Leading in Practice

Tag: mentoring

  • When Did We Stop Just Asking?

    When Did We Stop Just Asking?

    There’s something I’ve noticed repeatedly over more than two decades of working in teams, leadership, mentoring and coaching.

    And I find it quite fascinating, if not sometimes quite frustrating…

    How many problems in workplaces could be resolved through some really basic communication?

    I’m not talking about the big, difficult conversations. The ones where there’s conflict, disagreement or something uncomfortable that needs to be addressed.

    I’ve written before about how we often avoid those conversations because we’re worried about how somebody might respond, or because we’ve already created a story in our heads about what the other person is thinking.

    But I’m talking about something way more basic than that.

    The everyday conversations that, for some reason, we just don’t have.

    Things like:

    I don’t really know what they do.

    I’m not sure how they’d feel about that.

    I don’t know whether that’s something they’d want to be involved in.

    I’m not sure what they’re expecting from me.

    I don’t know why they’ve done it that way.

    And I often find myself thinking…

    When did we stop just asking people things?

    The conversations that never happen

    I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve heard somebody say something along those lines.

    And often, my response is pretty simple:

    How could you find that out?

    There’s usually a bit of a pause.

    And then:

    Well, I suppose I could ask them.

    Exactly!

    Not in like a ‘gotcha’ kind of way, but it’s such a simple answer that I sometimes wonder why we need to have the conversation in the first place.

    But we do.

    And I think that’s worth exploring.

    Because somewhere along the way, we’ve developed this strange habit of trying to work people out without actually talking to them.

    We make assumptions about what they want.

    We interpret their behaviour.

    We speculate about their motivations.

    We ask other people what they think.

    We spend time discussing something that could probably be resolved with one straightforward question to the person concerned.

    And sometimes those unanswered questions sit there for weeks or months.

    They become frustrations.

    Misunderstandings.

    Resentment.

    Things that eventually need a much bigger conversation than they ever should have required.

    It’s not always about conflict

    I think this is an important distinction.

    When we talk about communication problems in organisations, we often focus on difficult conversations.

    And rightly so. Being able to address disagreement, challenge behaviour and give honest feedback is an important part of working well together.

    But not every conversation we’re avoiding is difficult.

    Sometimes it’s just asking someone what they think.

    Or what they need.

    Or what they’re working on.

    Or whether they’d like to be involved in something.

    There doesn’t need to be a disagreement.

    There doesn’t need to be a problem.

    There doesn’t even need to be anything particularly sensitive about it.

    And yet we still hesitate.

    I’ve seen this happen across all levels of organisations.

    Between colleagues.

    Between teams.

    Between managers and staff.

    Between senior leaders.

    It’s not always about hierarchy or power, although of course those things can make a difference.

    Sometimes we just seem to have developed a habit of guessing rather than asking.

    And I wonder how much time and energy that costs us.

    What are we actually worried about?

    I think there are probably lots of reasons why we do this.

    Maybe we don’t want to look like we don’t know something.

    Maybe we think we should already know the answer.

    Maybe we’re worried about bothering somebody.

    Maybe we assume the other person is too busy.

    Maybe we don’t want to appear intrusive.

    Or maybe we’ve just got used to working in environments where people don’t ask each other very many questions.

    I also wonder whether we’ve started to associate asking questions with not being competent.

    As though we’re supposed to have worked everything out for ourselves.

    But I think there’s a real difference between being capable of independent thinking and making unnecessary assumptions about other people.

    You can be perfectly capable of doing your job and still need to ask somebody a question.

    In fact, I’d argue that knowing when to ask is part of doing your job well.

    Curiosity is such an underrated skill

    The more I work with people, the more I believe that curiosity is one of the most valuable things we can bring to our working relationships.

    And I don’t mean curiosity in some grand, intellectual sense.

    I mean being genuinely interested in understanding the people around us.

    What do they think?

    What matters to them?

    How do they see the situation?

    What are they trying to achieve?

    What would be helpful?

    What are we missing?

    We don’t have to agree with the answers.

    We don’t have to act on every suggestion.

    And asking somebody what they think doesn’t mean handing over responsibility for a decision.

    But surely it’s better to know than to spend our time guessing?

    Sometimes I think we make communication far more complicated than it needs to be.

    We look for elaborate ways to improve collaboration, strengthen relationships and address misunderstandings.

    And those things can absolutely be useful.

    But I wonder how often we overlook the most basic starting point.

    Have we actually spoken to each other?

    The culture we create around communication

    I also think this says something important about organisational culture.

    Because good communication isn’t just about having the right systems.

    You can have regular team meetings, one-to-ones, staff surveys, newsletters, communication strategies and every digital platform imaginable.

    But none of those things automatically creates a culture where people feel comfortable asking straightforward questions.

    And sometimes having so many ways to communicate makes things more complicated rather than less.

    For me, good communication is about something much more fundamental.

    It’s about creating an environment where people feel able to be honest.

    Where asking for clarification isn’t seen as a weakness.

    Where people don’t feel embarrassed to say they don’t understand something.

    Where colleagues can approach each other directly rather than going through three other people first.

