Hi Reader

I think curiosity is great. But sometimes mine takes me down unusual rabbit-holes.

A catchy story synopsis title caught my attention last Sunday; “Sherlock Holmes and The Dog That Didn’t Bark”. Of course I had to go deeper….but I’m glad I did because it reminded me of a lesson that I needed a refresher on.

And I’m pretty sure you’ll value it too.

Bear with me for a second. Imagine this. It’s match day. Your stadium or ground is humming. Your team/club is locked in battle; a crucial contest and every coach, player, and analyst is laser-focused on what is happening - the strategies, tactics, the set-plays, the obvious opposition threats.

But what if the most important clue to winning isn't in what you can see, but in what you don’t see?

Back to Sherlock Holmes; he cracked one of his toughest cases not by focusing on what happened - but by noticing what didn’t.

Let’s tease this out; there’s a valuable lesson to learn (or relearn).

But first, some big news.....

Your Read Time today is = 4 minutes..Remember to connect with me on social channels like X and Instagram​

I'm really excited about this...

This week I launched my first online Leadership Course....

"Break Free from Leadership Stagnation: 6 Transformative Principles"

There are many gaps in formal coach, management and leadership education. Not least that they offer you plenty of 'what' but not a whole pile of 'how'.

With that in mind I've designed a course focused on sharing road-tested and proven principles and frameworks to help you Step Up, Stand out and Stay Ahead. This isn't just another leadership course – this is your personal escape velocity from professional gridlock.

Across 6 innovative modules you'll gain quick insights, be able to apply the learning instantly and see an immediate uplift in how you feel, function and perform.

I've priced the course at $77; however for you guys I'd like to offer an exclusive discount.

You can avail of a 33% discount by using the code 'Leader33' at the checkout.

Check out what I know is going to be a game-changer for you..Head on over now to my Gumroad site now.

(Note: of course I also realise that perhaps you might want to sample the course in advance before investing....if that feels like something that would work for you then drop me an email to paul@theleaders.coach and I'll give you access to one module)

And now, back to today's business and Sherlock Holmes!

What if the most important clue to success lies in what you don't see??

Long story short. In the book Silver Blaze, Holmes investigates the disappearance of Silver Blaze, a top-class racehorse, and the murder of its trainer, John Straker.

During his inquiries, Holmes notes that a guard dog, present at the stable on the night of the crime, did not bark. Most would ignore this innocuous detail.

Not Holmes. He termed it "negative evidence". He deduces that the dog’s silence means the culprit was someone familiar to it. This leads him to focus on people close to the horse and stable.

Spoiler Alert: Sherlock uncovers that Straker, motivated by financial issues, attempted to injure Silver Blaze to ensure the horse could not win an upcoming race. However, Silver Blaze kicked Straker in self-defence & the trainer died from the impact.

So, the silence wasn’t just an absence of noise; it was the missing puzzle piece that solved the mystery.

Now, think about your own leadership. Are you only paying attention to the barking dogs - those daily & weekly noises that are urgent, loud, obvious, and demanding attention?

Or are you also listening for the silence; the inobvious details that could tell you something really important?

Silent Signals That No One Talks About

In sport, data is the order of the day. The best leaders, though, don’t just analyse data; they question its gaps. Look at any team performance review, and you’ll see the usual numbers; possession stats, physical stats, Expected scores etc.

But where’s the space for what isn’t being measured? Where’s the recognition of hesitation before a pass, the player who suddenly seems to disappear for 20 minutes, the strategy that mysteriously stops being used?

In leadership, what’s missing often tells you more than what’s present. Ever had a player who suddenly avoids eye contact in meetings? A group of players that stops challenging each other? A Chairman/President or board member that, instead of questioning your decisions, just stops reacting altogether?

The absence of resistance, engagement, or enthusiasm mightn’t just be a quiet moment - it might well a warning signal.

The Power of Noticing the Gaps

You know that people don’t always say what they really mean. They don’t always articulate their doubts, fears, or frustrations.

But they express them in other ways - silence, disengagement, indifference.

The coach or manager who assumes that no complaints means all is well is the leader who’s about to get blindsided by a team that might already be losing faith.

Really good leadership is about reading between the lines. The best decision-makers in sport and business aren’t just good at analysing what’s in front of them—they’re exceptional at detecting what should be there but isn’t.

Why isn’t one of the management team speaking up anymore? Why has the strategy and style everyone bought into suddenly quietly began to fade from training games or become ineffective? Why does your gut tell you that the team dynamic is feeling just a bit off, even though nothing obvious has changed? These are the moments that demand investigation.

So, that all makes sense….but how you can train yourself to see what’s not there?

It’s all well and good telling you ‘what’ but it’s important to round that out with an effective ‘how’.

What approaches are most effective so that you become aware, faster?

1. Look Beyond the Obvious: Stop obsessing over visible stats and start interrogating what’s not being discussed. We’ve quickly developed a culture that merits understanding metrics at the expense of understanding people. A team’s biggest problem isn’t always in the data; it’s often in the silent shadow it casts.
2. Silence is a Message: If certain voices have gone quiet in your meetings or on the field, it’s not because they have nothing to say. What changed? What’s stopping them?
3. Interrogate Absence: When something disappears - maybe a tactic, a behaviour, feedback or opinion - don’t assume it was irrelevant. Ask why. Habits that go missing often hold the key to what’s really happening beneath the surface.
4. Learn to Spot Passive Resistance: Not all opposition is noisy. Sometimes, the most dangerous form of disengagement is quiet compliance. The nodding heads that don’t actually believe in the vision. Ever noticed a player who was always 30 minutes early but is now arriving just on time? They aren’t breaking rules, but something has changed. Polite agreement or compliance or quiet protest could be masking deeper doubts & issues.

Be a Better Leader ➡️ Notice What’s Not Visible

Sherlock Holmes didn’t solve the mystery by studying the evidence in front of him. He cracked this case by noticing what was missing. It’s one of the competencies that separates really good leaders from the rest.

Your team, your club, your culture, they all have lots to say. They’re all speaking to you, not just in words and actions, but in silences and omissions. If you don’t train yourself to hear them, you could quickly find yourself a step behind and not able to catch up.

Over the years I’ve seen, and felt, that in leadership, just like in Holmes’ world, the biggest mistakes often don’t come from bad decisions.

They come from the ones you never thought you needed to make.

Interested in more leadership frameworks to help you perform better?

Then check out my YouTube channel: Paul Clarke - The Leaders Coach.

Let’s connect: On X and Linkedin

Another Newsletter you might find useful....

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A Master's Voice....

Leadership is complex. As deep and broad as the ocean. But we have to find some simplicity; and what better question to guide you? Are you doing what it takes to bring out the best in your people; individually and collectively? How does what you are doing right now rate? Simple questions but ones that will always prove to guide you back to true north.

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Thank you for being part of the Leaders Coach community. The work on how to lead better is something you have to do alone. But you don't have to do it on your own. Onward and Upward, Paul Clarke

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