Alan Johnson- That NLP Bloke

09/04/2026

Something a bit different from me today. 👋

Most leadership training teaches you what to do.
This one teaches you what to do when your own head gets in the way.

I've spent 20 years working with leaders who are brilliant at their jobs — and quietly struggling with the stuff nobody talks about in leadership courses.

The imposter syndrome that gets louder the more senior you get. 😬
The overthinking that follows you home at night. 🌀
The people pleasing that's slowly killing your authority. 🙋
The conversations you've been putting off for months. 😬
The drama that somehow always finds you. 🎭
The boundaries you keep meaning to set. 🚧
Sound familiar?

I've taken everything I know about how people actually work — after 20 years of NLP training, psychotherapy, coaching and working with leaders across every sector — and built it into one programme.

Overthunk! Leadership 🎯
Six days. Three blocks. Small group. No fluff.

If you lead people — or you're about to — this is for you. Whether you're in business, the public sector, a charity, or anywhere in between.
🗓️ Block 1 — Thu/Fri 18–19 June 2026
🗓️ Block 2 — Mon/Tue 13–14 July 2026
🗓️ Block 3 — Thu/Fri 3–4 September 2026
📍 Northallerton, North Yorkshire
👥 12 spaces only

💰 £1295 + VAT
£995 + VAT (third sector / charity/ not for profit)

The first cohort gets a founding price that won't be repeated. After this it goes up — and that's not a sales tactic, it's just honest. 🙌

Full details and booking in the comments 👇

Tag someone who needs this. 🏷️

18/02/2026

It's 3am. You're awake. Again.

Not because of a crisis. Because your brain has decided that NOW is the perfect time to replay that thing you said in a meeting six hours ago.

It wasn't even a bad thing. But your brain has found seventeen ways it could have been interpreted badly and is now running all of them simultaneously.

This isn't anxiety. It's not insomnia. It's your threat detection system running a programme it learned years ago.

And it's fixable.
alanjohnsonchange.com/quiz — find out what your brain is actually costing you.

A quick self-assessment to find out if overthinking, people-pleasing, or imposter syndrome is holding you back.

04/02/2026

"You won't always have a calculator in your pocket!"

That's what my maths teacher told me in the 1970s. (Gen X Comprehensive School lad)

Turned out she was spectacularly wrong. Now I've got a calculator, the entire knowledge of human civilisation, AND three different ways to order pizza, all in my back pocket.
And yet somehow, we didn't all turn into drooling idiots incapable of basic arithmetic.

Same panic, different decade.
Remember when pocket calculators were going to "dumb us down"? When COVID forced us all onto Zoom and we thought face-to-face connection was dead? When sat navs arrived and people genuinely worried we'd forget how to navigate?

Here's the thing: technology is brilliant. When you use it to enhance what makes you human, not replace it.

AI is the latest addition to the toolkit. It can draft your emails, analyse your data, even write your meeting notes. Fantastic. Use it.

But here's where people are cocking it up:
They're following AI recommendations like a sat nav that's just told them to drive into the sea.
No critical thinking.
No human judgment.
Just "the computer said so" - right over the bloody cliff edge!

The tools don't make you thick. Switching your brain off does.

Calculators didn't stop mathematicians thinking - they freed them up to solve bigger problems.
Zoom didn't kill connection - it just reminded us how much we actually need the real thing.
Sat navs work brilliantly - until you stop looking at the actual road.

AI is the same.

Use it to handle the boring s**t so you can focus on what actually matters: human communication, real connection, and thinking for yourself.

Because here's what AI will never replace:
- Reading the room
- Building trust
- Having a difficult conversation
- Leading people through change
- Knowing when someone's talking bo****ks
That's all you, mate. The human stuff. The stuff that actually moves the needle.

So yeah, embrace AI. Just don't hand it your brain while you're at it.
Use the tech. Keep your grey matter engaged. And if you need help navigating this brave new world while keeping the human connection at the heart of what you do?

That's exactly what I help people with - cutting through the noise, sharpening your thinking, and getting the best out of yourself and your team without losing what makes us human in the first place.

Drop me a message. Let's talk.
hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

16/01/2026

When a Business Owner Gets Unstuck
I wanted to share this lovely feedback from Sharon Starkey, succesful business owner at Resolution in Teesside. If it resonates, please get in contact with me.

"My business has been trading for 12 years and in that time there has been lots of change, both professionally and personally. I've learned so much but had become increasingly aware that I was repeatedly getting stuck in the same areas.

