My Executive Coach blog

An area I’m particularity invested in, and supportive of, is supporting women entrepreneurs.  I work with a number of women entrepreneurs who are starting or developing their own business.  The decision to start, build or grown their entrepreneurial ventures is always a difficult path but one that is ultimately not a choice at all – […]

The Jim Madden GPA Leadership Programme for 2024 has kicked off this month and it is with great pride and pleasure to be part of this impactful Leadership Development initiative.  The program establishes a learning pathway for both male and female players who wish to develop and expand upon their leadership qualities to become real […]

As a follow on from National Enterprise Day and the wonderful events I attended, I was struck by the number of women I met who said they still lacked self-confidence professionally and that they struggled with imposter syndrome.  Not a new topic but one I was surprised to hear, especially as the audience was full […]

Perseverance. Persistence. Resilience. Trending words right now.  Ones I hear on a daily basis from all my clients.  But what do they really mean and how relevant are these traits in our day-to-day professional challenges? Very interesting take on what makes us ‘gritty’ and how related this is to the relentless drive for Talent Acquisition […]

Today, 8th March, is International Women’s Day.  A global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.  Whether it is deliberate or unconscious, bias makes it difficult for women to achieve the recognition they deserve, whether this is from their managers, peers, colleagues or society.  This year is even more poignant as news […]

Recently I’ve been working with a number of clients who are on the cusp of C-Suite roles or the move is on their career path in 2023.   There is unlimited information on what leadership skills are ‘critical’ and how to acquire them.  Our Inbox’s are bulging with invitations to leadership training courses, programs, discussions and […]

Marshall Goldsmith’s axiom “what got you here won’t get you there” rings in my ears most days as I operate as an executive coach within a constantly changing business environment.  On a global level, the turbulence of worldwide crises – environmental, social, financial, conflict – is layering an undercurrent of anger, fear, grief and guilt […]

As the DCU Mentorship Program ends for this academic year, we look back on the benefits to both mentors and mentees of participating and contributing to this purposeful initiative.  Huge appreciation to all at the DCU Alumni Office for supporting and promoting engagement within the global DCU Alumni community and the current DCU undergraduate students.  Already looking […]

I’m fortunate to be part of DCU’s Emerging Leadership Programme, which aims to inspire the next generation of leaders through a diverse schedule of innovative professional development initiatives.  It’s so interesting to hear from these emerging leaders of the importance of thinking strategically and having solid goals while keeping the plan flexible and adaptable, especially […]

I am struck by how many times I have heard recently from my clients that they are struggling with being all things to their management team, their own teams and their clients.  These leaders are struggling with the expectations of all and commonly highlight feelings of personal failure in their performance.  One recurring concern is […]

Over the years, it’s quite possible you may have taken a psychometric test that collects information about you and assigns you to a neat box.  These tests are usually conducted in order to evaluate an individual’s maximum performance and more aligned to aptitude – such as skills, knowledge, abilities and job/academic potential. However, other psychometric […]

After the last two turbulent years, as leaders continue to seek new mindsets and strategies to manage and transform their teams within a challenging pandemic, a volatile present and an uncertain future, adaptability and flexibility seem to be gaining visibility as the most valuable qualities for effective leaders within leadership programmes.  This is driven by […]

‘None of us is as smart as all of us’ – Ken Blanchard TEAM…Together Everyone Achieves More One of my favourite quotes of all time is “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito”, a quote that is attributed to the Dalai Lama.  I like using this quote […]

Engage with EMCC Global Research At EMCC Global we believe in the power of co-operation, and as a volunteer organisation we build on the contributions of our members and supporters. There are a number of different ways you can engage with research, all of them benefiting both you and the community.  If you’d like to […]

Reading an intriguing book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It by Oliver Burkeman that was mentioned to me by a client.  It’s a curious take on the thriving and expansive industry that has grown up around goal optimisation and productivity and how we all are part of the endless list making and […]