The Accidental Leader
A newsletter for the people who got the job — without the manual.
Short, practical notes for leaders and managers who want to improve performance and relationships, without the corporate waffle. Written by Duncan Butters and the People Champions team — coaches who work with new and developing leaders every day.
82%
of managers are 'accidental' — promoted without training
70%
of team engagement variance is driven by the manager
1 in 5
new managers fail in their first 18 months
60%
of first-time managers underperform in year one
10x
ROI on practical leadership development, when applied
5 min
average read time per issue — no fluff
Most leaders don't fail because they aren't smart, hard-working, or technically capable. They struggle because nobody ever showed them how to lead — how to give feedback that lands, how to delegate without letting go, how to navigate the messy, human side of work.
The Accidental Leader is the newsletter we wish we'd had when we were promoted into our first leadership roles. Each issue is short, specific, and built around things you can try this week — drawn from real coaching conversations with leaders across financial services, consultancy, non-profits, and growing SMEs.
"The best leadership development isn't a course you sit through — it's a habit you build, one conversation at a time."
What you will get
Practical habits, not theory
Small shifts you can try in your next 1:1, team meeting, or difficult conversation.
Real feedback techniques
How to give it, how to ask for it, and how to act on it without losing your nerve.
Better team relationships
Frameworks for trust, accountability, and the conversations most leaders avoid.
Career progression that sticks
How to position yourself for the next step — and decide whether you actually want it.
Confidence under pressure
Tools for the moments that matter: stakeholder pushback, performance issues, change.
Curated, not curated-feeling
The best ideas from coaching practice, distilled — no corporate waffle.
Subscribe to The Accidental Leader
Free. One short email, roughly fortnightly. Unsubscribe in one click — no hard feelings.
We use your email only to send the newsletter. No spam, no sharing, no third-party tracking. By subscribing you agree to receive emails from People Champions Coaching.
"Genuinely useful — the kind of thing I forward to my team and actually use in my own 1:1s. Short enough to read on the commute, practical enough to apply by Monday."
"It reads like a coach sitting across the table from you, not a LinkedIn influencer. That alone makes it worth the subscribe."