Most people see the ride. They don't see the two hours before it. Bedford-based leadership coach Mark Taggart pulls back the curtain on Breakaway — outdoor coaching delivered on bikes — and what genuine preparation looks like for senior leaders.

There's a photo on my phone I keep coming back to. Me, mid-ride, somewhere in the middle of the country, two days into a 250-mile solo trip I needed more than I realised.

This is the story behind Breakaway - and why I believe the space you think in changes the quality of the thinking itself.

Feeling ready for change but not sure where to start?

In this post I share the three questions I explore with every client who finds themselves stuck at this crossroads - on purpose, energy, and the shape of what comes next.

Feeling like you're pedalling hard but going nowhere? It might not be you. It might be the formation.

Mark Taggart reflects on working in a founder-centric business and what it taught him about sustainable leadership.

I haven't ridden my bike outdoors since December 31st.

Until I wrote this, I hadn't told anyone. This is a post about the stories we tell, the masks we wear, and why it's never too late to stop and be honest with yourself.

Some days leadership is about survival, not sprinting. Mark Cavendish knew this - even the greatest sprinter spent most Tour days just getting through.

The question is: are you in the right team, or do you need to reframe how you're riding?

"What do you want?"

No one had asked my client that before. He was stuck playing peacekeeper when he should have been leading.

Here's why that question unlocked everything – and what it means for senior leaders trying to navigate competing demands.

Every leadership expert tells you something different about who you're supposed to be. Be vulnerable but confident. Listen but direct. The contradiction is exhausting. What if the real work isn't performing leadership - it's practising it?

A mid-week ride, an unexpected challenge, and a lesson about what happens when you stop choosing the comfortable group. Part of the Lessons from the Peloton series.