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2026\/09\/ih-b-about-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2026\/09\/ih-b-about-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/locals.buildprosites.com\/imogen-hale-stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2026\/09\/ih-b-about.jpg 962w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-prehead-2\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8a59b21b prehead elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"8a59b21b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Credentials<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-creds-1\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fbc90f61 ft-creds elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fbc90f61\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>PhD, Organisational Behaviour &mdash; Lowry School of Management<\/li><li>Visiting Fellow, Institute for Public Services (2024&ndash;)<\/li><li>Chartered Fellow, Institute of Operations Leadership<\/li><li>Trustee, The Ossei Foundation for care workers<\/li><li>Columnist, The Pellinore Review (2021&ndash;2025)<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"about-01-note-1\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0947f046 stat-label elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0947f046\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">All institutions fictional<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div data-bps-section=\"section\" data-bps-section-slug=\"features-06\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11d50ecf section light moa-xl e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"11d50ecf\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff780896 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"ff780896\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-1\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d0ac3978 bps-text-accent prehead elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"d0ac3978\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Milestones<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-054838d8 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"054838d8\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c1cc8eab e-grid e-con-full ft-grid e-con e-child\" data-id=\"c1cc8eab\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-86cb60eb e-con-full light moa-sd e-flex section e-con e-child\" data-id=\"86cb60eb\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-3\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-181ea797 ft-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"181ea797\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2013<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-subheadline-1\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f1f35565 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f1f35565\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The warehouse fire. Nine days of clarity, eleven months of attrition.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bd92a626 e-con-full light moa-sd e-flex section e-con e-child\" data-id=\"bd92a626\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-4\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-76a6e470 ft-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"76a6e470\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2016<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-subheadline-2\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d67d31a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d67d31a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>The Recovery Habit<\/em> published while finishing the doctorate.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13cd210e e-con-full light moa-sd e-flex section e-con e-child\" data-id=\"13cd210e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-5\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f9ebe844 ft-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f9ebe844\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2019<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-subheadline-3\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d950bc68 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d950bc68\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>First main-stage keynote. <em>Small Brave Things<\/em> that autumn.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d51f2d45 e-con-full light moa-sd e-flex section e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d51f2d45\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-6\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-655a28f1 ft-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"655a28f1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2022<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-subheadline-4\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-63878903 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"63878903\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>Hold the Line<\/em>. Eighteen months embedded with managers through an awful winter.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fb5d1bb2 e-con-full light moa-sd e-flex section e-con e-child\" data-id=\"fb5d1bb2\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-headline-6-x5\" data-bps-type=\"headline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0f8346d0 ft-year elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0f8346d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">2026<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div data-bps-id=\"features-06-subheadline-4-x5\" data-bps-type=\"subheadline\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ba19021 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3ba19021\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>The Steady Middle<\/em> and a 24-city tour she was told was too ambitious.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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