Leadership isn't a trophy on the shelf; it's the fire that ignites your passions, fuels your resilience, and shapes the world around you. But the path to impactful leadership is rarely paved with straight lines. Here, you'll find the unfiltered stories of leaders just like you – facing real challenges, embracing vulnerability and carving their own unique paths to success. Dive into their journeys, discover echoes of your own struggles and aspirations and ignite the spark within you to unleash your own authentic leadership.

Client Case Studies:

The Situation

Catherine was confronted by a lot of uncertainty and had been procrastinating for weeks without making any real progress. She was going round and round in circles and finding it difficult to bring enthusiasm to her work and personal life. She sought clarity on how to move forward, juggling work, thoughts of retirement and self-worth.

The Approach

After our initial discovery call, where we decided that we were a good fit for a coaching engagement, we scheduled our first session. By providing a safe and trusting environment, Catherine was able to articulate her issues and was given space to think things through, something she had not been able to do on her own. With sensitive but probing open questions, she was able to work out where she wanted to get to and build an initial plan that she could take away and begin to action.

The Outcome

Catherine left the session feeling positive that she had been able to bring some order to her thoughts and had the start of a plan she could build on whilst taking some action in the short term.

The Testimonial

“After a year of mounting conflicts in my life which left me wondering whether I am desperate to retire or whether I am simply in need of renewed vigour in my career, I have been circling for weeks. Just one session with Jim at a time when I feel ready to put some changes in place, has left me with a much needed and renewed energy following a festive break during which I had the head space to do some constructive thinking. Jim has helped me order my thoughts and shape a plan I can start taking forwards. Still much to do, but a great positive foundation on which to build … and build, hopefully.”

Catherine H, Program Lead

The Situation

Aleksandra had recently taken a senior role and moved from a large company to a start up and was finding the transition challenging, particularly with the owner who was finding it hard to step back and allow the people they'd hired to do thier jobs.

The Approach

This was our forth session so we had already established a trusting and open relationship. Aleksandra shared her worries and concerns and we then explored around her feelings and what she wanted to get out of the session. We used the Gestalt coaching technique to play through some scenarios to allow her to practice her next interaction.

The Outcome

Aleksandra left the session much calmer and clearer about her next moves and how she was going to talk to the owner.

The Testimonial

"Coaching is a thing that you instinctively know you need, sometimes it’s just hard to know where to start or if the chemistry is going to be right. You're reading this so you know now you can start with Total Life Coaching, as for the chemistry - that's what the taster session is for! And there's a new reality to gain with new balance and realisation of what it is that actually matters to you. I'd say it's been revolutionary for me and all it took was that one initial phone call. Jim is a person that you quickly come to trust and someone who shows genuine empathy and understanding for your issues. He listens intently and asks really thought-provoking and insightful questions that help you clarify your thinking and see a way forward."

Aleksandra W, Director of Delivery

The Situation

Working in a high performing school, Natalie was overwhelmed with the volume of work and the ability to quickly effect change. Changes in staff and increasing demands from the Trust were creating significant stress that was having a damaging effect and severely impacting the teams ability to make improvements

The Approach

The inital session was a great opportunity for Natalie to talk at length to someone who was independent, non-judgemental and willing to listen attentively. We probed the topics raised with open and insightful questions and reflected on emotions and feelings that surfaced.

The Outcome

Whilst we continue to work through the issues with regular sessions, we have made excellent progress. Natalie feels like she is beginning to understand how to influence the right people and is more confident in having the conversations that she needs to in order to make the changes she sees as critical to the school.

The Testimonial

“I reached out to Jim as I was experiencing a significant level of frustration at work. Being new to coaching, and naturally quite sceptical about what impact it could have, I was initially a little apprehensive about what to expect. However, I can honestly say that it has been a really positive and impactful experience. Jim very quickly made me feel at ease. I felt supported and safe enough to share things with Jim that I now know were actually causing me a high level of self-doubt. He really listened to what I had to say and allowed me to express my frustrations, all the while maintaining a strong non-judgemental presence. His insightful questions made me really think about what was happening, what I wanted to achieve and what I needed to do to make change happen in my organisation. He allowed me to lead the conversation and I never felt he had his own agenda. I have been able to take a number of actions that have really helped transform my situation and I will be continuing to work with Jim in the future.”

Natalie C, Deputy Head

The Situation

Beverly had a difficult situation to respond to at work that was difficult to resolve as it touched on strong personally held beliefs that were fundamental to her outlook.

The Approach

I took time to understand the situation that Beverly was in by asking alot of open questions, allowing her to begin to explore the dynamics in more detail and providing me with the information necessary to help her move through the issue.

The Outcome

By working systematically through the issue Beverly was able to come up with a resolution and way forward that she was both happy and confident in, allowing to resolve the issue to her satisfaction.

The Testimonial

“Jim is a thoughtful coach, who knows when to push me for an answer or decision and when to wait for me to unravel my thinking. I was able to clarify the important aspects of some complex issues, separating my personal and professional response, particularly exploring how my history and values impact on my decision making and how my decisions impact on my values and current sense of wellbeing. Jim took the time to understand about the technicalities of my business, which enabled him to encourage me to think clearly and eliminated the use of inane questions that would have served to frustrate me.”

Beverly M, Director