Our Story

The Ceannas Story starts in 1995 when, as part of his doctoral research, Don Ledingham used the power of metaphor to study culture in schools.

Over the next ten years he began to develop a model of leadership based upon metaphors that synthesised all the reading and research that he’d done up to that time.

The model he developed became known as The Seven Sides of Educational Leadership and was used extensively with educational leaders at that time.

Fast forward another ten years and Don took the bold decision to leave his public service roles and test out the model, by then known as the Ceannas Lenses, in the commercial world.

He established Ceannas in 2015 with the intention of creating a business that would change our views about, and practice of leadership development.

As the business expanded Don was joined by his son Lewis, who had forged his own successful career in IT solutions, as co-chief executive, and his daughter-in-law Sarah, who had a background in law and HR, as chief operating officer.

While maintaining a family ownership structure the business has benefitted from a range of exceptional associates who have made a huge contribution to the success of Ceannas.

Over the last nine years Ceannas has evolved and developed to the extent where it now enjoys an international footprint, with a client list that includes some of the world’s top companies.

The Ceannas vision is to build a 100-year-old company that makes a long-term sustainable impact on leaders, the organisations they lead, and the world in which we live

The Ceannas Curve captures the Ceannas proposition in a singular diagram and shows our absolute focus on leadership behaviour.

We introduce leaders to ’new ways of looking’ and new ‘ways of thinking’ about leadership that enables new ‘ways of behaving’.

Our approach creates an exponential improvement in leadership performance that continues well beyond engagement with Ceannas.

The Ceannas Learning Cycle describes the six stage process of how we acquire and embed productive changes to our leadership behaviour.

Central to our model is the idea that leadership behaviour is not fixed and that leadership can be learned.

By helping individuals to “look” and ”think” differently, we enable leaders to select the changes most pertinent to them which in turn leads to productive shifts in behaviour.

The Ceannas Knowledge Ecosystem

Evolved over 25 years the Ceannas Knowledge Ecosystem is a powerful and interconnected set of frameworks that are made up of the Ceannas Lenses, the Cultural Footprint, and Wise Leadership.

The Ecosystem provides leaders with a comprehensive and integrated approach to leadership development. It equips them with the tools, perspectives, and frameworks necessary to understand and make high-impact changes to their behaviour, influence their organisation’s culture, and make wise decisions that have a positive impact upon their organisation and the society in which we live.

The Science behind Ceannas

We operate on the basis of ‘less is more’ and ‘keep it simple’, but for those who want to know more about the science that underpins the Ceannas methodology:

1. Constructivist Learning Theory informs leadership by examining how individuals acquire knowledge and skills. We use this insight to create effective learning, development programmes, and adaptive strategies for enhancing team performance and growth Learn more

2. Behavioural Economics informs leadership by studying human behaviour, motivations, and decision-making, aiding leaders in understanding and influencing their team’s dynamics, productivity, and organisational culture effectively. Learn more

3. A Learning Organisation is an entity that values and promotes continuous learning and development among its members to achieve its goals. It encourages innovation, collaboration, and adaptation, fostering an environment where individuals and teams actively seek and share knowledge. Learn more

Ceannas: Means Leadership

Ceannas, the Gaelic word for “leadership” encompasses the qualities and principles of effective leadership in Scottish and Gaelic culture.

It emphasises traits like wisdom, integrity, fairness, accountability, and making decisions for the greater good. Ceannas goes beyond holding authority; it entails responsible exercise of authority with consideration for ethics, the common good, and a sustainable future.

Our fingerprint logo demonstrates our focus on the unique nature of personal change, and the centrality of leaders owning that change process.