My Path to Executive Coaching
<5 min read
Or ‘Why I jacked in a corporate career to become an Executive & Leadership Coach’ (<5 min read)
Perhaps it was the introspection of middle life (I refuse to say ‘age!’) or maybe it was the global pandemic that prompted some soul searching, but in late 2021 I began to think seriously about my path, and what made me content in this life. I had an amazing job working for an inspiring brand and was working alongside, and leading, great people. I truly believed in the company’s mission and I was motivated by it. But the work I was doing was challenging me less, and I was spending more time justifying strategic decisions and navigating the hurdles of politics and ROI There were changes on the horizon, and I had delivered an incredible but complex and draining project that was more than 3 years in the making. Before the pandemic I was travelling a lot: I was in China every 6 weeks, or in the US, plus weekly trips hopping around Europe. I was stretched thin, putting a lot of energy into keeping all the balls in the air and keeping things together for my team…and probably letting my family come second more than I was comfortable with.
The Covid Lockdowns were a gift for me in that I was grounded from the travel. I could spend time with my kids guilt-free because no matter how much I needed to be in Shanghai, or Dubai, or New York, I physically couldn’t go. As a single mum the Lockdowns and reduction in travel made the nightmare logistics of childcare obsolete overnight. At work, we learned to work around things. Yes, it was sub-optimal. Yes, there were things that went badly or were beyond our control, but we figured it out. And as the time wore on I saw how much I was getting back in terms of time with my kids, doing things I enjoyed, focusing on the simple pleasures. Bread making, gin distilling, crafting, cooking, home fitness bliss!
Crucially, this time also taught me that being authentic should be a key feature of our work personas. Everyone being at home and experiencing many of the same worries and struggles, was a great leveller. It got me thinking: ‘why does anyone think it’s good to have a work persona at all?!’ Being someone you’re not to conform, or to fulfil someone’s perception of you, is just exhausting. During the pandemic we saw the best and worst of people…and that was ok. It’s real and what makes us all messy, beautiful humans. On day 3 of the first UK Lockdown, when everyone was still business as usual (still full make-up and barricading their working space doors to stop their kids bursting in) I hosted a Townhall which had over 250 people on it. While I was so busy keeping it together, my then 12 year old son ignored the ‘do not come in under pain of death’ sign on the door, ignored me clearly presenting and proudly handed me…his…bloody…tooth and exclaimed that he hoped the Tooth Fairy was feeling flush as it had been a long time since she’d visited. This was about 10 seconds after I reassured the audience that we could keep it all going just like before. Famous last words, hey?!
But in the hours and days that followed so many people messaged me or called to say that the tooth intrusion was hilarious or to ask if the Tooth Fairy had been generous (she had, Covid pressure and faltering visits resulted in her coughing up £2) and told me that this moment of true life and my reaction (shock, embarrassment, horror etc.) had reassured them because it felt real. Over the coming months I saw countless dogs, babies, rooms in a state, video FUBARs and with each one it made me see the serious business of work was just another day in someone’s life.
I think it was this realisation, as well as my own need to get back to focusing on people and inspiring change, that came from reflecting now that I had some focused time in a single environment that started me on the coaching journey. I thought about what made me excited each day, and where I got my energy. Though I am a doer and always full of ideas and solutions - the Marketeer in me will never die - it was my interactions with people that actually gave me energy.
It was also the bad behaviour - the politics, the grandstanding, the passive aggression - that made me want to work differently. I worked with incredibly talented people who generally were great humans, but in any business context there will be people or situations that you do not enjoy. After 25 years of working for big corporates I wanted to try something different, focusing on what I see as an overlooked area: that the reality of the people in your workforce and their skills and experiences, is what makes business succeed and where ideas are born. The people in the workforce are the soul of the business, the heart of the company. Every day I saw my friends and colleagues juggling so much, compartmentalising so much and always trying to bring their best and I thought that I could help this work existence be easier. I can be a support, I can listen, I can offer advice when it’s needed, I can help think things through differently, but most of all, I can help people be themselves and be true to themselves.
I had a wonderful Coach who showed me that my strength lies in my empathy and straight forward talking and that these were important skills. She encouraged me to speak up when things were wrong, and helped me reflect on what was important to me. Working more authentically I felt like I was being true to my values, as well as bringing something unique. From there I got more involved with coaching and mentoring, and when I left my VP job I quickly resolved to go and investigate whether I had something useful to give. An Executive and Leadership Coaching diploma and some truly inspiring training and support experiences brought me to now. I am so energised when my clients invite me into their reality, so I can help them find their way through tough work challenges, rise to new opportunities or just help them feel better or more confident about what they do…and crucially, how they do it.
I’ve experienced for myself how Executive Coaching can help you find the right path. My coach was a mirror, reflecting my thoughts and curiosities, fears and inspirations. The questions she posed and discussions we had allowed me to think of things in different ways and almost literally see the light. With patience, empathy and understanding, a good Executive Coach should help you work through the challenges, perceived barriers or disorganised thoughts, to get clarity on the issues you need or want to address. Through my years coaching and leading teams, mentoring people and then doing my Coach training, I have been motivated by the collaboration between a coach and client and how it can unlock so many doors. I’m really excited and inspired to be partnering with talented professionals to help them make the most of their careers, deal with the challenges, seize the opportunities - but above all, do help them work in a way that is unapologetically and elementally them.