    Where curiosity is encouraged rather than interpreted as criticism.

    And where people don’t have to spend their working lives trying to read between the lines.

    As leaders, I think we have a particular responsibility to model that.

    Are we clear about what we’re asking people to do?

    Do we invite questions?

    Do we respond well when somebody challenges our thinking or asks us to explain something?

    Do we make assumptions about what our colleagues want, or do we actually ask them?

    Because if we want open communication, we need to demonstrate what that looks like.

    Not just encourage other people to do it.

    What coaching has highlighted for me about asking

    This is one of the things I find interesting about coaching.

    So often, somebody comes into a coaching conversation with something they’ve been thinking about for quite a while.

    They might be frustrated with a colleague.

    Unsure about somebody’s expectations.

    Trying to work out how another person might respond to something.

    Or spending a lot of time thinking about a situation where they don’t have all the information.

    And rather than trying to solve it for them, I’ll ask a question.

    What do you actually know about what they’re thinking?

    What are you assuming?

    How might you find out?

    And sometimes the answer is incredibly simple.

    I could just ask them.

    I love those moments.

    Not because I’ve done anything particularly clever or as I said before, tried to catch them out.

    But because it’s a reminder of how useful it can be to have the space to stop and think.

    The answer was often there all along.

    They didn’t need somebody to tell them what to do.

    They needed an opportunity to look at the situation differently.

    And I think that’s one of the reasons coaching has had such an influence on how I approach conversations more generally.

    It’s made me much more conscious of the value of asking rather than assuming.

    Of listening rather than immediately responding.

    Of being curious rather than trying to work everything out myself.

    I think those skills have enormous value well beyond formal coaching conversations.

    Imagine how different some of our workplaces might feel if we brought more of that approach into our everyday interactions.

    How much are we making up?

    I’ve written before about the stories we tell ourselves.

    The assumptions we make about what other people are thinking, what they might say or how they might respond.

    And I think there’s a connection here.

    Because when we don’t ask, we leave gaps.

    And our brains are really good at filling those gaps with stories.

    Sometimes those stories are accurate.

    Often they’re not.

    And the longer we leave them unchallenged, the more convincing they can become.

    What starts as I’m not sure what they think about this can gradually become I don’t think they’d be supportive.

    And before we know it, we’re making decisions based on something we’ve never actually checked.

    That’s quite a significant problem.

    Particularly when those decisions affect other people.

    Try asking

    There’s a simple challenge we could all set ourselves this week. I’ll do it too because I’m a big fan of reflective practice.

    Notice the moments when you find yourself saying:

    I don’t know what they think.

    I’m not sure what they want.

    I wonder why they’ve done that.

    I don’t know whether they’d agree.

    And before you spend too much time trying to work it out, ask yourself:

    Could I just ask them?

    And if the answer is yes, notice what happens next.

    Do you ask?

    Or do you find a reason not to?

    If you hesitate, what is it that’s stopping you?

    Are you worried about the answer?

    Are you concerned about how you’ll be perceived?

    Do you feel you should already know?

    Or has it simply not occurred to you that asking was an option?

    I think there’s something really valuable in becoming more aware of those moments.

    Communication doesn’t always need to be complicated.

    Sometimes improving a working relationship, resolving a misunderstanding or making a better decision starts with something as simple as asking a question.

    And then, of course, being willing to listen to the answer.

    If this resonated with you…

    If you find yourself spending a lot of time second-guessing other people, navigating misunderstandings or wondering how to communicate more confidently and effectively, coaching can provide a useful space to explore what’s getting in the way.

    It can also help you develop the curiosity, listening skills and confidence to approach conversations differently, both as a leader and in your wider working relationships.

    If you’d like to explore that, you’re very welcome to join me for a complimentary chat.

  • Coaching Isn’t Just for When Something Goes Wrong

    Coaching Isn’t Just for When Something Goes Wrong

    As you might be coming to realise, I think about coaching a lot.

    Maybe unsurprisingly, given that I’ve spent the last year formally studying it, practising it and now building it into a bigger part of my working life.

    And there’s something that’s become increasingly obvious to me…

    I don’t think enough people think coaching is for them.

    When people hear the word coaching, I think there are a few different things that can come to mind.

    Thinking it’s something reserved for senior executives.

    Or something that other people get.

    Or, less positively, something that happens when your line manager has decided that you have a performance issue that needs to be addressed.

    And don’t get me wrong, coaching can absolutely have a role in supporting someone who is struggling with something at work. But I think we’ve got a problem if this is one of the main ways that people encounter coaching.

    Because coaching isn’t something that should only be brought in when something has gone wrong.

    We all need space to think

    Throughout my whole career I’ve seen the value of having someone to talk things through with.

    Someone who isn’t there to tell you what to do, but someone who can ask the questions that make you stop and think.

    Someone who gives you the space to properly explore what’s going on rather than immediately jumping into problem-solving mode.

    I think that’s especially important as you move into leadership.

    The more senior you become, the less space you can have to just think things through out loud.

    And if you’re a Chief Executive or Executive Director, that can become even more pronounced.

