Executive / leadership coaching
Since first working as an executive coach for the BBC in 2000, transforming the capability of managers across the Corporation in co-delivering the BBC’s award-winning leadership programme, I’ve coached and supported many senior private, public, and third sector professionals.
I recognise just how tricky a balancing act leadership can be – navigating uncertainty; managing change; engaging, developing, and inspiring teams; driving performance; and delivering results.
Coaching is a powerful tool. Whilst it won’t wave a magic wand over the challenges you’re tackling, it will equip you with a fresh perspective and the clarity, resilience, confidence, and skills to better deal with these.
“Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.” Sir John Whitmore, pre-eminent thinker in leadership development
Executive / leadership coaching benefits include:
- Building confidence and impact as a leader
- Gaining clarity on the bigger picture, without losing sight of the detail
- Developing tangible and feasible actions to resolve challenging problems
- Strengthening organisation-wide relationships
- Improving communication and collaboration within and between teams
- Facilitating transformational change
- Discovering renewed meaning and purpose
- Enhancing resilience and wellbeing
- Building confidence and impact as a leader
- Gaining clarity on the bigger picture, without losing sight of the detail
- Developing tangible and feasible actions to resolve challenging problems
- Strengthening organisation-wide relationships
- Improving communication and collaboration within and between teams
- Facilitating transformational change
- Discovering renewed meaning and purpose
- Enhancing resilience and wellbeing
My coaching approach
A recent coaching client describes my approach as:
“Both unintimidating and thought provoking. [Lucy] enabled the experience of ‘me being heard’, was attentive and encouraged me to share my anxieties and to make sense of my challenges.”
Thoughtful and perceptive, I’m quick to foster authentic relationships of trust. Working one-to-one, I’m there as a non-judgemental and objective sounding board.
I provide you with a safe and confidential space and, crucially, the dedicated time, to explore and work through complex issues, or, as one client noted:
“…the time to reflect, step out of the chaos and talk things through.”
Applying a balanced blend of facilitation, challenge, motivation, and inspiration, I’ll support you in setting your own agenda and in applying your expertise to devise a constructive way forward, and I will keep you on track to achieve your goals.
Making good use my previous journalistic experience, I am adept at drawing people out, challenging their thinking, and helping them see things from a fresh perspective.
“… we worked through unpicking issues and analysing them from different perspectives; we also tipped situations on their head to identify where my own insecurity might have skewed my interpretation” Coaching client
Celebrating success
I’ve coached and supported many senior professionals to build confidence and resilience, enhance skills, and maximise leadership impact. Here are a couple more inspiring success stories:
“Lucy’s coaching was excellent. The sessions with her gave me the space and support to explore difficult issues in a safe environment. She was unfailingly encouraging whilst maintaining the ability to challenge my thinking and to allow me to reach my own conclusions about the way forward.” Principal, Further Education College
“Lucy’s exploratory approach helped me unlock my thinking. As did her expertise in when and what questions to ask. It’s been a journey around my mind – which jumps around and isn’t logical. The chance to verbally process and listen to what’s said helps trigger fresh ideas…Drilling into things helps me unpick what the issue is…In sessions Lucy’s given a good amount of challenge and helped me see when I’ve been trying to convince myself about a plan of action, rather than really believing in it.” Senior Manager, Voluntary Sector
My coaching credentials
I have regular coaching supervision and am a member of the Association for Coaching. I’ve achieved qualifications in TAP360 Team Advance Profile Training, Virtual Action Learning Facilitation, and Career Coaching Masterclasses. I’ve also completed ILM Level 7 Executive Coaching and Mentoring workshops and have certificates in NLP and person-centred counselling.