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Leadership and Neuroscience Coach

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

Coaching

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

You say, feel or know you want to change, but are you really ready?

5 questions to help you find out.

When coaching and deliver workshops for leaders a main value is giving each individual time to actually focus on who they are, what matters and how motivated they are to put in the effort that change requires.

Coaching clients and workshop attendees can often come to sessions with mixed levels of intention or desire to change. How you ‘show up’ to coaching or development sessions and your readiness for change is going to make a huge difference to what you gain from them.

Here are 5 questions to enhance yourself awareness and identify if you are ready for a change challenge?

  1. What has been your relationship with change? What is your change history?  Work and personally. What have been your change successes and achievements?  What have been the failures or misses you have experienced? How would you rate your ability to set and stick to your change goals?
  2. Are you at the ‘pondering’ stage or the ‘ready to do something’ stage? Make a list of the pro’s and con’s for making this change.  Until you have more pro’s than cons you are more likely to be in a stage of contemplation.  More pro’s means than you are ready to identify actions and to act on them.
  3. What’s your reason for making this change? Clients often don’t have a solid enough reason for why a change really matters to them personally.  A way to identify how important a change is to you, is by understanding your values, strengths, what you stand for and what is significant for you.  A change that supports these is one that is driven by YOU and that feeds YOUR motivations to act.
  4. How good are you at having goals and committing to them? Are you someone who prefers to self motivate or someone who does better when there is support and accountability to others?  Self motivated people will have a really strong ‘why’ and ‘purpose’ that keeps them going.  For those that sustain their motivation better with the support of others, having a coach or trusted peer in place will play a big part in enabling focus and providing encouragement to achieve the goal.
  5. Does your mindset for change help or hinder you?  Positivity toward change plays a big part in a person’s belief that they can make the change happen.  Thoughts and mind-talk, if negative, can quickly demotivate.  It impacts teams too.  A group’s mindset can swing from positive to negative or back again based on the how they or a particular individual voice their views and opinions.  As a coach I test the truth of mind-talk, help to re-frame negativity to find the learning and opportunity, so as to re-open the mind to keep striving.

Change isn’t easy, with the right preparation and support you can be both ready and successful in making positive changes happen.  

Contact Head4Leadership for a free 30 minute consultation

Are You Being Smart or Wise?

Putting neuroscience into leadership

As a coach certified in applied neuroscience, I read many articles* and studies from both the leadership and neuroscience world.  A recent one included this quote:

‘Smart talks. Wisdom listens.  Smart always has answers. Wisdom tries hard to understand questions’ 

Harvey Max Chochino, Canadian Psychiatrist.

The reflections this raised

Reviewing how wise I have been in my work and life, as a way to reflect on another week, especially in terms of ‘wisdom listens’.  Deep listening being a skill that coaches work hard to build and strengthen.

  • How wise have I been, generally?
  • How often have I listened to myself?
  • How well have I consistently listened deeply during coaching sessions?
  • When have I been ‘smart’?  Was there more to be understood first?
  • What caused me to go for the ‘smart’ option?
  • How can I focus on being wise more often?

Coaching can help you find wisdom in the moments you most need it. 

Click here to request a 20 minute, no obligation chat to see how we could work together.

*Read the full article

Driving Growth through Remote Coaching

Global boarders are not a barrier

Dominique – Leadership and Neuroscience Coach

‘Thank you again for your amazingness – you have really made an impact on my professional and personal life – life-changing!’

Operations Manager, based in South Africa, after completion of my remote coaching programme

I as a leadership coach, used to think that online wasn’t as good as face to face coaching.   Even though it always played a part in with my twenty years of working with leaders in global organisations on leadership and other skills. 

I generally felt more confident when face 2 face, partly due to my lack of practice with technology and it’s sometimes wavering connectivity.  Only this week, my laptop wouldn’t connect to the internet! 

It’s frustrating for all parties. Trying to communicate the problem, to work out where the issue is and how to solve it.  Yet I have a tripod, I set my phone up, we went via 5G and although a bit of time was lost, we kicked in and the session went ahead with good result. 

How do I know that? Because my session round ups, whether in person or remotely explore the value of the time and what is motivating my coachee’s focus and areas to build on.