    You’re used to having a manager above you. Someone who provides supervision, support, direction and perhaps a bit of challenge.

    Then suddenly it’s you.

    And there can be an enormous pressure to feel like you should be able to handle everything yourself.

    You don’t have to have it all figured out

    I think this is particularly challenging for people stepping into their first senior leadership or executive role.

    There can be a feeling that you need to prove yourself immediately.

    That you should know exactly what you’re doing.

    That you should be making a noticeable impact straight away.

    That everyone else seems to have it together and you’re the only one wondering whether you’re doing enough.

    My own experience tells me something quite different.

    It takes time.

    I was reminded of this recently when someone told me that I’m a very different leader now from the person who first took on the CEO role in my organisation.

    They’re absolutely right.

    I was a very different leader then.

    Part of that was experience, of course. But it was also the difference between doing a job and leading an organisation.

    I had spent many years being heavily involved in the programmes and detail of the work. Suddenly I was in a much more strategic role, carrying a very different level of responsibility and having to think about the organisation in a completely different way.

    I didn’t suddenly become a good leader the day I became CEO.

    I had to grow into it. And I am still working on that every single day.

    I think we sometimes underestimate how much space people need to do that.

    What might coaching actually help with?

    It could be navigating organisational change.

    Feeling overwhelmed by competing priorities and struggling to find time to think strategically.

    Carrying the weight of difficult decisions.

    Navigating complex relationships with boards, funders, politicians, partners or other stakeholders.

    Managing scrutiny or challenging conversations.

    Wanting to become more influential while remaining true to your values.

    Trying to develop a leadership style that empowers people rather than simply directing them.

    Supporting your team’s wellbeing while realising that you’re neglecting your own.

    Or perhaps you’re successful on the outside but recognising that leadership has become harder than you expected.

    Maybe you’ve simply lost sight of the reason you wanted to lead in the first place.

    None of these things necessarily mean that something is wrong.

    They mean you’re human and you’re doing a difficult job.

    The culture around management

    One of the things I find really interesting when I’m coaching people is how often some very basic leadership and management challenges come up.

    Not because I think people should somehow know everything about managing others without being taught or experiencing good managers before.

    Quite the opposite.

    It makes me wonder what we’re doing in our organisations to prepare people for leadership.

    Have we given people the skills they need?

    Have we talked enough about what it means to be a supportive manager?

    Have we helped people understand how to have difficult conversations, give feedback, build trust, empower others and look after their own wellbeing?

    Or have we simply promoted people because they were excellent at their job and then expected them to somehow know how to lead other people?

    There’s a whole other blog in that question so I’ll leave it there for now.

    Coaching isn’t about fixing people

    This is the bit I want to be most clear about.

    Coaching isn’t about me, or any other coach, deciding what someone needs to work on and then fixing it for them.

    The person I’m coaching brings what they want to bring.

    My role is to create the space for them to think.

    That might mean thinking with greater confidence, navigating uncertainty, making a difficult decision, preparing for a challenging conversation, exploring a relationship that isn’t working, considering what they really want next or simply having some uninterrupted time to step back from the noise.

    Sometimes the thing they arrive wanting to talk about isn’t actually the thing underneath it.

    That’s part of the value of having someone who isn’t caught up in the situation with you.

    Normalising coaching

    I would love to see coaching become much more of the norm.

    Not something you access because you’ve been identified as having a problem.

    Not something reserved for people at the very top of an organisation.

    And not something you only seek out when you’re struggling.

    But something that becomes part of how we support people throughout their working lives.

    Particularly people in leadership roles.

    Because leadership can be lonely.

    It can be complicated.

    It can be incredibly rewarding and incredibly demanding, sometimes at exactly the same time.

    Having a confidential space to think shouldn’t be a luxury.

    And it shouldn’t be a sign that you’re struggling.

    It can simply be a recognition that leading well takes reflection.

    And of all of the many people I’ve coached, apart from one person who’d had a coach as a former athlete, not one has previously experienced coaching. So it’s far from the norm currently, and that needs to change.

    If this resonated with you…

    If you’re looking for space to think, whether you’re navigating a specific leadership challenge, stepping into a new role or simply want a trusted thinking partner as you develop as a leader, coaching might be worth exploring.

    I currently have a small number of spaces available for one-to-one coaching with executive and senior leaders.

    If you’d like to find out more, I’d love to welcome you for a complimentary call to have a chat about what you’re looking for and whether coaching could be useful for you.

  • Finding a New Professional Home

    Finding a New Professional Home

    I’ve spoken before about the unexpected feelings I experienced earlier this year after cancelling my nursing registration.

    After more than 20 years in nursing, it wasn’t about no longer paying an annual fee or removing my name from a register. Nursing had been such a significant part of my identity for so long that letting it go left me feeling a little bereft.

    I don’t regret the decision. My career has taken me in a different direction and I knew it was the right time.

    But it did make me realise that there’s real value in belonging to a professional community.

    Finding the right fit

    As my coaching journey has developed over the past year, I knew I wanted to become part of a professional body that reflected the way I want to practise.

    There are several excellent coaching organisations, each with their own strengths. After spending some time looking into them, I chose the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).

