I help Thoughtful Leaders think clearly, exercise good judgement and lead with confidence.

If you tend to overthink decisions, avoid difficult conversations or second-guess yourself, you’re not alone.

Many capable leaders carry the weight of responsibility while wondering whether they’re handling things the right way.

My coaching helps you:

  • Make clearer decisions in difficult situations

  • Speak honestly and hold your ground when it matters

  • Set boundaries without feeling guilty; and

  • Lead with confidence, without pretending to be someone you’re not.

Book a free 30-minute conversation to see whether coaching is the right fit for you.

Ben Brearley

You’re already a capable leader – you just need the right support,

Leadership is rarely as simple as the books make it sound.

Thoughtful leaders often carry extra mental load because they care about doing the right thing, think carefully about decisions and take responsibility seriously.

You’re not the only one feeling this way.

I work with leaders who want to build their confidence and lead in a way that feels natural, steady and sustainable.

You don’t need to become louder, tougher or more political to lead effectively. You need focus, confidence and the ability to exercise good judgement.

You can lead effectively, without losing yourself in the process.

If you’re someone who puts people first, thinks things through, and wants to do right by your team, leadership can feel harder than it needs to.

Thoughtful leaders often put pressure on themselves to get everything right. They may hesitate to challenge others, struggle to set boundaries, or carry too much responsibility because they care about doing good work.

You’re not alone in this.

My coaching is designed for thoughtful leaders who want to lead with confidence, hold their ground when it matters, and make a positive impact – without pretending to be someone they’re not.

Through coaching, we’ll work together so you can:

  • Build confidence in your leadership and judgement

  • Navigate difficult conversations more effectively

  • Set healthier boundaries and expectations

  • Lead in a way that aligns with your values and strengths

Why I do this work

I started out in the tech world as a software developer, but it didn’t take long to realise I was more interested in helping people than writing code.

That led me into project management, consulting, and eventually leadership roles. Along the way, I found what I really enjoyed: supporting people to improve, overcome challenges, and feel more confident in their work.

That’s what brought me to coaching, and I’ve now been coaching and delivering leadership training for over five years.

In terms of background, I’m a certified coach (ACC with the International Coaching Federation), with a coaching diploma, an MBA, and experience leading teams across different industries and organisations.

So why does this matter?

Because I understand the pressure, self-doubt, and complexity that comes with leading, especially when you’re someone who doesn’t fit the traditional old-school leadership mould.

There’s a gap in many workplaces. I believe organisations need more thoughtful leaders: people who can think clearly, communicate honestly and exercise good judgement when situations become difficult or uncertain.

Ben About Image

Book your free 30-minute conversation to see if my coaching is right for you:

What clients are saying

When I started coaching I was feeling overwhelmed with the new promotion and was questioning whether I was capable and deserving of such a role.

Working with Ben has really changed the way I look at myself. Ben has given me that confident mindset by listening and providing guidance and support in making me think deeply to work on not only myself but to deal with different situations using alternative tools.

I believe in myself again and I know that I can do it!

Karen_Shaw Testimonial PictureKaren Shaw, Director of Corporate Communications, EnerSys, UK

I thoroughly enjoyed and benefitted from Ben’s approach. I enjoyed the exercises that we did, especially around exploring my own values.

I also enjoyed how thought provoking our sessions were and also how Ben challenged my own thinking. Coaching helped to me to make sense of myself. I now understand myself more, what motivates me, and why I might respond the way that I do in certain situations.

When I started coaching I was feeling uncertain, then I worked with Ben and I have a greater sense of clarity about myself and I’m much more confident.

Go for it with Ben, you need to be prepared to do the work, be open to self- reflection and open to new ideas and possibilities. As well as being a great coach, Ben has a great personality too.

Laura Baker, Regional Manager, Social Services, UK

From the outset, Ben made me feel comfortable to talk about my challenges and the areas of growth I sought. Through the coaching we covered a variety of topics including self-confidence, leadership and communication strategies.

Overall, a great experience. I would highly recommend Ben to anyone who is looking to invest back in themselves at any stage of their career. He focuses on building trust, getting the best out you, and shares tools that you can apply in everyday scenarios.

Gunbir Sandhoo Testimonial ImageGunbir Sandhoo, Manager, Business Engagement, Utilities Industry, Australia

Your thoughtfulness isn’t a weakness. It’s one of your strengths

There’s a common belief that to be a strong leader, you need to toughen up, push harder, be more dominant or act like someone you’re not.

But that’s not how I see it.

Your empathy, your thoughtful approach, and your care for your team are all strengths, and they’re worth protecting.

With the right support, you can learn to lead in a way that’s effective and sustainable, without losing what makes you who you are.

Over the years, I’ve helped many thoughtful, quieter leaders build their confidence, set clear boundaries, and grow strong, capable teams – all while staying true to themselves.

