The History Collection

Crossing the Rubicon!

What modern leaders can learn from the fateful decision making of Rome's most famous son.

On 10 January 49 BC Julius Caesar took the momentous decision to cross the River Rubicon with his troops, entering Italy from Gaul, where they had been stationed for ten years. Caesar knew that entering Roman territory with an army was tantamount to declaring war on the State. He chose to do so anyway – allegedly uttering the words, ‘the die is cast’ as he crossed over. The war that followed raged for five years & ended with the demise of the Republic & the proclamation of Caesar as Dictator for life. These days, we recognise the expression, ‘Crossing the Rubicon’ as synonymous with the concept of ‘passing the point of no return’ – but, metaphorically speaking, this was not the only time that Caesar ‘crossed the river’ in pursuit of his ambitions. This is an interactive event during which we will examine some of those fateful decisions & consider how these might relate to modern dilemmas in leadership & business.

Get In Touch

Women of Power!

Part 1: Cleopatra

Throughout the course of history, our world has been largely shaped by the actions & ambitions of powerful men – rulers, dictators, religious & elected leaders, scientists & philosophers – their stories told & retold by other influential men. In contrast (until recent times) the expected role of women has been to stay quietly in the background, nurturing egos & delivering the next generation. And yet, in the rare instances where women have broken free of the prevailing order to exert their own, feminine influence on the world around them, they have proved time & again that sex is no barrier to achievements of the grandest order. Typically, their stories too were told by the men around them – filtered through the lens of patriarchal stereotypes. How often then, that powerful women were reduced by early commentators to contemporary stereotypes – highly strung, impressionable, fickle & immoral; driven & undermined by their passions. This series will explore the reality of female leaders in action by examining the critical choices of some of history’s most enigmatic women of power, starting with Cleopatra VII – the last Pharaoh of Egypt.

Get In Touch

Would you Adam and Eve it!

What modern leaders can learn from the brilliant, brave, and foolhardy actions that shaped, and ended, the Peasants' Revolt.

'When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman!' This was the question posed to the masses by the radical preacher John Ball in 1381. The ideal of a free and just society resonated powerfully with a people oppressed by the bonds of serfdom, and crippled by unfair taxes. The revolt it inspired was well organised, efficient, and very nearly succeeded in its aims but for the arrogant naivety of one man, their leader Wat Tyler. This is an interactive event during which we will explore how the lessons of 1381 can help us manage our own battles and lead our teams to success.

Get In Touch

Not All a Bed of Roses!

From Plantagenets to Tudors, examining the fateful strategies that determined who should wear the crown of England and how these might play out in modern business.

Known to history as the wars of the roses, the brutal interfamilial clash between the Plantagenet Houses of Lancaster and York raged for over 30 years, ultimately clearing the way for a new royal House of Tudor to emerge victorious from the ashes. This is a series of interactive zoom events during which we will examine the circumstances and critical decisions of four vastly different leaders; Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VII and consider what their individual successes and failures can teach us about leadership in modern business.

Get In Touch

Divorced, Beheaded, Died...

What the fate of Henry VIII's six wives can teach us about keeping our heads in modern day business.

Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived - most of us are familiar with the fate of Henry’s six queens. But what can we learn from their individual stories of passion, intrigue and ambition that can help us navigate the pitfalls of our own complex world. This is an interactive event during which we will consider how the lessons of the time might just help us keep our own heads and succeed in business.

Get In Touch

Getting Stuff Done!

Tips on what works - and what doesn't - from the playbook of Henry VIII's greatest Mr Fixer: Thomas Cromwell

The BBC's superb production of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall undoubtedly introduced Thomas Cromwell to a whole new audience - offering us, perhaps, a more nuanced character than the man we may have encountered at school. Whatever we make of him in the context of 21st century mores - enlightened reformer, or social saboteur - there is no disputing the fact that he 'got stuff done', mainly for the benefit of his capricious, endlessly demanding master, Henry VIII - yet always with an eye to his own agenda. This is an interactive event, during which we will explore some of Cromwell's most extraordinary achievements to identify, what worked well, what cost him his head, and how these lessons might apply to modern business.

Get In Touch

Doubting Thomas! Conflicts of interest in the Tudor Court

What modern leaders can learn from the epic rise, and spectacular fall, of the four great Thomases of Tudor England.

Thomas Wolsey, Thomas Moore, Thomas Cromwell, and Thomas Cranmer, four of the most influential men of Tudor England. Yet, ultimately, each was brought down by a conflict of interest that set them on an inescapable collision course with their sovereign. This will be an interactive event, during which we will reflect on the personal dilemmas faced by each of these great men as they sought, in vain, to defend their position and save their lives. And, with so many high profile conflicts of interest dominating today's news, we will ask ourselves, what lessons can we learn from the archives of the past.

