1:1 Executive Coaching: Breast Cancer Now

I’d been in senior leadership within the organisation for quite a long time, and I’d reached a point where I wanted to pause and ask myself — what next? Was I still growing in the right direction? Did I want to explore a different path entirely? I also wanted to think more deeply about how I was leading my team through another period of organisational change, and make sure I was still motivating people in the right way after working with many of them for so long.

“I actually found myself using coaching techniques with my own team straight away — it changed how I lead.”

It was really the combination of personal reflection and organisational timing. We were developing a new strategy for the charity, and I wanted space — separate from line management — to explore my own career direction, leadership style and impact. I didn’t want a surface-level conversation, I wanted something completely confidential and honest, without the filter you naturally apply internally.

“It wasn’t just reflective — it helped me make confident decisions about the next stage of my career.”

It was completely tailored from the outset. My coach encouraged me to define the right questions first — not jump to answers — and then took me through a number of reflective tools and exercises around strengths, values and external feedback. It wasn’t theoretical. It gave me practical thinking time that was entirely focused on me as a leader, not just me in the day-to-day job. And every session built on the last — always leading somewhere, not just “a nice conversation.”

“I wanted honest space to explore my future as a leader without the filter you naturally apply in internal conversations.”

She struck the right balance between encouragement and healthy challenge, which I think is vital. I immediately felt at ease — but she didn’t let me stay on the surface. She listened deeply, responded quickly between sessions with useful reading or exercises, and helped me connect what I was learning about myself to real decisions about my future. It felt like time really well invested — not just reflective, but directional.

“The tools around strengths, values and external feedback were genuinely eye-opening — some results surprised me.”

1. I gained absolute clarity on my values and how strongly they drive the kind of work I want to do — that was quite eye-opening.
2. I came away with practical techniques that I now use with my own team — I actually found myself adopting more of a coaching approach as a leader.
3. It helped me make confident decisions about the next stage in my career, rather than sitting in the comfortable middle for too long.

For something this personal and reflective, I don’t think a group setting can compare. Even with ground rules, you naturally hold back. Coaching gave me the freedom to be completely honest and speak in ordinary language without filtering for perception. It wasn’t about learning a framework — it was about understanding myself, my leadership and where I wanted to grow next. You simply can’t access that level of depth in a classroom.

“You simply don’t reach this level of honesty and depth in a training course — one-to-one coaching unlocked that for me.”