Leadership

Who I work with

I work with leaders individually and in groups or teams. My clients are often chief executives, senior executives, elected members, board members or emerging leaders carrying significant responsibility. They might be leading organisational change, or dealing with difficult stakeholder relationships, political pressures, competing priorities or challenging team dynamics. Or they might be an experienced leader who needs an independent sounding board to help them think clearly about an issue. 

What I’ve learned about leading change 

Over fifteen years as a Chief Executive, I became increasingly interested in what really shifts organisations. Strategy matters, but it is rarely the hardest part. The real work is turning ambition into progress: creating a compelling direction, building alignment, making difficult decisions, navigating competing interests and maintaining momentum when uncertainty and competing priorities threaten to slow things down. 

I've learned that successful change is as much about people as it is about plans. Organisations make lasting progress when leaders have a real vision, create strategic clarity, build trust, bring people with them and keep moving, even when the path isn't straightforward. 

How I work

Whether in a strategy workshop, or a mentoring one on one, I don’t tell leaders what to do. My role is to bring perspective, challenge assumptions, test thinking and draw on experience from having led organisations through significant change myself. 

I've worked with boards, ministers, elected members and senior executives, managed crises, navigated political environments and made decisions where the consequences mattered. That practical experience shapes every conversation. 

The aim is simple: to help leaders think more clearly, make better decisions and increase the likelihood that the change they're leading will succeed. 

• One-to-one mentoring and advisory support  

• Leadership team workshops focused on strategy, priorities, alignment and execution – and translating direction into action 

• Supporting leaders through organisational change, transition and transformation 

• Facilitation of leadership team conversations on culture, performance, roles and ways of working 

• Support for leaders navigating significant decisions, public scrutiny or organisational pressure 

Every leadership situation is different – the support is tailored accordingly. 

1. Understanding the challenge

I start by understanding the context, the issues involved and what someone is  trying to achieve. This may involve an initial discussion with an individual leader, a chief executive, a board chair or a leadership team.

2. Shaping the support

No two leadership situations are the same. Together we determine the most useful approach, whether that is one-to-one mentoring, a leadership team workshop, a strategy session or support through a specific challenge or period of change.

3. Working through the issues

My role is to provide perspective, challenge assumptions, share relevant experience and help leaders think clearly about the issues in front of them. Depending on the situation, this may involve ongoing mentoring, facilitated workshops or targeted advisory support

4. Building momentum

The goal is not simply insight. It is helping leaders make decisions, build alignment, navigate challenges and move forward with confidence.

When do leaders typically seek support?

Usually not because they lack capability. More often it's because they are carrying a difficult issue, leading through change, managing competing pressures, dealing with a challenging relationship, or facing decisions where there is no obvious right answer. Leadership can be surprisingly lonely, particularly when the stakes are high.

How is this different from coaching?

There are similarities, but my approach is grounded in leadership, mediation and dispute resolution experience rather than a coaching methodology.

I bring an independent perspective, practical experience and a willingness to challenge assumptions when needed. Sometimes that involves leadership development. Sometimes it involves helping work through a specific issue or situation.

What does success look like?

Greater clarity, stronger judgement and confidence.

The goal is not to create dependency on advice, but to help leaders navigate complex situations more effectively themselves