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Leadership and Neuroscience Coach

Email: dominique@head4leadership.co.uk
Call: 07703 564451

Coaching

You thought you were on the same page! Only to find you weren’t!

Ever had that sinking feeling when you check-in with the team or an individual and find the work is below your expectations?

It can be that they are: completely off track, behind schedule, missing key people’s input, incorrect details, off message or poor quality, for example.

The frustration for leaders and managers this causes, is understandable, yet I believe the responsibility for .how communications are received sits with the leader. Communicating has many levels and methods; and mastery of this multifaceted skills is, in my mind, on going. Requiring reflection to enable improvement.

Three easy traps to failed communication (spoken or written)

🗣 Thinking that ‘telling’, and receiving nods and yes’s in response, equals message understood. 
To clients who say they thought someone else knew what they meant… I say – you thought they did, how about knowing they did?

🚫 Not being clear yourself.
When you ask others to do work without a strong why, and what good looks like.
This, in my opinion, is especially important in regard to a first time task or new responsibilities.
When I ask clients, how does this link to objectives, the strategy or business values?
It’s not infrequent that the answer is vague or needs thinking that hasn’t taken place in advance.

😡 A blame mindset.
Putting the blame on others for a work issue, can be understandable.
Who wants to stand out for errors or mistakes occurring? Owning up to your part comes with levels of discomfort such as shame, embarrassment or guilt. Yet, ego in leadership is something to be managed well, so as not to push those feelings unfairly onto others.
When clients say to me, why didn’t they just ask?  I say, ‘You tell me? How do you make doing that possible and okay?

There is much to master when it comes to communication!

Communication is a massive subject. Subjective, situational, emotional and requires, from my perspective, high levels of compassion and courage. The difference communication work has made to me and clients is incredible. It builds clarity, trust and psychological safety for all parties

Message me

MESSAGE ME and we can work on this skill together!

You want to lead others, ‘be careful what you wish for’!

Said another shop manager after gaining my first role!

‘Be careful what you wish for!’ were the first words said to me by another shop manager after gaining my first manager role. I was twenty years old and to be honest I was a little unnerved by those words.

Many years, industries and roles have passed since then.
🏅 There have been times when I have felt absolutely on it!, loved it and wholly supported. AND,
⚠️then there have been times when it has felt overwhelming and lonely.

I, like most newly appointed managers and leaders don’t ‘wish’ for overwhelm, mistakes, performance dips or loneliness. Yet, it’s at these times that you have the best chance to learn the most about yourself.

What I learnt from these experiences – that I can find challenges hard and emotionally draining (one included the closing of a business).
But also, that I do have it in me to keep going, re-routing and adjusting what I do and how I feel (e.g. starting/running my coaching business since 2014).

🪄What I wish I’d wished for back then? To be more prepared in readiness for when the going gets tough! To have had dedicated time to knowing my vulnerabilities. To be ready for their appearance and know what to do with them!

✨️My ‘wish’ for you is to give you with a HeadStart✨️
– A standalone HEADSTART session (or you can arrange optional ‘add ons’ for a more taylored programme)
– Creating awareness of your resilience levels (your propensity to perform well under pressure) and
– Access to development ideas and tools to aid you and those you lead.

QR Code in the images – For more information or

Find out more

Risk averse to reckless, what’s at stake and for whom?

‘The possibility of something bad happening’

My August newsletter explores risk. One’s relationship with it, how this changes and the impact of your risk levels on those you lead.

It includes links:

  • A personal risk story
  • A check-in with how you would risk assess that story
  • Insights into what is happening in the brain
  • A link to a video about motivation
  • Links to enquire into Head 4 Leaderships services
Ask me about coaching

When influencing others isn’t working, ways to fix it.

The main feature of the latest newsletter

“Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts.

It’s about one life influencing another” John C Maxwell

The main feature of my latest newsletter is one many of us have or will recognise. Leaders have leaders too, and as the case study shows it can be as hard managing up as a leader as it is as a contributor. See if this example transforms how you interact with others

Coach with Dominique

Are you a worrier? Or, may be you don’t worry enough?

Picture – Nik / Unsplash

This section of the newsletter looks at worrying. Worrying is both positive and negative if out of balance. Included here are 4 tips test out if you find worrying is taking over. There are many more ideas you can draw on but this is the 4 tips section … 🙂

Subscribe to the newsletter

Be a more impactful leaders – Head 4 Leaderships other services

At Head4leadership I talk about coaching a lot and offer 4 services in that space. Also, I offer skills workshops that are also essential for leaders to explore and practice. Check out the link in the newsletter or on my website. They can increase motivation for activities and goals that are challenging. Collaboration in learning and being accountable and enhance perfromance.

Find out about skills workshops

Ever had a business identity crisis?

Mine’s over. Introducing my new business name ‘Head 4 Leadership’

What was wrong?

About 6 months ago,  I was becoming more conscious of the incongruences between what I do and how others understand this. Social media had different headings, and my initial name – DS Consulting – reach new heights, began to not sit right with me.  It described an outcome, not what I do!

I sent an email to my marketing guy, subject – Identity crisis!

Evolution prompts change

I have been running my business for nearly 9 years now. Those that know me, can find me and get what I do – leadership and neuroscience coaching. 

At the begining I was known for Leadership Coaching. I have continued to progressed and build my qualifications, as we all do or can do in our careers. Neuroscience qualifications have been added over the last 6 years. This increases what I offer in knowledge and experience.  Deeper understanding for why you think and feel like you do; to help you manage your neuroscience insights appropriately and developed them.

The evolution of my leadership work with neuroscience meant that a year ago I updated my logo (the same logo you see today).  Since then, I knew I need to be a bit more ‘Ronseal’ and have a name that ‘does what it says on the tin’.  Here’s why I am now trading as Head 4 Leadership.

(Only got my old contact details – no matter, you’ll be redirected!)

Being more ‘Ronseal’

Head 4 Leadership links up three concepts for what I do and what matters. 

  • Head 4 is directional, forward thinking and links to coaching that takes you from where you are, towards where you want to go. 
  • Head 4 also links to self management and the resilience needed for leading people, self and situations.  All of which can trigger moments of expected and unexpected personal challenges that require you to be HeadStrong.
  • Leadership is my passion, it’s a privilege. Doing it well, provides environments that are safe and thriving. This matters to me and those I aim to work with.
Thinking to work with me? – Contact H 4 L

The mission of Head 4 Leadership

My mission had become clearer and that too prompted a need to change.

‘To influence leadership cultures to demonstrate courage and compassion’

Managing pressure, staying ‘clear thinking‘ and ‘keeping your head’ are all skills that enable just that.  You’ll weigh up risks, make tough decisions and do what’s needed with calmness and empathy.

My thank you’s and gratitude go to this great set of people

This collaboration now means you can find me and connect with me, more easily.

Thinking to work with me? Contact H 4 L