There were aspects of my role that I found challenging, particularly in areas others seemed to manage with ease. I was also interested in understanding how my approach affected the wider team. I initially approached Alan to help me navigate difficult conversations, address topics I tended to avoid and reduce unnecessary complexity so the business could operate more effectively.

Alan has played a key role in helping me develop a deeper understanding of myself, my values, the reasons behind my behaviours and the impact they can have on others. Most importantly, he has worked with me to address these areas and change learned patterns that were having a negative effect.

In a relatively short space of time, Alan has had an astounding impact on me and the business. The results are significant; my thinking is clearer, decisions feel more straightforward and situations that once felt difficult are now far easier to manage.

From our first conversation, Alan was clear about how he could help and the level of commitment required, which allowed me to make a well-informed decision. His logical approach, calm manner, insight and expertise have been invaluable. I’ve seen positive and lasting change not only in my business, but across all areas of my life.

I am only disappointed I didn’t find Alan sooner."

This is what happens when you stop avoiding the conversations, stop overcomplicating things, and start understanding why you do what you do.

The stuck feeling? It's not permanent. But it won't shift on its own.

If you're running a business and keep getting caught in the same patterns - avoiding certain conversations, overthinking decisions, or making things harder than they need to be - let's talk.

We'll work out if I can help, and if I can't, I'll tell you straight.

You're overthinking everything. Second-guessing decisions. Lying awake at 3am replaying conversations you can't change. Whether you're a busy leader drowning in responsibility or simply someone who knows there's more to life than this – I can help.

17/10/2025

This post went viral over on Linked In- not sure how!
Over 320k impressions, 1250 reactions, 79 comments and 91 reposts

Some people will never get it/ you- move on!

Stop Trying to Convince Everyone Here's something I tell every small business owner I work with: Bees don't waste time trying to convince flies that honey tastes better than s**t. Read that again. As a leader, you'll knacker yourself trying to convince the wrong people to see your vision. You'll was...

01/08/2025

Didn't write this one- but mine is out today!

30/05/2025

Truth

11/04/2025

Spend loads of money- rush your learning, get high on a feeling and then try and figure out what you are doing.

Please do your research before booking on NLP training
It is an amazing and life-changing thing if taught well and with good ecology

The Hidden Dangers of Short NLP Training Courses

Are you considering NLP training to enhance your personal life or professional skills? Before you invest your time and money in a "McLearning" experience, let's talk about why these rushed, abbreviated training programs can be not only ineffective but potentially harmful.

At Change Working, I believe proper NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) education requires adequate time, practice, and supervision—because mastering mind techniques in five or six days makes about as much sense as becoming a surgeon after binge-watching Grey's Anatomy.

Why Short Courses Fall Short

Many week long "intensive" NLP courses promise full practitioner certification at premium prices. They're the educational equivalent of microwaving a gourmet meal—all the ingredients are there, but the results are... questionable.

Even more questionable are the £7 online 'courses'

Insufficient Integration Time

Genuine skill development in NLP requires:
Time for concepts to be absorbed (your brain isn't a USB drive)
Opportunities to practice techniques (beyond nodding enthusiastically)
Space for reflection and integration (sorry, overnight osmosis isn't real)
Supervised application with feedback (because "close enough" doesn't cut it)

When training is compressed into just five or six days, participants are so overwhelmed with information they leave looking like they've been hit by the NLP express train.

Lack of Supervised Practice
Developing competence in NLP techniques requires practice—lots of it. Short courses typically rush through demonstrations faster than a caffeinated auctioneer, leaving you with theoretical knowledge but practical skills that are about as solid as a chocolate teapot.

The Real Dangers
Beyond simply wasting your money (though we know you probably have plenty of that to throw around, right?), inadequate NLP training poses genuine risks:

Potential for psychological harm: Poorly applied NLP techniques can unintentionally trigger emotional responses in others. Often this is done as a 'demo' in front of a large audience with very little support afterwards. It's like handing someone a chainsaw after showing them a lumberjack TikTok and saying "Good luck!"

False confidence: Brief courses create the illusion of competence—the psychological equivalent of thinking you can perform heart surgery because you once successfully removed a splinter. This is creating a 'hyped-up' kinaesthetic (feeling) change that boosts endorphins temporarily so you sign up for the next overpriced master practitioner course when high on your own chemicals.

Ethical concerns: Without proper training in ethical application, you might accidentally become that person everyone avoids at parties because you're trying to "fix" them between appetizers.

The Change Working Difference
The INLPTA comprehensive 20 day NLP Practitioner program is structured to ensure genuine competence—because I believe in crazy concepts like "actual learning" and "real skill development."