Get In Touch

Nine Days' Wonder?

How to keep your head whilst bringing a new product to market.

On 10 July, 1553 Lady Jane Dudley (nee Grey) was proclaimed Queen under the terms of her cousin, Edward VI's last will & testament. Her reign lasted just nine days before the throne was reclaimed by Mary Tudor, oldest daughter, & legal heir, of Henry VIII. Recognised by Mary as an innocent pawn in the manoeuvrings of her ambitious family, Jane was initially spared execution - but her fate was sealed when her father and uncles subsequently joined in rebellion against Mary's plans to wed Philip of Spain. Jane and her husband were beheaded on Tower Green on 12 February 1554. This is an interactive event during which we will be thinking about the parallels we can draw, and the lessons we can apply, when introducing a new product to a market that already has an established leader.

Get In Touch

Mary, Queen of Chance!

What modern leaders can learn from the fateful decision making of Mary Queen of Scots.

On 8 February 1587 the tragic life of Mary Queen of Scots was brought to its brutal end on the orders of her cousin, Elizabeth 1. She had been a prisoner of the English queen for nineteen years, captured by those to whom she had turned for help in her hour of need. But the decision to flee to England was not the first risky decision made by the young Scottish queen during her six turbulent years in charge. This is an interactive event, during which we will use a combination of coaching techniques, and modern business tools, to reflect on the influences at play during Mary’s brief stewardship of Scotland, and consider how these same tools might help us safely steer our own course through the complex maze of 21st century business.

Get In Touch

Gunpowder, Treason and Plot!

What the failed attempt to blow up the English parliament in 1605 can teach us about risk management in modern business.

'Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot!'

Immortalised in the words of this nursery rhyme, most UK children grow up familiar with the story of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. In actual fact, the leader of the plot was not Guy Fawkes but the charismatic Robert Catesby, a young man with passion, vision, courage and influence – qualities we generally deem essential for modern leaders. Yet the project was doomed to failure almost from the very start and is, these days, believed by many to have been actively facilitated by government agents as a complex and elaborate trap intended to eliminate the suspected threat posed by recusant Catholics living in a largely Protestant country. This is an interactive event during which we will explore how the lessons of November 1605 can help us manage the risks inherent within our own projects, avoiding the fireworks and increasing our chances of a successful conclusion.

Get In Touch

Let Them Eat Cake!

What Marie-Antoinette's fate can teach modern leaders about the importance of emotional intelligence in maintaining business success.

Contrary to popular belief, Marie-Antoinette never actually uttered the fateful words ‘Let them eat cake’. Nevertheless, her profligacy during the early years of her reign quickly earned her the nickname Madame Deficit and she was widely blamed for the country’s financial struggles. Compounded by lurid allegations of sexual depravity, the unfortunate queen found herself the target of a building rage that was to lead, ultimately, to the complete destruction of the monarchy at the hands of the French revolutionaries. This will be an interactive event, during which we will reflect on how such a seemingly benign figure could provoke such a powerful contempt, and consider the lessons that can be drawn from the inevitable downfall of an institution unable and unwilling to adapt.

Get In Touch

Making an exhibition of yourself: the Victorian way!

Top tips on project management from the creators of the Crystal Palace.

The 'Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations' opened on 1 May 1851, on time and on budget. When it closed on 15 October, it was widely acknowledged to have been a phenomenal success, a unique feat of industry and innovation the scale of which, besides showcasing the major scientific developments of the day, launched a number of new business models that we still recognise today. The profits of the project were used to purchase land in South Kensington specifically for the establishment of educational and cultural institutions, creating a legacy for future generations which now includes; the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Royal Albert Hall. This will be an interactive event, during which we will reflect on the key principles of project management demonstrated so successfully by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, and consider their relevance to the conception, planning, and execution of modern day business plans.

Get In Touch

Knock, Knock! Who's There?

Lessons in leadership from past occupants of No 10!

With our newest premier still settling into the role they will undoubtedly describe as 'the honour of their life', regardless of how they perform, what better time to explore the legacy and lessons of previous incumbents. From Robert Walpole to Rishi Sunak, No 10 has borne witness to some of the most brilliant and charismatic leaders of their respective generations – it has also borne witness to some of the most unsuited. Executive and Small Business Coach, this will be an interactive event, during which we will reflect on the trials, tribulations, successes and failures of some of the most influential, and disappointing, premiers that have graced the UK political stage and ask ourselves, what matters most; policy or personality?

Get In Touch