One of the aspects of my coaching of senior leaders that many coachees report that they find particularly helpful is the identification (and subsequent challenge) of their assumptions. We all hold many assumptions – in fact we have to hold these, in order to function, because imagine how life would descend quickly into paralysis if …
Category: coach
May 31
“You wouldn’t be such a good coach if everything had always gone right for you”
Sitting in the warm sun outside a café in North Parade in Oxford on Friday afternoon last week, sipping tea with a friend and colleague in education, and reflecting on how we had both come to be where we were, we ruminated upon the imperative that exists to ensure that leaders in education have their …
Oct 25
‘10% braver’ – learnings from WomenEd Thailand
‘Be 10% braver’ is the (now surely really well-known) call to action from the WomenEd movement, which aims to support and connect aspiring and existing women leaders in education, … and I was 10% braver on Saturday last week as I said ‘sure, I will speak!’ at the WomenEd Thailand Career Clinic. It was all …
Mar 29
The importance of discipline in a successful life
I spent a glorious hour last week tuning into a live talk with the author Alexander McCall Smith, hosted by the Caledonian Club in London, but of course all on Zoom (which made it much more accessible, if less social). Anyway, he was, as ever, a delightful speaker – entertaining, modest, self-deprecating, intelligent, with a …
Jan 14
Knowing yourself … and stretching the breadth and depth of your capacities
I had a lightbulb moment on Friday at approximately 08:45 HKST, ie 00:45 GMT, as I sat with a good friend and fellow executive coach in the ground floor cafe of the Grand Hyatt at the Convention Centre in Hong Kong. I was sipping English breakfast tea and she had an Americano; limited cultural diversity …
Apr 05
A little coaching goes a long way…
I return to this blog with renewed vigour after an absence… and I put this renewed energy all down to my wonderful day’s coaching with my secret support – my own leadership coach. I have spent the day in the beautiful East Coast of Scotland town of North Berwick being challenged, prodded and uplifted, and …
Jul 11
Why everyone deserves a coach (and not just football teams in the World Cup)
Behind every sporting triumph lies a great coach, who has helped the successful sportsperson or team grow, develop and excel. We take this almost for granted now – just as we take for granted in the world of business that for CEOs to flourish as leaders, they need someone else to challenge them, support them …