    What drew me to the EMCC wasn’t just coaching.

    It was coaching and mentoring.

    The more I coach, the more I’ve come to appreciate that leadership development rarely sits neatly at one end of the spectrum. Sometimes people need the space to think their own way through a challenge. Sometimes they benefit from drawing on the experience and perspective of someone who’s been there or walked a similar path.

    Being able to move thoughtfully between coaching and mentoring, whilst being clear about which approach I’m taking and why, has become an important part of my own practice.

    That philosophy felt like a natural fit with the EMCC.

    Learning never stops

    Joining the EMCC has already been really beneficial beyond membership.

    I’ve attended webinars through both EMCC Scotland and EMCC UK, connected with other coaches and mentors, and continued to build my knowledge through ongoing professional development. I actually met someone on one of those calls who invited me on to her podcast which was really nice.

    One of the things I enjoy most about coaching is recognising that there is always something new to learn.

    Every coaching conversation is different and everyone brings different experiences.

    It’s definitely keeping my brain active!

    Accreditation

    Following my ILM Level 7 Diploma for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors, I was keen to pursue professional accreditation.

    Receiving the diploma demonstrated that I’d successfully completed the qualification.

    Accreditation felt like an important next step for me.

    For me, it represents a commitment to practising ethically, continuing to develop professionally and holding myself accountable to recognised standards.

    There are four levels of accreditation with EMCC Global and because my qualification aligns with the framework, I was able to apply for the third level – Senior Practitioner . It was reassuring to see that my years of leadership, supervision, mentoring and coaching experience were recognised alongside the formal qualification. The fourth and final level is Master Practitioner so who knows what the future might hold!

    I did discover, slightly too late, that I’d completed considerably more paperwork than I actually needed to…

    Typical.

    Still, I’d rather be over-prepared than under-prepared.

    The accreditation team were incredibly helpful throughout the process and it wasn’t long before I received the news that my application had been successful.

    What it means to me

    Receiving my accreditation isn’t the end of anything.

    If anything, it feels like another beginning.

    Just as my nursing registration represented a commitment to lifelong learning and professional standards, my EMCC accreditation feels like the next part of that journey.

    It gives people confidence that I’m committed to coaching ethically, engaging in regular supervision, maintaining my professional development and continually reflecting on my own practice.

    Those are things that really matter to me. Not because they’re requirements, but because they represent the kind of coach I want to be.

    Looking ahead

    Alongside receiving my accreditation, I’ve also been putting the finishing touches to my coaching website.

    The professional photographs are now in place (I’m pleased to report I’ve finally managed to look like someone who’s approachable rather than investigating a crime scene) and I’ve added more information about my coaching programmes and how people can work with me.

    Looking back over the past year, quite a lot has changed.

    From completing my coaching qualification, introducing coaching within my organisation, establishing Leading in Practice Coaching and Consultancy Ltd, and now achieving EMCC Senior Practitioner accreditation.

    Each step has reinforced something I’ve believed for a long time.

    Leadership is never finished. Neither is learning.

    Onwards we go, from registered nurse to accredited coach!

  • Delegation Isn’t Just About Workload

    Delegation Isn’t Just About Workload

    I’m writing this with a couple of days of annual leave left and, inevitably, my mind has started drifting towards what will be waiting for me when I get back.

    I already know there are around 700 unread emails, which is, quite honestly, ridiculous.

    Thankfully, experience tells me that a good proportion of them will simply be things I’ve been copied into for information rather than emails requiring a response. So, like many leaders returning from leave, there’ll be a prioritisation exercise before anything else.

    There was a time when I tied myself in knots trying to reply to every single email that landed in my inbox. If I didn’t acknowledge it, I convinced myself I was being rude or arrogant, which completely conflicted with my values.

    Fast forward a few years and I’ve accepted that responding to everything simply isn’t realistic. These days, I’m surprisingly grateful for being able to leave a simple thumbs up or heart reaction. It keeps my inner critic reasonably quiet and lets people know their email hasn’t disappeared into the abyss.

    As I was thinking about those 700 emails, it reminded me of something that comes up regularly in coaching conversations: delegation.

    Delegation or simply distributing work?

    My relationship with delegation has definitely changed over the years.

    I wouldn’t say I’ve perfected it, but I’ve become much better at recognising what delegation actually is.

    I think we sometimes confuse delegation with simply distributing work.

    To me, distributing work is straightforward. Tasks are allocated because they naturally sit within someone’s role and responsibilities. People expect that.

    Delegation feels different.

    It’s about intentionally asking someone to take ownership of something that you could have done yourself.

    And that’s where many leaders start to feel uncomfortable.

    The stories we tell ourselves

    I’ve coached leaders who struggle to delegate because they worry they’re overloading their team.

    Others feel guilty asking someone else to do something they believe should sit with them.

    Some worry they’ll be seen as lazy or incapable.

    The intentions are almost always good.

    But the consequences rarely are.

    The leader becomes overwhelmed.

    Everything starts to compete for attention.

    Strategic thinking disappears beneath operational work.

