Why ARETE Exists

Most advisory work fails not because the advice is wrong, but because it arrives too quickly.

Decisions are rushed. Context is missed. Confidence is mistaken for clarity.
Leaders are given answers before the real questions have been properly understood.

ARETE Advisory exists to slow that moment down, to bring perspective, judgment and calm thinking when leadership decisions begin to carry more weight than they used to.

The Moment ARETE Is Built For

This work usually begins when something subtle has changed.

Growth has added complexity.
Decisions feel heavier.
Progress is still happening, but with more friction than before.

Nothing is broken - but the way forward is no longer obvious.

These moments don’t need louder advice or generic frameworks.
They need clear thinking, honest challenge, and experienced perspective.

The ARETE Point of View

ARETE is grounded in a simple belief:
Highest effectiveness comes from doing the right things, at the right time, in the right way.

That shows up in three principles:

Clarity before action - Momentum built on confusion rarely lasts.

Strength without ego - Good leadership doesn’t perform certainty, it earns trust.

Momentum that lasts - Short-term fixes are easy. Sustainable progress takes judgment.

These principles shape every conversation, regardless of role, sector or situation.

What “Critical Friend” Really Means

ARETE works as a critical friend to founders and leadership teams.

Not a consultant brought in to impress.
Not an expert who takes decisions away.
Not a cheerleader who avoids uncomfortable truths.

A critical friend listens carefully, challenges assumptions, and stays present when conversations become difficult, strengthening decisions without owning them.

The role is not to provide answers.
It is to improve the quality of thinking behind the answers leaders choose to make.

Who This Work Is For

ARETE works best with owner-led and founder-managed businesses navigating growth, transition or increasing complexity, typically where the cost of decisions has risen, and clarity matters more than speed.

It is not designed for organisations looking for:

• quick fixes

• off-the-shelf programmes

• responsibility without accountability

That selectivity is intentional.
Trust works best when expectations are clear on both sides.

The Person Behind ARETE

ARETE Advisory is led by Richard Done.

Richard has spent decades inside complex, regulated and growth-focused environments, working closely with founders, leadership teams and boards at moments where decisions genuinely matter.

The experience that matters most isn’t time served, but pattern recognition:
Knowing when momentum is real, when it’s forced and when pause is the most effective move available.

ARETE is not built on theory.
It is built on judgment.

A Simple Invitation

If any of this resonates, the next step is not a proposal.

It’s a conversation.

Sometimes a single, well-held discussion is enough to restore clarity, even if nothing else follows.

Start with a strategic conversation.