My coaching supports you as a whole person. Not just as a leader, but as someone who wants to do good work, make a positive impact, and still have something left in the tank at the end of the day.

Ben clapping hands

How the coaching process works

Your situation is unique, so there is really no “one-size fits all” approach to coaching.

Your needs will depend on your situation and the goals that you have.

However, it’s important to set the right foundation if you’re going to lead effectively. That’s why I often guide my clients through the process below.

This can be tailored depending on your specific requirements, which we’d discuss during the initial consultation.

Step 1: Vision

The coaching process starts by defining the vision.

This includes where you want to get to in the short, medium and longer term.

Most importantly, we’ll answer the question: “Where would you like to be after you’ve finished this coaching work?”

We’ll use the vision we create to make sure we stay on track.

Step 2: Values

Understanding your values and what they mean is a critical part of the coaching process.

Your values can help you to make decisions and motivate you to take action, even when it’s hard.

That’s why I include it early on in our work together.

Step 3: Motivators

It’s important to know what drives and motivates you.

We use this to help create an environment where you’re likely to do your best work, and watch out for situations that drag you down.

It also helps me to understand you better which helps the coaching, too.

For this part, I use the PRINT assessment and report which you’ll receive as part of the coaching.

Step 4 and beyond: Specific topics

The remainder of the coaching focuses on specific topics relevant to your situation.

The most common topics that my clients work on are:

  • Improving confidence

  • Handling difficult conversations

  • Managing stress, workloads and wellbeing

  • Motivating or holding team members accountable

  • Setting boundaries, including saying “no” and pushing back

  • Dealing with difficult people, including bosses or other senior leaders

  • Building a leadership style that feels natural – not forced

  • Speaking up more and being more direct.

Of course, it all depends on what you need.

What more clients are saying

When I started coaching I was doubtful about my work. I had no one to provide feedback and discuss my thoughts on complex tasks and discussions.

Working with Ben has helped me work on those doubts and understand how to use my weaknesses to grow and improve how to tackle those tasks where I thought my knowledge was limited.

Having Ben as a coach allowed me to talk about issues I saw as limitations, and Ben helped me re-look at some situations and observe them as opportunities.

During our coaching sessions, we discussed ways I could approach difficult situations, which gave me clarity on problems I was facing and I was able to develop different options to move forward.

Marie Pillay, Project Manager, Thermomix, Australia

In my sessions with Ben, I was encouraged to explore my values and how they influence my leadership style, and ask honest, self-reflective questions about some of the situations that challenged that style.

One of the most valuable takeaways for me was imagining possible outcomes, prompted by Ben’s questions: “What do you hope this will look like in the next few weeks?” “What might you do differently next time?”

These critical thinking prompts and my conversations with Ben gave me the opportunity to begin building new constructs and frameworks to test a variety of different actions and strategies. As a result, I saw movement forward in some key areas of my work and my interactions with people in my organization – positive and productive movement.

When I started this coaching experience, I felt stuck in some old “rules” of mine and unable to break out of some key mindsets that were holding me back.

After working with Ben, I felt more confident and capable, affirmed to take appropriate risks and encouraged to trust that my values and intentions were well-grounded. Post-coaching, I continue to see positive results.

I encourage anyone wanting to work with Ben to have an understanding of what you want, who you are – both personally and professionally – and a desire to work on your growing edges.

Ben will support you with unparalleled active listening skills, excellent insights, and his keen ability to help you connect the “dots” on the issues and topics you discuss. He embodies the kind of coaching acumen to which many of us aspire. I recommend his services without reservation.

Liz Adamshick, USA

When I started coaching, I had fairly low self-esteem in my role and low self-confidence that I could do my job properly.

Working with Ben gave me a new perspective and tools to help me approach difficult situations in a new way. Having Ben to discuss issues with and using the tools he gave me has given me more confidence to do my job in a way that I am happier with.

My biggest learning was that there is always another way to look at something; a way that can lead to a more constructive outcome.

Dom Mitchell Testimonial ImageDom Mitchell, Deputy Director, DOAJ, Sweden

Coaching packages & investment

Starter Package (new clients only)

The Starter package costs $650 AUD ex. GST ($430 USD or £320 GBP) and includes:

  • 3 x 1-hour coaching sessions over 4-6 weeks

  • Ongoing email support between sessions.

This package is only available to new clients and is perfect to work on a specific challenge or goal, or to see if longer-term coaching is right for you.

Standard Package

My standard coaching package costs $3,300 AUD ex. GST ($2100 USD or £1590 GBP) and includes:

  • 4 months of coaching, with a 60-minute session every 2 weeks

  • The PRINT psychometric tool and debrief

  • Personal values assessment and debrief (including access to my Understand & Use Your Values Online Course)

  • A copy of The Useful Thinking Journal to help you reflect between coaching sessions

  • Ongoing email support between sessions.