    And perhaps most importantly, opportunities for other people to grow are lost.

    Delegation isn’t just about reducing your workload.

    It’s one of the most powerful ways we develop people and demonstrate our trust in them.

    It gives people experiences they wouldn’t otherwise have.

    It stretches confidence far more effectively than another training course ever could.

    My own challenge

    My own relationship with delegation has evolved.

    These days, I don’t struggle to share routine work.

    The things I find hardest to let go of are the things I genuinely love.

    I can become a bit of a hoarder when it comes to work I’m passionate about.

    Part of that comes from having built expertise over many years. There’s a part of me that worries if I let go of certain pieces of work, I’ll gradually lose that expertise or become less connected to the subject.

    Then there are the opportunities where someone reaches out asking specifically for me to get involved.

    Perhaps it’s speaking at a conference.

    Joining a project.

    Contributing to a piece of work.

    It feels good to be asked.

    If I’m honest, there has probably been a belief somewhere that, as CEO, I should be saying yes. That staying visible, staying relevant and being the public face of the organisation somehow sits with me.

    After more than fourteen years with the organisation, I’ve represented our work all over the world. It’s easy for your identity to become intertwined with being the person people think of first.

    But leadership isn’t about hanging on to every opportunity.

    Sometimes it’s about knowing when to let someone else step forward.

    Letting other people shine

    Over the past few months, I’ve been making a much more conscious effort to do exactly that.

    When requests come in, I’ve found myself suggesting colleagues instead.

    People who’ve been delighted to take on a project that stretches them beyond their usual role.

    I’ve passed speaking opportunities to colleagues who are now far more knowledgeable than I am on particular topics.

    I’ve encouraged others to attend conferences where they’re better placed to contribute than I would be.

    And every single time, the organisation has been stronger because of it.

    Delegation is an investment

    I think delegation is one of those leadership skills that becomes easier once we stop seeing it as giving work away.

    Instead, we start seeing it as investing in other people.

    Yes, it frees up our own capacity.

    But that’s only part of the story.

    Done well, delegation builds confidence.

    It develops future leaders.

    It increases resilience across teams.

    And it creates organisations that don’t rely too heavily on one individual.

    Ironically, one of the best ways to demonstrate your value as a leader isn’t by proving you can do everything yourself.

    It’s by creating opportunities for other people to discover what they’re capable of.

    Because leadership isn’t measured by how indispensable we become.

    It’s measured by how many other people grow because we were willing to let go.

  • Finishing my ILM Level 7 Diploma for Executive and Senior Level Coaches & Mentors

    Finishing my ILM Level 7 Diploma for Executive and Senior Level Coaches & Mentors

    Last week felt like a significant milestone… I submitted the final parts of my portfolio of evidence and assignments for the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 7 Diploma for Executive and Senior Level Coaches and Mentors.

    Everything is currently being marked, so I’m fully expecting there may still be bits to revisit, but it finally feels like the end is in sight.

    I’ve actually genuinely enjoyed the process.

    I started the course in August 2025 and, at the time, I remember actively looking for honest reflections from people who had completed it. I wanted to know what it was  actually  like beyond the course description – the workload, the coaching hours, the written assignments, the balance alongside full-time leadership roles and, realistically, whether it was manageable.

    So this is my attempt at offering that perspective for anyone considering doing it themselves.

    Choosing a provider

    The experience of the qualification will vary depending on who delivers it. I chose to complete mine through Stirling Enterprise HR (STEP HR) after coming across them online and having an initial conversation with the course leader.

    One of the biggest advantages for me was that they were local and delivered the workshops face-to-face, which was appealing to me. Coaching is relational by nature and I liked the idea of learning and practising in person rather than entirely online.

    The group itself was small and made up of people from very different backgrounds and organisations, which added a lot to the experience. Some people were completing the Level 5 qualification and others the Level 7, with the main differences being the number of workshops, depth of the written assignments, number of coaching hours required and types of coachees (executive or senior leaders for the Level 7).

    The workshops

    The workshops took place once a month and were full-day sessions.

    They were interactive and practical rather than overly academic, which suited me well. There was some presentation-based learning and theory, but most of the time involved discussions, reflective exercises and breaking into smaller groups to coach each other.

    That was probably one of the most valuable parts of the course for me – actually practising repeatedly and experiencing both sides of the coaching relationship.

    It also quickly became apparent that true, non-directive coaching is much harder than it looks.

    Listening well sounds simple in theory until you realise how quickly your brain wants to jump into problem-solving, advice-giving or trying to ‘help’ too quickly.

    The assignments

    If I’m honest, the written assignments were probably my least favourite part of the course.

    The first assignment was in 3 parts and involved a significant amount of theory and required learning the style of academic and reflective writing expected by ILM. It wasn’t that they were asking anything particularly difficult, it was more the style expectations that took a bit of adjustment.

    I much preferred the actual coaching itself.

    And if I’m going to write, I’d generally rather it’s a blog than an academic assignment.

    That said, the written work did force me to think much more critically about ethics, boundaries, reflective practice and my own approach to coaching, which was valuable in itself.

