leading in practice

Tag: mentoring

  • 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.

    Download my free and fully customisable coaching and supervision tracker here

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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!