When coaching is practiced at a high standard:
· Leaders gain clarity about who they are and how they want to show up.
· They develop emotional intelligence that strengthens relationships.
· They grow the cultural awareness required in diverse workplaces.
· Their decisions become more aligned with their purpose and values.
The work becomes more than a conversation. It becomes a catalyst for meaningful, sustained change.
““It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple.””
c/o Ralph Hutter
Why do organisations reward politics instead of performance?
Effective leadership interrupts this pattern. Leaders who prize transparency, evidence-based evaluation, and emotionally intelligent communication create cultures where performance is understood, recognised, and fairly rewarded. These leaders model accountability, reduce ambiguity, and ensure that each person can trust the system they are part of. When leaders actively listen, offer clarity, and address inequities, the political environment weakens and psychological safety rises. Performance becomes visible again.
If you feel frustrated by internal politics or unsure how to influence your organisation without compromising your values, a coaching conversation can help you understand your position, expand your options, and strengthen your leadership presence.
If any of this resonates, you are welcome to book a complimentary 30-minute discovery call to explore how coaching can support your leadership journey. Link here
Why do organisations reward politics instead of performance?
When leaders question why high performers feel overlooked while politically savvy colleagues advance, the answer often lies in deeper cultural and structural issues. Many organisations unintentionally reward political behaviour because performance is not consistently or objectively measured. When expectations are vague, feedback is inconsistent, or reward criteria shift from one leader to another, people quickly learn that visibility, alliances, and impression-management provide a more predictable route to progression than competence or contribution.
This dynamic does not arise from bad people. It comes from human behaviour in unclear systems. In environments where certainty is low, individuals rely on self-protection, influence, or affiliation to remain safe. Over time, this creates cultures where the ability to “play the game” feels more valuable than the ability to create meaningful results.
There are three questions that can instantly diffuse a difficult conversation:
What would you suggest?
What would it take for you to agree?
Can you live with it?
Every time I have ever gone through this cycle of questions or coached someone to do this, the result has been a breakthrough. I think these questions shift the conversation from defensiveness to problem-solving and create space for clarity, ownership, and shared solutions. What do you think?
Who have you been raised to believe you are?
Who is the version of you that you want to preserve as you move through this season of life?
““We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do, but not enough time telling them what to stop.””
Without elimination, there can be no creation.
Would you like greater clarity on who you are?
To understand why you are pursuing something, and to define what success truly means for you?
When you do, you stop trying to fit in and start finding genuine connection and belonging with those who are walking the journey alongside you.
c/o @GregorPurdy
Many people still distrust counsellors, therapists, or other support professionals, and as a result, become too numb to resist the weight of their struggles. However, working with a coach can be transformative. After working with me for three, six, or twelve months, my clients develop a deep understanding of themselves, learn to trust their instincts, and to feel secure in their own decisions.
I think when guiding leaders, the aim is always to empower them to think independently and act on their own behalf, ultimately making the coach’s role unnecessary. Through this process, clients come to recognise and harness the remarkable strength that lies within them.
““I have never learned anything from talking. I only learn things by asking questions.””
c/o Maja de Silva
Psychological safety is a shared belief among team members that it is safe to take interpersonal risks, for example, to speak up, share ideas, or admit mistakes without fear of retribution, humiliation, or harsh criticism. The concept was first defined by Amy Edmondson, Professor at Harvard Business School.
Psychological safety does not mean that everyone must always agree or avoid difficult conversations. It does not encourage false harmony or unearned praise. Instead, it allows for candour, constructive disagreement, and the free exchange of ideas.
When psychological safety is present, everyone’s voice matters. People feel encouraged to ask questions, raise concerns, and offer new perspectives. Edmondson used “the soil, not the seed” as a metaphor for the environment that allows learning and growth to happen.
In organisations with high psychological safety, good things happen:
· Mistakes are reported quickly, allowing for rapid corrective action.
· Collaboration across teams and departments becomes seamless.