    The coaching hours

    One thing I definitely underestimated was the amount of time involved in completing the coaching practice element.

    The recommendation was to work with around 6–9 coachees across the qualification. I got a bit overenthusiastic and ended up coaching 11 people, including members of my own leadership team and several external colleagues.

    In hindsight, I probably wouldn’t recommend taking that approach.

    The actual coaching sessions were manageable, but it was the preparation, reflection and paperwork surrounding them that became substantial. Every session required records, reflective notes, evaluations and ongoing documentation, and it added up very quickly alongside a full-time CEO role.

    The qualification required 60 hours of coaching overall and, if I was doing it again, I’d probably space sessions out more and work with fewer people. Part of the problem I gave myself was that, despite having 3 years to complete the course, I set myself a target of completing within the first year.

    Although saying that, throwing myself into it did accelerate my learning significantly. So pros and cons!

    Having regular coaching conversations week after week forced me to develop confidence quickly, sharpen my listening skills and stay fully engaged with the process.

    The portfolio and paperwork

    Assignment two involved a huge amount of portfolio evidence.

    This included:

    • coaching records
    • reflective diaries
    • signed contracts and agreements
    • coaching needs analyses
    • evaluations
    • supervision records
    • observed coaching documentation
    • summaries

    At times it genuinely felt never-ending.

    One thing that helped massively was creating systems early on to keep everything organised. I built a coaching tracker spreadsheet to manage sessions, hours, supervisions and paperwork and had a well oiled machine of storing all the reflective diaries in secure folders. The spreadsheet tracker has actually become something I’ll continue using beyond the qualification itself and I’m happy to share it for others doing the course or just looking for a simple tool – there’s a link at the end of this post for you to download it.

    Assignment three focused more heavily on reflection, self-assessment and future development, including a SWOT analysis and CPD planning for the next 12 months. Again, a significant amount of effort but very practical and useful beyond the course which I enjoyed.

    Learning beyond the classroom

    A huge amount of the learning for me happened outside the workshops themselves.

    I spent (and still do spend) a lot of time reading, listening to podcasts and watching coaching-related content because I genuinely wanted to be the best coach I could be for the people who had trusted me with their time and openness throughout the process.

    The qualification also made me reflect much more deeply on how I show up in leadership conversations generally – particularly around listening, creating space, resisting the urge to jump into solutions and understanding the difference between mentoring, advising and coaching.

    Looking back on the experience

    Looking back, I probably did approach the qualification in the same way I approach a lot of things – by jumping in fully and figuring it out as I went.

    Balancing the coaching hours, written assignments and portfolio requirements alongside an executive leadership role was definitely challenging at times.

    But despite the workload, I’m genuinely glad I did it.

    Not just because of the qualification itself, but because of how much it has changed the way I think about leadership, support and development.

    It’s made me more reflective, more intentional and much more aware of the importance of creating space for people to think openly and work through challenges in their own way.

    And ultimately, that feels like something worth investing in.

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  • Why I decided to do a coaching qualification as a CEO

    Why I decided to do a coaching qualification as a CEO

    It’s International Coaching Week so I’ve decided to write about why I decided to do a coaching qualification alongside my role as a CEO. How I found the time, well… more on that in a future episode!

    The honest answer is that my decision came from a few different experiences over time that gradually made me realise I wanted a more structured and intentional way of supporting people.

    Working from instinct

    A big part of it started through conversations with an external colleague and ally who was moving into a national role. He asked if I would provide some supervision and space for reflection as he stepped into the position, and I was honoured to be asked so happily agreed.

    Those discussions were really interesting, and he was kind enough to say he found them helpful. But throughout the sessions I was definitely thinking: surely there’s a way I could be more useful here.

    A lot of what I was doing came naturally through experience as a mental health nurse providing support and supervision, leadership and years of working closely with people, but I became increasingly aware that I was relying heavily on instinct. The conversations often leaned towards mentoring – sharing perspective, advice and reflections from my own experience – and whilst that absolutely has value, it also made me curious about how I could support people in a more intentional and skilled way.

    Being coached as a leader

    At the same time, I’d had coaching and mentoring myself during my first year in post as a CEO through the Charity Leadership Scotland programme, as well as some group coaching through Kate Waterfall Hill’s leadership accelerator programme.

    I found both experiences genuinely beneficial.

    It wasn’t about somebody giving me answers, although that would have been nice at times! In fact, it was often the opposite. It was having space to think, reflect and properly work things through with someone who listened differently and asked better questions than I was perhaps asking myself.

    It challenged me in a positive way and made me reflect on how powerful good coaching can be – particularly in leadership roles, where there can often be pressure to appear certain, capable and clear all the time.

    I started to realise that coaching wasn’t just about performance or development in a formal sense. It was also about creating space for people to think more honestly, build confidence in themselves and work through challenges in a way that felt constructive rather than overwhelming.

    Wanting to do it well

    The more I reflected on all of this, the more I knew I wanted to learn properly.

    I started researching coaching qualifications and looking at different providers before eventually finding a course locally that felt like the right fit for me. I was also very lucky to have support from my Board who understood the value of my vision.

