Michael Drayton

Dr Mike Drayton writes about something we often prefer not to talk about at work: feelings. His books explore how emotions and relationships influence the way we lead, make decisions, deal with pressure and behave with each other.

Mike is a leadership coach and clinical psychologist. Much of his work is concerned with understanding why perfectly sensible people can behave in surprisingly irrational ways at work, particularly when they are under pressure, anxious or uncertain.

His latest book, The Emotional Life of Organisations, was a finalist in the Business Book Awards 2026 and was Highly Commended in its category. It looks at how emotions shape leadership, decision-making, culture and organisational performance. His previous books include Leading Hybrid Organisations, Anti-Burnout and The Saboteur at Work.

Mike's career has taken him through some very different worlds, including clinical psychology in the NHS and work with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Earlier experiences include working as a London bus driver and as a paramedic, where he was among those who responded to the Clapham rail disaster. These very different settings have given him plenty of opportunities to see how people behave when things do not go according to plan.

Mike was educated at the London School of Economics, the University of Birmingham and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. He is a Senior Practitioner with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.