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Leadership Reflection Circles

Creating space to reflect, gain perspective, and lead through complexity

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Overview  |  The Experience  |  The impact  |  Formats |  Case Study

Overview

Most leaders struggle to sustain effective leadership under pressure, at pace, and without space to think. Leadership Reflection Circles provide that space: small, facilitated peer groups where leaders come together to work through real challenges in real time.

Expectations on leaders continue to rise, while the time to pause and think is often consumed by action and urgency. Many find themselves navigating complexity in isolation, making decisions under pressure while managing competing demands and the emotional weight of change.

Leadership Reflection Circles create a structured space to step back, make sense of what is happening, and approach leadership challenges with greater clarity and intention. They offer a reflective environment where development is grounded in live challenges and supported by peers facing similar demands.

The experience

Leadership Reflection Circles are small, peer-based virtual coaching groups, facilitated by experienced KDVI executive coaches. Each circle brings together five to six leaders who meet regularly over a defined period to explore live leadership challenges. The environment is confidential and thoughtfully facilitated. While relevant frameworks may occasionally support reflection, the focus remains firmly on real situations and practical responses.

    The impact

    • Work through real leadership dilemmas in a confidential setting
    • Gain perspective from peers and the facilitating coach
    • Engage in collective sensemaking and problem-solving
    • Receive constructive challenge and feedback
    • Identify patterns and systemic dynamics
    • Clarify priorities and next steps
    • Strengthen personal resilience
    • Build trusted relationships for ongoing support.

    Summary:

     Virtual group coaching

     Facilitated by: KDVI coach

     Group size: 5-6 leaders

     Duration: 5 weeks

     £750 (excl. VAT) per person

    Participants are expected to attend all sessions, as the value of the circle depends on consistent contribution and engagement within the group. Circles are scheduled once a minimum number of participants has been confirmed.

    KDVI t&cs apply

    GET IN TOUCH

    Most leaders struggle to sustain effective leadership under pressure, at pace, and without space to think. Leadership Reflection Circles provide that space: small, facilitated peer groups where leaders come together to work through real challenges in real time.

    Expectations on leaders continue to rise, while the time to pause and think is often consumed by action and urgency. Many find themselves navigating complexity in isolation, making decisions under pressure while managing competing demands and the emotional weight of change.

    Leadership Reflection Circles create a structured space to step back, make sense of what is happening, and approach leadership challenges with greater clarity and intention. They offer a reflective environment where development is grounded in live challenges and supported by peers facing similar demands.

    The experience

    Leadership Reflection Circles are small, peer-based virtual coaching groups, facilitated by experienced KDVI executive coaches. Each circle brings together five to six leaders who meet regularly over a defined period to explore live leadership challenges. The environment is confidential and thoughtfully facilitated. While relevant frameworks may occasionally support reflection, the focus remains firmly on real situations and practical responses.

    Format

    In-organisation circles

    Designed around your organisation’s context, strengthening trust, alignment and open dialogue across the business.

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    Open enrolment circles

    Bringing together leaders from different organisations to broaden perspective and enable rich cross-sector learning.

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    Case Study: Global Pharmaceutical Company

    During COVID-19, a global pharmaceutical organisation introduced Leadership Reflection Circles to support leaders navigating sustained disruption. The aim was to help them lead more effectively in real time, while drawing support from both the facilitating coach and peers across the organisation.

    The impact over six months:

    • 180 leaders across 21 countries participated in the first wave
    • Following its success, a second wave was launched, with a further 120 leaders joining
    • 96% reported becoming more effective leaders
    • Leaders particularly valued the practical support at a time of sustained pressure

    “We went from just dealing with the crisis to growing as leaders. My mental and emotional well-being was much better because of the Leadership Reflection Circle.”

    Recurring themes across groups were anonymised and shared with senior leadership, providing real-time insight into organisational dynamics and underlying pain points.

    Summary

     Virtual group coaching

     Facilitated by: KDVI coach

     Group size: 5-6 leaders

     Duration: 5 weeks

     £750 (excl. VAT) per person

    Participants are expected to attend all sessions, as the value of the circle depends on consistent contribution and engagement within the group. Circles are scheduled once a minimum number of participants has been confirmed.