    Part of the decision was definitely about wanting to strengthen how I support others individually. But it was also more than that.

    A lot of my thinking on this is about the environments people work in – particularly purpose-driven environments where people care deeply about what they do and the people they support.

    I’m increasingly interested in what helps people perform at their best in these settings, and what role leadership, reflection and coaching can play in that.

    I also wanted to think more about what a coaching culture could look like within organisations, and whether there are ways to create more space for reflection, development and supportive challenge in day-to-day work. That’s something I’m still working on, and something I’ll definitely write more about in future.

    Listening differently

    What I know so far is that doing the qualification has already made me think differently.

    About listening.
    About resisting the urge to jump straight into solutions.
    About how often people already hold the answers they need, but rarely get the space to properly work through them.

    And, maybe most importantly, it’s made me reflect more on my own behaviours and how I show up myself. Not just as a leader, but as someone who genuinely wants to support people well.

  • Lifting Others as We Rise: Reflections on Leadership, Influence, and Staying True to Your Values

    Lifting Others as We Rise: Reflections on Leadership, Influence, and Staying True to Your Values

    I was recently invited to speak on a panel at the Women of Influence Forum 2026 that had the theme of ‘Lifting Others as We Rise’ – an experience that gave me both time to reflect and a renewed sense of responsibility.

    Spaces like this matter. They create room for honest conversations about leadership, ambition, doubt, and the realities many women navigate as they progress in their careers. They remind us that leadership doesn’t happen in isolation – and that who we see, support, and learn from along the way really counts.

    The Women of Influence Network itself is something really special. Founded by two amazing women (Julie and Ceilidh) leading in the Cabinet Office, it’s growing from strength to strength and creating a space for women in government to connect, support one another, and develop as leaders. I feel very lucky to be part of it – not just as a speaker on the panel, but as a mentor within the programme. I’ve already had the privilege of mentoring one woman and look forward to continuing to support others.

    What’s particularly meaningful for me is how this all came about – through connections. I first met Julie through Charity Leadership Scotland, where she is a mentor on the ‘First Year in Post’ programme (another great resource for CEOs). Her support during that time, and since, has been invaluable – not just to me personally, but also to my team, who she later supported on a development day. And it was through that relationship that I was invited into this network. It’s a powerful reminder that connections matter – they open doors, create opportunities, and often lead you somewhere you never expected.

    Our panel was titled ‘Leading out Loud: Authenticity, Vulnerability and Shared Success’ and the first question we were asked was:

    “Have any of you ever had a ‘gate’ opened for you by another woman that changed your trajectory?”

    What struck me was how others struggled to answer that.

    I found that quite worrying.

    Because for me, there has always been someone.

    The Power of Being Seen Early

    Early in my career, working in a drug treatment service, I had a manager called Tracy.

    She saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself. She gave me opportunities – real ones. I led on our local naloxone programme, was encouraged to stretch beyond my comfort zone, and stepped into her role on an acting basis when she moved on. She didn’t just delegate – she invested. She mentored me, challenged me, and backed me.

    And that was really empowering.

    There have been many women in my life who have supported and influenced me since – but Tracy represents something really pivotal: that early moment where someone opens a door and says, you can do this – get on with it.

    It made me reflect on how important it is that more women have that experience. That we don’t leave people searching for role models – but actively become them.

    From “Helping People” to Leading People

    I’ve always wanted to help people.

    That’s been the thread through everything I’ve done – from mental health nursing, to working with people who use drugs, to now leading a drugs policy charity.

    But helping changes shape as you move into leadership.

    Early on, it was direct, one-to-one support. Now, it’s about creating the conditions where others can do their best work – where they can grow, feel supported, and ultimately make a difference themselves. That shift – from doing to enabling – has been one of the biggest learning curves in my leadership journey.

    Learning (and Unlearning) Leadership

    At times I think back to an early appraisal I had maybe a year or so after qualifying as a mental health nurse.

    I was described as autocratic. (Yes Philip, I’m talking about you. Ha!)

    When I think about that, I can only imagine what people’s experience of me must have been like.

    At the time, it was probably a reflection of how strongly I felt about the work. I’ve always had a deep sense of responsibility to the people we serve – and a belief that poor practice, stigma, or discrimination should be challenged.

    I still believe that.

    I often come back to the phrase: “what you permit, you promote.”

    Because in the environments I’ve worked in – particularly with people who use drugs – staying silent in the face of stigma or poor treatment doesn’t sit right with me. It feels like agreement.

    In these moments there’s a little voice in my mind asking me things like:

    • What would people who use drugs think if I stayed quiet right now?
    • What would their family think of the care they’re receiving?

    That sense of accountability has driven me to speak up.

    But what I’ve learned over time is that how you speak up matters just as much as whether you do.

    Courage and Compassion: Both Are Needed

    If I’m honest, I haven’t always got that balance right.

    There have been times where passion has come across as harshness. Where my intent – to challenge, to protect, to advocate – has been right, but my delivery hasn’t brought people with me.

    And that’s the shift in my leadership over the years. Well, my intention anyway – I don’t get it right all the time.

