As the chief executive of a leadership development consultancy, there is plenty of expectation — all eyes are on you to practice what you preach. Chris Parry seems to bear the pressure well, as her staff will testify. Employees at the Centre for High Performance Development (CHPD) believe she is doing a great job, awarding her a 90% positive score. They are also inspired by her (86%) and believe she runs the organisation based on sound moral principles (85%). Although it sounds like a sporting academy for gifted athletes, CHPD in fact advises companies on leadership skills for staff at all levels of management. With offices in London, America and Australia, it has expanded quickly since it was founded in 1994 and can lay claim to plenty of A-list clients, from Amex to Xerox. Staff at CHPD come from all walks of professional life, including former lawyers, accountants, even a former diplomat. Each employee has a mentor on the board whom they can meet to discuss any issue, without it affecting their appraisal. As well as their line manager, employees also get a coach, either internal or external, and each staff member receives approximately 12 days' training a year. The firm's personal development programme also encourages staff to learn a skill outside work, such as a language or sport. This ethos seemingly works, with staff saying the training in the job really helps them (81%) and that the job is good for their personal growth (92%), ranking CHPD at number one on the top 100 list in that category. The company runs a "traffic light" system to gauge the mood and identify any problems internally or with clients (with red indicating a problem, amber a potential problem and green heralding success). Any issues are dealt with at monthly "knowledge exchange" or bimonthly "grapevine" sessions. Good internal communication such as this means that the firm scores 81% in our survey for managers caring about how satisfied team members are in their jobs. This year sees the introduction of a healthcare benefit scheme that can be earned through points collection and cashback options. Employees are excited about the direction of the organisation, putting CHPD in fourth position on the list in that category with a 92% positive score. Staff are sent potted biographies of new starters before they arrive. This helps them feel part of the company as soon as they begin working. Current employees already feel fully involved at work, giving the firm an 88% score, the highest of all 100 best small companies. There are plenty of awards to be won, and the company ball in May is the platform for the prize-giving. Recognition includes awards for commercial contribution, positive impact on clients, development of CHPD colleagues, external consultant of the year, greatest personnel development and commitment to the CHPD team. With an 82% positive score, employees feel that good work is consistently recognised. They also believe they can make a valuable contribution to the company's success (92%), placing CHPD at the top of the list in this category. With 55 staff, none of whom are over the age of 55, CHPD is a vibrant company. Teamwork is key to its success, with employees saying they are confident in the abilities of colleagues and that their team is fun to work with, both categories attracting positive scores of 84%. Parry is one of just 11 female leaders in the top 100 small companies. She gets a top 10 score for doing a great job (90%) and staff have faith in her, the 89% score here ranking the firm 14th.