When considering NLP training, remember that developing real skill requires appropriate time and practice. Choose a program that respects the learning process rather than one promising to turn you into an NLP wizard faster than you can say "weekend certification."

After all, if you could master complex psychological techniques in six days, wouldn't therapists just be handing out degrees at drive-thru windows?

Would you like to learn more about the approach to NLP training at Change Working and how it differs from these fast-food alternatives to education?

You can trust me, as I have been training NLP for 20 years and have hundreds of satisfied customers.

I believe in making the learning environment safe and collaborative- allowing for integration of learning

Please contact me for more information
Alan

11/04/2025

At risk of being a sheep- this is quite clever tech

04/04/2025

Language and attitude is very important- it really makes a difference to outcomes for people.

Much of the langauge around behaviours that may be seen as 'different' is out of date and unhelpful- it comes from a time when state and church were linked- and judgement and morality overruled kindness and understanding.

This is noticeable from Joe Public and professionals alike.

110 years ago, if you had Post Traumatic Stress- you could well have been called a coward and shot for desertion if you couldn't face the horror of war.

Language has improved in most cases since (though care can still be very poor)

Until 1967 in England & Wales it was illegal for a man to be gay- never women technically (1980 Scotland and 1982 Northern Ireland) and was considered a mental illness according to the DSM until 1973 and WHO until 1992.

In the UK at least language and attitude around this has dramatically improved in my lifetime.

The language around su***de has implicatons from when it was illegal in the UK to take your own life- this was only repealed in 1961!

'commiting' su***de implies commiting a crime at a time when someone needs safe connection and understanding.

Please see the below for an indication of better and kinder language to use, to be sensitive to people who are being/ have been affected by this.

Hopefully we can improve the language and be more confident to talk about this to people who have thoughts of su***de or need someone to listen well to prevent those thoughts or actions. Or for family, friends and colleagues who have been affected by somone who has died by su***de.

Thanks to Every Life Matters Cumbria for this in the supporting literature from the conference yesterday

24/03/2025

📢 Are you suffering from the perfectionist's trap?
You know, the kind of person who would rather die than submit something with a typo. The kind who would stay up until 3 AM "perfecting" a presentation that was already perfectly fine at 10 PM.
🤦‍♀️
Here's the dirty little secret about perfectionism that nobody tells you: it's not about excellence. It's about FEAR.

Perfectionism is just a clever little trap your brain sets so you can constantly "prove" to yourself that you're not good enough. It's gaslighting yourself, but with extra steps and fewer weekends.

Think about it:
The project that's 95% done but sits in draft for months because it's "not ready"
The business idea you haven't launched because "someone else is doing it better"
The email you've rewritten 17 times because the tone isn't "quite right"
What have these perfectionistic tendencies actually GIVEN you?

Besides anxiety, impostor syndrome, and a permanently furrowed brow?

The most successful people I know have embraced "good enough" as their secret weapon. They send the idea before it's perfect. They hit send on the email with the typo. They launch the service while others are still planning.

And guess what? The world doesn't end. In fact, it often rewards them for showing up while perfectionists are still tweaking in the shadows.

My mantra: "Done is better than perfect."

When you try to be a perfectionist, you never feel good enough
When you accept things are already good enough, it feels perfectly fine

What project are you sitting on right now that could be "good enough" to ship? What would happen if you released it into the wild with all its beautiful imperfections?

I dare you to be gloriously, productively imperfect today. ✨

17/03/2025

👂 **Two Ears, One Mouth: The Art of Listening to Understand** 🗣️

We’ve all heard the phrase, “We have two ears and one mouth for a reason.” But how often do we truly put it into practice?

Listening isn’t just about hearing words—it’s about understanding intent, emotions, and perspectives. It’s about pausing our own inner dialogue to fully be present for someone else.

Here’s why listening to understand is a superpower in both personal and professional life:
✅ It builds stronger relationships by fostering trust and mutual respect.
✅ It uncovers innovative solutions by embracing diverse perspectives.
✅ It diffuses conflicts by showing empathy and validating others' feelings.

💡 **Next time you're in a conversation, try this:**
- Ask open-ended questions to invite deeper insights.
- Refrain from interrupting—let others fully express themselves.
- Reflect back what you’ve heard to confirm understanding.

Listening is an act of service, a sign of leadership, and a gift we can all give. Because when we truly listen, we open the door to connection, collaboration, and growth.

Two ears- one mouth; use them in that proportion

🔗 How do you practice active listening in your daily life? Share your thoughts below!