When I entered my fifties, I had to accept that my working life could more easily be summarized in decades:

One in management consulting and two in various leadership roles in global financial organizations. This prompted me to reflect on whether one more decade in this corporate existence—which more latterly was carrying weighty organizational, regulatory, and governance responsibilities—could continue to offer meaning for me. I realized that what mattered most looking ahead, aside from my own health and wellbeing, was the quality of connection with my family. Not least, my three lovely children. And with my friends. As painful as it was to acknowledge, perhaps in my striving to be the best corporate leader I could be, I lost precious moments of connection. Sometimes we can feel like the pedals of the bike we’re on are going so fast that our legs can’t keep up. And that we miss the opportunity, along the way, to connect meaningfully with others … with life and all that it has to offer.

 

This was clearly a point of inflexion in my life and career, and one that needed careful self-reflection.

Perhaps significantly, I also chose to reflect in dialogue and relationship with others: mentors, friends, and a brilliant coach. This helped me to challenge and develop my thinking further. But more importantly, it enabled me to be courageous, to trust my self and act with a new-found freedom. At first, what emerged was a desire to build a bridge to a more meaningful future for my work. Aside from the rich learning it affords, the master’s program at Ashridge offered me the keystone and the inspiration to set up my own coaching business: Red Wolf Coaching.  I’m sometimes asked ‘Why Red Wolf?’ To me, the wolf embodies courage and freedom, calling us to trust our instincts and choose our own path in life. At the same time, wolves are there in spirit to guide us through the unknown.

 

Sometimes we can feel like the pedals of the bike we’re on are going so fast that our legs can’t keep up. And we miss the opportunity, along the way, to connect meaningfully with others … with life and all that it has to offer.

 

The Ashridge master’s also enabled me to develop my own philosophies and beliefs that underpin my coaching.

At a high level, the purpose of my work is to be of value to the lives of leaders and their organizations. At the heart of this is a desire to help leaders to be fulfilled at work … to be better than they might imagine they can be … to navigate their way through the uncertainty and complexity of life in organizations to create enduring value for their organizations and the people within them. At the same time, it’s about truly being there for the other, when it matters—seeing leaders as human beings first, with real lives, unique experiences, fears, desires and ambitions. Finally, it speaks to the intention I have to be in service of the organization, which requires me to locate the work that I do with leaders in the context of what is asked of them, in the context of the culture, for value to the business. In that respect, I am very much with the leader and for the organisation.

 

While I was already aware of Ashridge, and its first-class reputation for coaching, I was less familiar with Erik de Haan, the team of faculty, and their work.

After some reflection and reading, and subsequent discussion with people that had graduated both from Ashridge and from other famed institutions, I decided to apply for Ashridge. I was especially interested in its relational orientation, which resonated well with my beliefs and with my experience of leading at Investec, and I felt that it would complement my strengths in leading people, teams, and organizations.

The selection process was thorough and stretched my thinking. It was a very human experience, which I took as a good sign.

The first workshop was the same, with the added dimension of getting to know my cohort—or as my kids said ‘my new Uni mates.’ There were many opportunities for connection and much to learn given the rich diversity of perspectives. What I particularly appreciated was how actively engaged people were in the learning. The openness, curiosity and humility of the participants was matched by that of the faculty, which made it an inclusive experience and one that encouraged me to push the boundaries in my own work.
Ashridge is a very human, inclusive experience and one that encouraged me to push the boundaries in my own work
The most challenging aspect of the program (which kicked off in March 2020) was adapting to remote learning (respecting COVID guidance) … oh, and tempering my enthusiasm for the learning while balancing the unpredictable demands of a full-on executive leadership role. Be prepared, I was told, for the program to “stretch you intellectually, philosophically, and emotionally”. It didn’t let me down.

In my top three experiences are:

  • creating lifelong friendships
  • the quality of the feedback on my work – it was direct, challenging, helpful, and always came from a good place; and
  • the rigour of the accreditation process in which I felt tested

 

Graduation in 2022 with my children was a joyful experience!

I’m pleased to say, that after an initial (somewhat uncomfortable) period of adjustment from a corporate existence, I now have a thriving business, and some truly great clients. Leading my own practice offers the balance and freedom I needed. The work itself continues to be fulfilling for me, primarily through meaningful connection with my clients and support network. I am learning more than I had imagined … more about myself, about leadership, and about relationships through my own reflection, and continued professional curiosity and supervision. But also through the eyes and experiences of others. I feel better in myself and excited for the future.

My advice, if you’re feeling trapped in a corporate life, is first to understand Why

In other words: What is your intent and its meaning to you? In this respect, (as Eric Fromm says) you are inquiring into what you are seeking freedom to, not from. Your sense of self will be tested. If you value being part of a team or need affirmation from others, need to be needed yourself, or can’t live with too much ambiguity or not knowing, coaching is probably not for you.

My five top tips for making the leap:

  1. Prepare comprehensively for the transition. Dip your toe in, start coaching now, and learn from the experience; create the conditions you need to reflect and learn with others; become accredited; and plan properly for the financial transition
  2. Reactivate your network and grow new connections at the earliest opportunity. They will be the best source of growth for your practice
  3. Be patient and realistic about what you will achieve, especially early on. It takes longer than you’d expect to get off the ground
  4. Develop a clear sense of who you are as a coach. Where are you coming from? Adapt it as you learn more from your client experiences and feedback
  5. Commit to continued learning, from the outset. Work at your learning edge, including through personal and group supervision.

 

Are you ready to take the leap? Apply now to join our last executive coaching intake of the year

 

 

Find out more about Simon and Red Wolf Consulting here.