What was the main challenge you had before starting coaching?
Before coaching, my work-life balance was less than ideal, with work taking up almost all of my time and headspace. I had also recently had an ADHD diagnosis, and, while I credit that for much of my creativity and success, I could also see that it was potentially adding to the pattern.
I had been juggling multiple high profile projects, feeling frustrated with colleagues who weren’t pulling their weight, and struggling to manage this. At home, I wanted to be more present, but I didn’t know what that actually looked like in practice.
While I had not dropped any balls, everything felt slightly out of my control.
What has been the biggest benefit you have gained from the coaching?
Very early on, after working with Leigh to prepare for a particularly difficult board meeting, I realised that all the thoughts which had been swirling round in the back of my mind had been brought to the fore, and I was able to work out for myself the approach I wanted to take. This became a pattern for our way of working together. Coaching helped me bring vague concepts to the front of my mind so I could actually look at them and act on them.
While work is still taking a good part of my time and effort, it feels more balanced. I exercise during the week, and I no longer work on the weekend (mostly 🙂
Coaching has genuinely felt like a multiplier of my time. An hour in session with Leigh, unlocks days of clearer thinking and better decision-making.
What did you like most about the coaching relationship?
The balance between support and challenge. Having time to sit and talk a problem through with another person is time I don’t have anywhere else in the day… it feels safe and easy.
Leigh has a way of asking the right question at exactly the right moment. She helped me see patterns in my behaviour, particularly around overworking, and inherited beliefs about achievement that I am not sure I would have noticed without our conversations.
If you were to recommend Leigh to a friend, what would you say?
I would say that coaching with Leigh is genuinely transformative. She will help you slow down just enough to think clearly and act deliberately.
She is professional, yet friendly, and strikes the right balance between being supportive and holding you to account.
I now make more conscious decisions. I pause before saying yes. I delegate more confidently. I feel in control in a way I hadn’t realised I was missing. I wouldn’t have made these shifts on my own.