Leadership from behind the scenes...
Get an in-depth look into challenges leaders face with an executive and team coach.
For the past 5 years, I’ve been working behind the scenes of scale-ups, start-ups, and companies looking to step change. I work alongside phenomenal folks who are invested in driving change for the better and pushing against the status quo. The most prevalent themes that come up across my work:
No one knows what they are doing.
‘People’ are by far the hardest part of building a business.
Now, naturally I’ve seen some things, and I’m ready to start playing back the insights I’ve gained over the past 5 years with the aim to inspire you to do better.
It is time.
I love to write. It’s how I process. I have a semi-habitual habit of writing in the morning. I write whatever comes up. I recently shared a google doc with a friend who noticed it was 54 pages of interesting content (how did that happen?!) She urged me to write in public, so here we are.
The Architect of the Unseen.
A name I did not give myself but stuck. A Creative Director client blessed me with that nickname over coffee as he tried to articulate what I do. I loved it, and was much kinder and more articulate than “puppet master”. I am at my best when I am making an impact from behind the scenes. As a coach, advisor, consultant, that’s where I am in my element - enabling others to succeed by achieving their full potential.
From behind the scenes, I watch. I listen deeply, observe keenly, and I pattern match. People who work with me have often said it feels like I’m in their head as my insights hit deep. I spend my days collecting TONS of insight and feel stuck when I don’t have an outlet.
This is my outlet.
I’m writing for me, but if you’re interested in leadership, human behaviour, change management and the wild rollercoaster of leading and influencing people through the lens of an executive coach and business consultant, you might find this interesting, and potentially helpful.
You’re not alone.
The biggest insight I feel I can pass on to you is that you are not alone. You’re not the only one with that question. You’re not the only one feeling lost. You’re not the only one feeling unsure. You’re not the only one with self-doubt. You’re not the only one that doesn’t want to come across as arrogant, but want to be heard and valued for what you have achieved.
The privilege of being behind the scenes is that I get to see into the inner worlds of leaders, teams and companies, so if you feel lonely in your leadership role, I hope this space gives you a sense of solace.
What to expect.
Despite what ‘the blogs’ suggest, I’m not going to promise a cadence, as my work life does not allow for routine. At a minimum monthly, ideally weekly. I can promise I won’t hold back pressing “publish” if I feel the post is interesting, timely and helpful. Oh - and I can guarantee there will always be a typo.
You got this.
Gillian
Nothing will work unless you do - Maya Angelou