· Innovative, game-changing ideas are shared rather than hidden.
I think psychological safety is therefore not a “soft” concept, it is a strategic source of value creation in complex, fast-changing environments where learning, adaptability, and innovation are essential. What do you think?
To improve psychological safety, leaders must:
Encourage open dialogue and active listening, especially around difficult topics
Reward those who raise concerns, rather than isolate them
Create systems where feedback is not just heard but acted upon
Psychological safety is not only about avoiding conflict; it is about creating an environment where truth can be spoken and heard.
In Greek mythology, Cassandra was given the gift of prophecy but cursed so that no one would believe her warnings. In organisational life, a Cassandra culture develops when individuals who raise concerns are dismissed, ignored, or even punished. Over time, this discourages others from speaking up, and critical risks or insights go unnoticed until it is too late.
What are the three rules before you speak?
The great Sufi poet, Rumi, believed that before we speak our words should pass through three gates.
- At the first gate, ask yourself, “Is it true?”
- At the second gate ask, “Is it necessary?”
- At the third gate ask, “Is it kind?”
““Before you speak, listen.
Before you write, think.
Before you spend, earn.
Before you invest, investigate.
Before you criticise, wait.
Before you pray, forgive.
Before you quit, try.
Before you retire, save.
Before you die, give.””
When we tie our identity to external achievements, we actually become more fragile, not stronger. The brain interprets failure as a threat, for example, if I don’t reach this goal, I’m not good enough, and this triggers a stress response.
True resilience comes from knowing you are secure in who you are, regardless of whether you win or lose. It still hurts when things don’t go your way and that’s human. I think that instead of getting stuck in “protect mode,” try shifting your mind into “learning and growth mode.” One simple and powerful way to do that? Spend time with people who lift you up. Social connection releases oxytocin, which calms the brain and helps you recover faster from setbacks.
As a coach I don’t take responsibility for the outcome as that belongs to the client. I’m not a performance or outcome-only coach, as AI is better at that, for example:
“How to make a plan.”
“Here’s a checklist.”
“Here’s how to do X, Y and Z.”
For me, coaching is about human connection. It’s about creating a space where we can be vulnerable, reflective, and curious. A space to explore what gets in the way when we are navigating the situations we find ourselves in.
If any of this resonates, you are welcome to book a complimentary 30-minute discovery call to explore how coaching can support your journey. Link here
““More is lost by indecision than wrong decision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity.””
I often meet leaders who feel siloed, they are successful on the surface, yet deeply isolated in their roles. It’s not that they don’t have people around them; it’s that they have no safe space to think out loud.
They can’t talk openly at home, because after a long day at the office, the last thing their spouse wants to hear about is another work crisis. They can’t speak up to the board or the C-suite, because vulnerability at that level is often misunderstood as weakness. And they can’t confide in their peers, who are managing their own pressures and politics. Managing down isn’t an option either as no leader wants to offload their worries onto the people who report to them.
So where does that leave them? Alone, carrying the full weight of responsibility without a space to process it.
That’s where coaching comes in. Once a leader steps into a coaching space, they finally have room to pause, unpack, and think clearly, without judgement or expectation. It’s a place to explore ideas, challenge assumptions, and reconnect with the values that make them the kind of leader people want to follow.
Many of the leaders I work with want to use their authority in a way that supports both their teams and themselves. They want to lead with strength and compassion, to deliver results while remaining approachable. To be good at what they do, and still be a good person.
Executive coaching helps them achieve that balance. It allows leaders to step back from constant performance mode, to regain perspective, and to lead with clarity and authenticity again. If any of this resonates, you are welcome to book a complimentary 30-minute discovery call to explore how coaching can support your leadership journey. Link here
We have all been socialised to provide value, to share our wisdom and knowledge to make things easier for others. And I think that this instinct can be hard to let go of. As a coach, I have had to push my ego aside and remember that my role isn’t about what I know. Interestingly, the ICF recently updated their Core Competencies, changing the language from “sharing knowledge” to “sharing insights.” It’s a subtle but meaningful shift, one that highlights how coaching is less about teaching and more about creating space for awareness.
