Graham Wilson

Thanks Workplace Journal for featuring my article on #capabilitymindset which is my go-to phrase instead of #optimism in 2026. Less about wishful thinking, more about taking a practical approach to uncertainty.

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Transformation seems to be the word of the decade so far. Everyone seems to be using it - especially in the coaching world. But what do we really mean when we say it? In his blog Dave Stitt MCC mentions that he often held the image of transformation as something irreversible - like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. A fundamental, permanent shift. He discusses if he has ever truly enabled transformation as a coach - and if that should even be the goal? https://buff.ly/rivBRvq

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Over the years we’ve met many coaching clients who arrive with a range of hopes and fears about coaching, feeling unclear about what it will be like.   Some worry it will feel like therapy. Others hope for an expert who will tell them what to do. Some want to “ace” coaching, as if it is another performance arena. Some are quietly hoping the coach will help them manage a difficult boss. None of this is unusual. There are similarities with therapy in that you are talking one-to-one in a confidential space, but a coach should be clear with you about the boundary of their competence and the focus of your work together. And while it can feel reassuring to lean on a coach to tell you what to do, it is a risky strategy since they are not you, and they are not in your exact context at the precise moment you have to act. Most coaching clients are leaders who are experts in their field. Very few are experts in being a coachee. Evidence from research and my own experience indicate that clients who bring motivation, willingness to be coached, openness to the process, and a commitment to do the work, benefit more from coaching and are more likely to achieve their desired outcomes. If you’re preparing for working with a coach (or thinking of initiating coaching), you might start with three questions: 1.     What's the story that leads to you and your coach working together? 2.     What change is being sought, and where you can personally act to influence that outcome? 3.     What is your readiness to do the work, not just attend the sessions? That means making time, being fully present, doing the experiments and homework, reflecting deeply on your experience, and staying committed when it becomes uncomfortable. Showing up to your next coaching meeting having done the work in-between, or ready to examine what got in the way, is crucial. Sometimes people treat coaching as something done to them, or something they should perform well in. Coaching tends to work best when you treat it as a partnership: something you and your coach co-create. At the start, you have a joint task to explore how you are currently operating, what is being asked of you now, and what needs to shift for you to be effective in the reality of your role now and in the future. After this initial exploration, your joint work is to activate the changes you want to make. If coaching is on your horizon, I would be interested to hear what helps you arrive ready to engage, and what tends to get in the way.

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They said I was too young to coach leaders. They were right- back then, I believed it too. Until I realised leadership isn’t measured in years, it’s reflected in energy. Authority isn’t about seniority. It’s about stability. #Leadership #CalmAuthority #ExecutiveInfluence

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Given the importance of personalised guidance in this process, career coaching serves as an essential resource. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/AoiH5 #CareerCoaching #CareerTransition #Coaching

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Over the last few years, I’ve seen one leadership capability become more important than ever: resilience. The leaders who are navigating change most effectively are not necessarily the loudest or most confident. They are the ones developing adaptability, self-awareness, empathy, and the ability to stay grounded through uncertainty. One framework that continues to stand out to me is Hardiness and the three C’s: Commitment — staying connected to purpose and people Control — focusing on what we can influence Challenge — viewing change and difficulty as opportunities for growth Resilient and inclusive leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about learning how to lead people through complexity with humanity, curiosity, and care.

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Dysfunctional boards rarely implode. They drift. They avoid tension. They mistake harmony for effectiveness. This board assessment reveals whether your board is high-performing — or quietly underperforming. Check the link in the comment 👇 #leadership #businessgrowth #business #success #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #leaders #leader

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What if the way your brain works isn’t the problem, but the key to your success? Graham Summerscales EMCC - ICF Certified Executive Coach and I were in conversation last month recording episode 8 of the TABcast podcast series at the podmatic® studios. In this new article from The Alternative Board (UK) we share insights from a powerful TABcast conversation that I had with Graham Summerscales on what it’s like to run a business with ADHD. Graham’s story is one of late diagnosis, self-awareness, and helping others build businesses that work with their minds, not against them. If you’re a business owner who feels like you're constantly masking, overcompensating or burning out — this article is well worth a read. And if you’re supporting someone who thinks differently, it might help you understand them better, too Links to the article and the podcast episode in the comments. #ADHDinBusiness #TABUK #BusinessSupport #Neurodiversity #Leadership #Coaching #BusinessOwners #MentalHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing

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Insight is only as valuable as the action it informs. Many organisations invest in psychometric assessments and gain rich, evidence-based insights into their people. However, a common challenge is translating those insights into practical, day-to-day development actions. Without a clear link between insight and behaviour, reports can quickly become underutilised despite their potential. The real value emerges when insights are: -Clearly understood by both individuals and managers -Translated into specific, relevant development goals -Embedded into ongoing conversations and performance discussions This doesn’t require complex systems, just a structured approach and consistency. When insight is actively used, it becomes a powerful tool for improving performance, guiding development, and supporting better talent decisions over time. #EvidenceBasedHR #TalentManagement #LeadershipGrowth #EmployeeDevelopment #OrganisationalSuccess

