When Louisa and I started working together, she was transitioning into a broader leadership role and feeling the weight of new expectations. She had the feeling that this change might send her in the direction of burnout, and she wanted to put structures and practices in place to stop that happening and bravo to her employer for supporting her to do that through coaching. 

Louisa described the period as one where she wanted to “move through it intentionally,” but wasn’t always sure how to hold onto her energy, empower her team, and stay focused on the bigger picture. 

Over six months, her journey became a brilliant example of how intentional coaching can unlock clarity, confidence, and true leadership presence.

“One of the biggest shifts in my leadership has been moving from a ‘fixer’ mindset to more of a coaching approach.”

Louisa arrived with a strong drive to help others – sometimes too strong. She often felt responsible for solving everything herself, and this left little space for her team to grow or for her to operate strategically.

We explored what sat underneath this instinct. As she became more aware of the pattern, she began to consciously reposition herself as an enabler, not a solver.

This one small shift changed her entire leadership landscape. Her team grew more confident. She gained more space to think. And as a result she had more time and energy to make her voice heard at a strategic level in the organisation.

“Coaching has been transformative for me… I’ve developed a much stronger sense of self-awareness.”

We also focused on energy. How to get more of it and maximise what we have. 

Louisa discovered how much her physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energy influenced the way she showed up – and how much she’d been pushing through without noticing. Coaching helped her slow down, tune in, and rebuild sustainable habits.

We used EFT (emotional freedom technique) in our coaching sessions and, as clients often do, Louisa began using it as a DIY tool, which she found invaluable in moments of pressure:

“I’ve used EFT in high-pressure work situations and at home, which has improved my emotional resilience.”

These tools weren’t theoretical; they quickly became practical allies in her day-to-day leadership.

“I’ve gained a deeper understanding of how showing vulnerability can help to build trust.”

Alongside energy and strategy, Louisa explored the relational side of leadership – the role of vulnerability, trust, and communication.

She learned that sharing challenges doesn’t have to mean “burdening others.” Done thoughtfully, it can create connection and psychological safety. This realisation strengthened her relationships, deepened trust across her team, and helped her lead with more authenticity (something we are all told we ought to be doing, but it’s hard to really get a grip on what it actually looks like!)

“It’s impacted how I communicate… and how I contribute to strategic thinking across my organisation.”

As Louisa stepped into her new role, she found herself navigating unfamiliar systems and expectations. Coaching became a space to think and to make sense of change, build clarity, and decide where she could add the most value.

She emerged with a stronger strategic voice, a clearer sense of direction for her team, and an ability to manage increased responsibility without sacrificing her wellbeing.

In her own words…

“Coaching has been transformative for me. I’ve developed a much stronger sense of self-awareness, particularly in terms of how I manage my energy, my emotional state, and my approach to leadership. Coaching has helped me step into a more strategic, enabling role in my workplace.”

“It’s also impacted my emotional resilience. I’ve learned to tap into tools like EFT to deal with common workplace stress more effectively. This has made me feel more grounded and has given me a greater sense of understanding of what works for me in terms of work–life balance.”

“I found balance between maintaining control and letting go, which allowed me to focus on the bigger picture without losing sight of the well-being of my team.”

A leadership transformation grounded in clarity, confidence, and balance

Louisa’s journey shows what can happen when someone is willing to pause, reflect, and grow – and when coaching creates the structure, support, and challenge to make that possible.

It’s a story of stepping into senior leadership not through force, but through awareness, boundaries, resilience, and purposeful growth.

If you’d like to work together over six months 1-1 in my signature Compassionate Leader coaching programme, you can read all about that here. It’s always a good idea to have a conversation to check out whether coaching is something that is likely to help you right now (or whether you might benefit from something else, which I will always signpost you to if I think that’s the case!) So book a call, and let’s talk, right here.

Names have been changed to protect client identity. I work in collaboration with my client on all stories and testimonials so they are happy that the words are an accurate representation of our time together, before sharing more widely.