Looking for a leadership coach?

Pre-Covid 19 ways

In the ‘old pre covid days’  travel budgets were bigger and when working with virtual clients, (I am base in the south UK), there was usually at least one face 2 face built in to a program, either in their or my location.  To be honest, it was a joyous bonus, seen then as an essential part of a programme to meet the clients; especially as being in their environment can provide some unseen context. 

Is it detrimental to the coaching if I coach you without personal context of your environment? No, because as your coach I’ll enquire into your perception of it, and test what that view is based on.

The online reach

Almost everyone is now used to virtual, which gives you greater scope to find the best coach for you!  My current clients are spread all across the UK, in California, USA and South Africa. The added benefit to you of these more accessible arrangements includes the wider perspective of our different cultures to the challenges and opportunities you are looking to work on. 

Are different skills employed for virtual coaching?

I believe not, I believe it’s more about attention. The ability to meet you where you are, to create a virtual environment of trust that allows for your deep thoughts to be raised and worked through.  Where space is made for your opinions, feelings and ideas to be heard and examined with out judgement.  A place that stimulates your accountability in a way that motivates you to practice new ways and test the impact. 

Tips for for a successful remote coaching session

  • Remote location choice – Maintains privacy, is comfortable and has limited distractions.
  • Tech – You know how it works (e.g. share screen), have a back up plan when it doesn’t and have other contact methods.
  • Preparation – Be ready in advance, have what you need handy, check your mindset
  • Attention – Turn off other electronic distractions, be time smart, stay focused on the coaching

Coaching helps you to standout in the global talent pool

The workplace is more global now than ever. Meaning that we all face competition from a wider talent pool.  More people and businesses are available for every role and service.  Your record, reputation, performance and impact are being compared with a greater number of people. This makes coaching for growth and progression an even more valuable choice to help leaders stand out.

Looking for a Leadership Coach?

Realising courageous, compassionate and competent leaders

Coaches often have a niche area. Something they are passionate about and focus on. Mine derives from the lessons and experience of overcoming my own personal challenges (coming back from a business loss in my twenties), changing and building my career, as well as hearing many stories from those on the end of toxic and diminishing leadership relationships.

My aim is to, ‘realise courageous, compassionate and competent leaders’ and I apply neuroscience to support the mental robustness that goes with the realities of leading – constant change and frequent uncertainty.

My Mission:
‘Promote the value and skills for honesty, resilience and kindness in every workplace’

Got a question? Please ask it.

Leading, it was all going so well until…

How my coaching approach can help leaders when it gets tough.

It can all be going well and then…

Even (but not only) clients that are established leaders, at the top of their game, can get caught in a cloud of doubt.

For one client is was a series of small oversites. They managed them with no big impact on overall results, yet it knocked them trusting themselves.

For another it was a buy out that had an almost overnight impact on their being scrutinised for every action and decision.

A further client found that a change in the team upset their sense of place and a negative change in their behaviour and mindset ensued.

Another was worn out with coping following Covid restrictions and a constant sense of needing to adapt and change.

Get in touch

Managing intense feelings requires emotional awareness

Even with the clarity of objectives, goals, vision and process (and if you don’t have these, how can you have focus for what’s important workwise?), it’s how a situation makes you ‘feel’ that can take you off course from leading well and being well.

‘Leaders with empathy (EQ*) perform over 40% higher in employee engagement, decision-making, and coaching’.

Harvard Business Review via – https://www.soocial.com/emotional-intelligence-statistics/

Five ways coaching with me can build your leadership EQ* and mental strength?

When you know, you cannot unknow. My coaching approach builds on what you know, widening your options for managing your self and others:

  1. Psychometrics and 360 feedback to enhance self awareness
  2. Exploration for learning to manage feelings, so you can respond v re-act
  3. Reflection time to digest actions, options and desired outcomes
  4. Proven neuroscience insights that will aid resilience, optimism and confidence
  5. Leadership techniques to enhance team and individual performance

*Emotional Intelligence

You are not alone and I could be the coach that can help you to reconnect with all the benefits that leading can bring.

Get in touch