    KDVI t&cs apply

    GET IN TOUCH

    Margot Schumacher:

    Senior Associate at KDVI, Adjunct Professor of Leadership Development at TIAS Business School, and executive coach at INSEAD. Margot has coached senior leaders across global organisations following senior roles at Unilever and Kraft Heinz. Since 2010, she has advised multinationals on leadership and organisational development, with a focus on enhancing effectiveness at the top team and board levels. She also serves on the Supervisory Board of Thales Netherlands. Her global perspective is shaped by living and working in Shanghai, Pittsburgh, and London before returning to the Netherlands

    Oriane Kets de Vries:

    Oriane Kets de Vries is CEO and owner of the Kets de Vries Institute. She leads a global team of coaches, consultants and educators dedicated to developing reflective, emotionally intelligent leaders and cultivating workplaces where people can thrive. In her faculty role, she draws on extensive experience designing and directing leadership programmes for senior executives, contributing her expertise in psychodynamic coaching, organisational culture, and transformational leadership development.

    Oriane has served as consultant, coach, and programme director for clients including Pictet, Deutsche Bank, Merck, UBS, Mishcon de Reya, and Engie, and she has taught on open-enrolment programmes with leading institutions such as Cambridge Judge Business School, Oxford Saïd, INSEAD, ESCP, ESMT and CEDEP. Her interests centre on the human side of leadership, particularly identity, creativity, entrepreneurship and gender dynamics. She holds an MBA and Executive MA in Coaching and Consulting for Change from INSEAD, has trained at the Harvard Kennedy School, and brings more than a decade of professional experience in creative and entrepreneurial industries into her work with leaders.

    Manfred Kets de Vries:

    Manfred Kets de Vries is a pioneering authority in leadership development, coaching, and organisational change. He is a founder and director of the Kets de Vries Institute (KDVI) and served as Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organisational Change at INSEAD. With academic credentials in economics (University of Amsterdam), management (MBA and DBA, Harvard Business School), and psychoanalysis (trained in Canada), he brings a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective to leadership. His work bridges management theory and clinical insight, establishing him as a global thought leader in executive coaching and transformation. At INSEAD, he founded the Global Leadership Centre and led the flagship programme The Challenge of Leadership for 31 years. He also served as scientific director of Coaching and Consulting for Change, an 18-month Executive Master’s programme that has shaped over 3,000 senior leaders and executive coaches worldwide. He has advised and coached senior executives at global firms including Goldman Sachs, BP, Shell, Unilever, McKinsey, and Volvo. A prolific author of over 60 books and 400 articles, his work appears regularly in The Financial Times, The Economist, and Harvard Business Review. Recognised by Le Capital, Wirtschaftswoche, and The Financial Times as one of the world’s top 50 management thinkers, he is widely regarded for advancing more human-centred approaches to leadership.

    Yulia Chupina:

    Senior Adviser (Luminary) at Accenture and executive coach with over 12 years of board experience. Formerly a banker and McKinsey consultant, Yulia has led banking transformations in digital, agile, organisational change, and talent development. Her coaching spans the finance, tech, and consumer goods sectors, blending technological insight with emotional intelligence to guide leaders through transformation. Recently, she advised BBVA on agile methodologies and senior talent development. Influenced by thought leaders such as Manfred Kets de Vries and Gabor Maté, Yulia brings an analytical, reflective approach to leadership. She has lived and worked across the UK, Spain, the US, and Russia.

    Elizabeth Florent:

    Elizabeth has worked closely with Manfred Kets de Vries for many years and has served as a Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow at INSEAD. Her extensive background in leadership development spans organisational consulting, executive coaching, and academic research. She holds advanced degrees in Organisational Development and Clinical Organisational Psychology and is a certified Coaching Supervisor through the Tavistock Institute. Her doctoral research explored experiential domains in executive education, and she has authored or co-authored numerous academic articles, case studies, and books on leadership and organisational dynamics. Elizabeth led the development teams behind KDVI’s diagnostic instruments, including the GELM, OCA™, and ITI. Drawing on her diverse training and global experience, she brings deep cross-cultural insight to her work with leaders worldwide. Originally from California, Elizabeth has made France her home for over 30 years.