Now I have started approaching it this way: Here’s some knowledge I have gained, and this is how I learned it. What do you think about it? That simple change invites reflection instead of direction. What do you think?
Do you tie your sense of identity to your achievements?
Many high performers do, often without realising it. Promotions, recognition, and external success can become the markers we use to measure our worth. Research shows that when we prioritise the external over the internal, our wellbeing suffers. I think the drive for achievement can easily blur into anxiety, self-doubt, and fear of falling short.
That inner voice , the one that questions your ability or tells you to hold back, often speaks loudest when you are stretching yourself. Yet, those same moments can be opportunities to grow. Learning to recognise and work with that voice, rather than against it, is one of the most powerful shifts you can make as a leader.
With the right tools, it’s possible to reframe stress from something threatening to something that signals growth, a challenge you can rise to and learn from. If this feels familiar, you are welcome to book a complimentary 30-minute discovery call to explore how coaching can help you strengthen your mindset and reclaim a healthier relationship with achievement. Book me…
““Never complain. Never explain.””
You don’t grow in comfort. You grow in chaos. The pressure that’s breaking you now, that’s the same pressure that will make you unstoppable. So, when you are thinking that it can’t get any worse, it isn’t the end, it’s just the rebuild. The moment life forces you to let go of what no longer serves you is the moment something stronger begins to take form. Most people quit when it hurts, but the chosen ones walk throughout the fire until their purpose starts to glow. I think growth doesn’t announce itself, it refines you quietly, through resistance, until one day you realise: the chaos didn’t break you. It built you.
If this resonates with you, book a complimentary 30-minute discovery session with me via this link.
I think as your status and power grow, so do pressure and responsibility. True leadership means accepting this reality and learning to thrive under it. It’s essential to remember that genius and madness are linked, just like stress and success, love and loss are also intertwined. You cannot separate reward from risk. Embrace the duality, and you will build the resilience that great leaders are made of.
If this resonates with you, book a complimentary 30-minute discovery session with me via this link.
What does DEI look like in the workplace?
I think DEI is really this casual term used to describe the various, strategies, initiatives, programs, policies, etc., that foster representation and participation of individuals from a variety of backgrounds. From my experience over the years, I have identified 6 focus areas that DEI work falls under:
1. Leadership Engagement - Do your leaders, walk the talk or is it just lip service? What are your leadership expectations and inclusive best practices.
2. Communication - How does your company embed DEI into your internal and external interactions?
3. Recruiting - How do you evolve your mindsets, practices, partnerships that we use to attract talent?
4. Data and Impact - How do you establish a useable dataset both quantitative and qualitative that you can use to make really informed decisions and identify solutions to problem solve or troubleshoot inequities?
5. Employee Enablement - How do you establish shared ownership and fostering inclusive and equitable workplaces?
6. Employee Development - How does your company ensure that all employees have equitable access to resources, training, etc., to further develop their careers?
In my opinion the vast majority of DEI will fall into one or more of these categories. And what is imperative in DEI work is a strong emphasis on change management and organisational development.
The benefit of persuasion is its flexibility: if you have a strong reason not to be persuaded, you can simply disregard it. Persuasion is organic, contrasting with the more rigid approaches found in legislation and economics, which function like physics. I mean input in one area leads to a predictable output elsewhere. Organic change, fostered by persuasion, evolves naturally, while Newtonian change relies on direct cause and effect.
Many people experience anxiety about making mistakes, often driven by longstanding habits or traditions. The status quo, “this is the way we have done it for years and we have to keep doing it this way” can reinforce the fear of failure. I think what truly troubles us is not just the possibility of failure itself, but the discomfort of admitting to ourselves that something we tried did not work as intended.
““Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are.””