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GPs being advised to prescribe workplace coaches instead of #SickNotes? Business owners and Chief Executives can reduce sickness and increase retention if they train supervisors and managers at n good management practice and assess their performance - not by complying with policies - but by their capacity for engaging and motivating teams. Too many managers find themselves in positions they’re unqualified for but were ‘good’ in their previous role. Chartered Management Institute

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Should succession planning focus on naming one successor, or preparing a pipeline of leaders? Research tells us: 85% of executives say succession is critical, yet only 30% believe their process works (McKinsey, 2023). 60% of internal successors fail within 18 months without proper preparation (Gartner, 2022). Read full article here: https://lnkd.in/gU35b8hM #worthcoaching #leadershiptransitions #ExecutiveCoaching

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🧭 Do you know where your business is really going? Too many SME leaders get stuck working in the business, not on it. You’ve got goals, but no guiding vision. If your staff aren’t clear on what you're building—and your clients can’t see why it matters—you’re not just standing still. You’re slipping backwards. A compelling strategic vision aligns your people, attracts the right customers, and gives your leadership real meaning. In my latest article, I share: 🔹 How to define a vision that sets you apart 🔹 How to embed it into your operations 🔹 How to get your staff behind it 👉 Read the blog now and start building a business that grows with purpose. https://lnkd.in/g2wgVQjZ #leadership #smeowners #businessgrowth #vision #scale #businesscutthrough

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Boards do not need to know everything you know. They need clarity, judgement and a clear recommendation. I’ve written a short blog on what to include in a presentation to the board, based on some of the core principles I come back to repeatedly when coaching senior leaders. Link in the comments #BoardPresentation #LeadershipCommunication #PresentationSkills #ExecutivePresence #SeniorLeaders #L&D

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Most coaches try to solve business problems alone that actually require conversation. I recognise that pattern because I lived inside it for longer than I care to admit. If you’re a few years into coaching and something in your business feels slightly off, this may explain it. There is a stage many coaches pass through that rarely gets spoken about openly. I often think of it as the messy middle. It arrives once the early excitement settles and the work becomes your everyday life. You’re coaching clients. You’re earning money. You care deeply about the work. Yet something underneath still feels unsettled. It often looks like this: ⮑ Clients arrive in waves rather than a steady rhythm ⮑ Your messaging keeps shifting because the positioning still feels unfinished ⮑ Income exists, though consistency feels just out of reach ⮑ Decisions take longer because every choice carries weight ⮑ You watch certain coaches move faster and wonder what they understand that you haven’t yet ⮑ A quiet pressure sits in the background that rarely makes it into conversation That stage creates a strange tension. You’ve come far enough to see what is possible, yet the business still lacks the steadiness you expected by this point. So the mind works harder. → More strategy. → More thinking. → More adjusting. That was exactly how I approached it. Until something shifted. When I look back, the coaches who moved through this stage faster shared one thing in common. They stopped trying to figure everything out alone. ⮑ They placed themselves in rooms where conversations sharpened their thinking. ⮑ Where another coach could hear a challenge and offer a perspective that completely changed the angle. ⮑ Where people understood the work and the quiet pressure that comes with it. Those conversations changed things far faster than another strategy ever did. Which brings me back to the beginning. Many of the problems coaches spend months trying to solve alone were never thinking problems. They were conversation problems.

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Many coaching businesses don’t fail. They stall. Nothing dramatic happens. There’s no big mistake, no obvious collapse. Momentum just… slows. Enquiries become less frequent. Growth feels harder to generate. You’re busy, but things aren’t moving forward in quite the same way. Over the years I’ve noticed there are three signs this is happening, even when everything still looks fine on the surface. Once you see them, they’re surprisingly easy to recognise. The question is: Would you spot them in your own business? I’ve written about them in this week’s article. Read it here: https://bit.ly/4cDN3rH

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And so what? This is a question people should ask after completing a psychometric assessment. Owen Fernandes, Ph.D., MBA, ICF-ACC, ICP-LEA, ICP-ENT, is a reliable source of valuable insights for addressing the question above.

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This is an opportunity to dial down the noise and distractions for what really matters to surface - about you as a coach, your coaching clients, your business, and our coaching ecosystem... #Intention #Identity #Agency #Business #CoachingCommunity

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Measuring coaching ROI doesn’t start after the coaching. It starts before the first session. And it’s often the one part of coaching that gets missed. Most programmes struggle to demonstrate value because they weren’t set up with measurement in mind. If you don’t have agreed objectives, structured check-ins and a way to capture progress — it’s hard to get visibility. That’s why our coaching platform includes built-in tools to track goals, gather feedback, and give anonymised reports across entire cohorts. When you can show what’s changed — in capability, confidence or behaviour — it becomes far easier to justify budget and gain future investment. Coaching doesn’t need to be soft or vague. When it’s structured well, the results speak for themselves. Want to see what kind of metrics are being tracked right now in successful programmes? Message WWA Corporate Coaching and we'll show you.

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