    But, at least in my mindset, I’ve moved from feeling that I have to call things out to recognising the importance of bringing people along.

    Because real, lasting change doesn’t happen when people feel shut down – it happens when they feel able to reflect, understand, and do better.

    So when I was asked what I’d tell my younger self on her first day on the nursing ward, my answer was something along these lines:

    Stay true to your values.
    Speak up when something doesn’t feel right.
    But remember – how you do that matters.
    Be brave enough to challenge, and thoughtful enough to bring people with you.

    Lifting Others as We Rise – And Letting Ourselves Be Lifted

    The theme throughout the day was “lifting others as you rise.”

    For me, that shows up in coaching, mentoring, and creating opportunities for others – just as Tracy did for me.

    It also features in how I lead day to day.

    Wellbeing isn’t a side conversation – it’s central. Because the work we do is complex and often emotionally heavy, and if we want people to sustain their impact, we have to support them properly.

    I’ve learned that:

    • Caring deeply doesn’t mean carrying everything
    • Boundaries are essential, not optional
    • And leadership is as much about who you support as who you become

    Final Reflection

    I left the event feeling really inspired and with a few main thoughts:

    We need more visible examples of women supporting women.
    More people willing to open doors.
    More leaders willing to be both courageous and compassionate.

    And perhaps most importantly – we need to remember that influence isn’t always about position.

    Sometimes, it’s about being the person who sees potential and creates opportunities to step up.

    As I continue this journey – now as a CEO, but still someone who fundamentally just wants to help – I carry that with me.

    Because leadership, at its best, is simply helping at scale.

    And making sure you’re not the only one rising.

  • Why I’ve Started ‘Leading in Practice’

    Why I’ve Started ‘Leading in Practice’

    Firstly, if you’ve taken the time to click on this post, thank you for being interested in what I’m going to be talking about. I hope you’ll return again in the future. 

    I’ve been spending a fair bit of time thinking about what it really means to lead well.

    Not in theory (eugh, not really my thing), not in books (although love a good read – especially if I’m in the sun) or frameworks – but in the reality of work. In the day-to-day moments where things get done, conversations happen, and people rely on you to do things well.

    For me, leadership isn’t about position, role or rank.

    It can be in the quieter, more subtle things…

    In someone taking the time to recognise a good piece of work (by actually verbalising it, not just thinking it!)
    In offering support or advice when it’s needed.
    In creating opportunities for others.
    In leading by example, even when no one is really noticing. 

    And when others aren’t leading well, it becomes even more important to take responsibility for how you show up and be the example you want to see.

    It’s not always the loudest voice in the room. In fact, often it isn’t.

    It’s the small, consistent actions that have an impact on how people experience their work – and I think everyone is leading in some way, whether they realise it or not.

    Hence the name… “Leading in Practice”.

    Purpose in practice

    All of the work I’ve been part of has been ‘purpose-driven’. When I talk about purpose-driven work, I mean being connected to the reason behind what you do – knowing that your work matters to someone, and letting that shape how you do what you do. 

    When you’re connected to a cause, people really care about what they do. They want to make a difference. There’s a strong sense of responsibility – not just to the work, but to the people who rely on it.

    Throughout my career I’ve seen (and been on the receiving end of) how often people aren’t fully supported or empowered to work at their best.

    There’s a gap between what people are capable of and what they’re able to do in practice. And when that gap exists, it doesn’t just affect individuals – it affects the quality of care, support and outcomes for others.

    That’s an area I definitely want to explore more.

    Why now

    I’ve almost completed the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 7 Coaching and Mentoring Diploma, so this felt like the right time to create a space to reflect on that alongside my leadership role.

    Not as someone with all the answers, heck no, but as someone learning.

    I’ll share my experience of the course – what it involves, what I’m learning, and what it’s actually like to go through it. I looked for something similar before I started the course and couldn’t find a lot of personal experiences to read, which would have helped me understand what I was signing up for. 

    I’m also interested in what it means to bring coaching into an organisation and I’ll be reflecting on my own experience of trying to influence and build a coaching culture in practice.

    What this will be

    This will be a space to explore what leadership and coaching mean to me.

    It definitely won’t be perfect, and it won’t always be everyone’s perspective – but it will be honest.

    I’ll be writing about:

    • what I’m learning through coaching
    • what I’m noticing in leadership
    • the challenges of trying to do your best
    • and how all of that affects the people we work with and support

    Mostly it’s about understanding how we can perform at our best in the work – not just for ourselves, but for others.

    A space to connect

    A big part of why I’ve got to this point is because of other people.

    Over the years, I’ve reached out to many people for advice, support and perspective – and those conversations have made a real difference to me.

    I’d like this to be a space where that continues.

    If anything I write resonates, I’d really value hearing from people – whether that’s sharing your own experiences, offering a different perspective, or just connecting.

    A starting point

    My background as a mental health nurse, and the time I’ve spent mentoring and supporting others, has always been about helping people.

    This feels like an extension of that.

    A way of supporting people who help others – and continuing to learn along the way.

    I don’t have a fixed plan for where this will go, but at the moment it’s satisfying my need to write things and I hope it can be something useful for you too!