Welcome

When life at the top becomes too lonely…

When you’re unsure of the loyalties of those around you…
When a complex situation is unfolding too quickly…
When you are negotiating a political minefield…
When your own sense of confidence and security is challenged…

The leaders’ confidant, working behind the scenes, I help them see the dynamics of situations, the politics of organisations, their own personality, and the behaviour of other people, differently; motivating them to achieve more, enabling them to formulate their dreams, and find the confidence to transform these into reality. The most senior roles in an organisation are lonely places. Leaders often find few people with whom they can discuss things – both strategic and operational, may distrust the motives of their peers, or be concerned about divulging significant information inappropriately or too early.

Often, their ideas are not yet formulated and they are concerned that using others as sounding boards may lead to rumours and speculation that grow out of proportion with consequences that could harm them, the organisation and its stakeholders. A former Big-Four consultant and multinational HRD, I know that professional advisors can have split loyalties.

Leading Oxford University’s coaching programmes, I offer uniquely qualified, strictly boundaried, support as a confidant to people in positions of power. We build a relationship of trust, in which you can discuss almost any issue affecting you at the time, knowing that this will remain between us, and my support will not be compromised by my own agendas.

My articles reflect various aspects of my work. Use the menu to select particular themes.

If you feel I might be able to help you, please call, use skype, or email.

My latest articles

• Why is spiritual development often spoken about in terms of freedom from ego?
  At the time of writing (February 2025), I am delivering a ten-week undergraduate course in Transpersonal Psychology.  This question arose in one of the early classes, and I thought the answer might be of wider interest. Spiritual development is often described as a movement beyond the ego, but this does not mean destroying the ego or ...
• On the plus side of less efficiency
  For the first 15 years of my career, I became a bit of an authority on improving the effectiveness of organisations through total quality management (TQM) and the ‘excellence’ movement. This wasn’t random, it was about teaching lots of people about how to perform simple experiments in their work – some of which were bound ...
• Why are English anaesthetists anonymous?
  In England, through the NHS, when you are to have surgery requiring a general anaesthetic, you have a ‘consultation’ with the allocated surgeon, they explain the risks and you are scheduled. For many procedures, the major ‘risk’ though is not from the surgery itself, but the anaesthetic. Surely, then, it is the anaesthetist that you ...
• Decolonisation or Decolonialisation?
  Decolonisation means to reduce the size of a population, whereas decolonialisation means to remove the traces of a colonial power. Why did the world adopt “decolonisation” instead of “decolonialisation” to describe the processes intended to provide redress for slavery and colonial exploitation? The adoption of the term “decolonisation” rather than “decolonialisation” reflects historical, linguistic, and political ...
• One Size Doesn’t Fit All: The Limitations of Professional Bodies in Coaching
  The approaches taken by professional coaching bodies often fail to fully address the diversity within the coaching profession. These organisations typically align themselves with specific models, frameworks, or ethical principles. This can create several problems: 1. Narrow Focus on Preferred Models Professional bodies often promote specific coaching models or frameworks. This restricts the development of a broad ...