We can also adjust this package depending on your requirements – we’ll work out the best approach during your free consultation.

If you’d like help getting your organisation to cover the cost of coaching, I’ve put together some advice here: How to Get Your Organisation to Pay For Your Coaching.

Ready to feel more steady and confident in your leadership?

You don’t need to have everything figured out before seeking support. Coaching can help you think more clearly, navigate challenges effectively and lead with greater confidence.

Book your free 30-minute call today and see how my coaching could work for you.

Frequently asked questions

During the consultation we’ll discuss your challenges and goals, and what you’d like to get out of the coaching process.

We’ll also discuss the coaching and what it may look like for you, including the duration, number of sessions, pricing and any additional aspects that might be useful in your situation, such as the PRINT assessment, personal values work or other tools to help increase awareness of your strengths or style preferences.

Then together we can make a call as to whether we’re a good fit to work together, because that’s important in coaching.

My Starter Package includes 3 x 1-hour coaching sessions over 4-6 weeks, and costs $650 AUD ex. GST ($430 USD or £320 GBP) for new clients only, and is ideal for working on a specific challenge or goal, or to see whether longer-term coaching is right for you.

My Standard Package costs $3,300 AUD ex. GST ($2100 USD or £1590 GBP) and includes:

  • 4 months of coaching, with a 1-hour session every 2 weeks
  • The PRINT psychometric tool and debrief
  • Personal values assessment and debrief (including access to my Understand and Use Your Values Online Course)
  • A copy of The Useful Thinking Journal, to help you reflect between sessions; and
  • Email support for the duration of the coaching.

We can also tailor an arrangement to any specific needs, which we can discuss on the consultation call.

We’ll have a bit of a structure, but we’ll also have flexibility.

Coaching is not Training, where I teach you content in a structured format.

At the start of the coaching, we’ll spend some time doing some “visioning” work. That is – we’ll work out where you want to be at the end of the coaching engagement.

From this work, I’ll create a simple 1-page coaching vision document and send it to you.

This gives us a guide as to where we are headed. However, the vision is not set in stone, and we can deviate from it when something important comes up that you need to focus on (even if it’s not directly related to the vision).

After that we will work on understanding your personal values and then you’ll take the PRINT assessment and we’ll debrief that too.

These steps create a great foundation for self-awareness and will help you to make decisions as we go through the coaching process and in your life outside of coaching.

After the foundations have been set, the specific topics that we’ll discuss during the rest of the coaching will depend on what you need, and what your current goals and challenges are.

Yes, I will provide a coaching agreement for you to sign. In summary, the coaching agreement contains:

  • The details of the coaching period and how often we will meet
  • Confidentiality provisions about how I will deal with information provided during the sessions
  • The price of the coaching as well as payment terms
  • The policy to reschedule or cancel coaching sessions
  • Ownership of any intellectual property generated; and
  • Details of the legal jurisdiction that would govern any disputes or claims.

I use the coaching agreement in all of my coaching engagements, so that there are no surprises. I have never had any issues with clients where there has been a dispute, but the contract exists in the very rare case that this might occur.

This is nothing to be nervous about – it simply describes the basics of our agreement so that we can get on with the real work – which is to help you achieve your goals and overcome your challenges.

Coaching is an investment that really works. However, the benefits people achieve may be different from person to person.

Some of the benefits are explained here by the Institute of Coaching.

My own clients have gained the following benefits from working with me:

  • Increased Confidence and Self-Belief: Many clients express a newfound confidence in themselves and their abilities after coaching sessions. They feel more assured in their roles and capable of handling challenges.
  • Clarity and Perspective: Coaching provides a fresh perspective on workplace situations, leading to enhanced problem-solving abilities and a clearer sense of direction.
  • Improved Performance and Engagement: Many of my clients report feeling more positive and engaged in their work, leading to improved performance and better interactions with colleagues.
  • Personal Growth and Development: Coaching facilitates personal growth by encouraging self-reflection, challenging limiting beliefs, and providing tools to overcome obstacles. My clients develop new strategies and habits that contribute to long-term success and satisfaction.
  • Supportive Environment for Growth: My clients often appreciate having an impartial and supportive environment to discuss challenges, test strategies, and receive feedback.
  • Enhanced Leadership Skills: Coaching not only benefits my clients but also has a ripple effect on their leadership abilities. They gain new strategies and insights that can be applied not only to themselves but also to their teams and colleagues.

You can read more about what my own clients have said on the Testimonials page here.

To prepare for coaching, it is best if you:

  • Make sure you have a quiet, private location in which to meet, where you are able to speak freely.
  • I do most of my coaching online, so make sure you have a working computer, camera and microphone.
  • Think about the actions you committed to in the previous session (if any) and whether you were able to complete them. If not, think about some of the factors that may have held you back.
  • Bring a challenge, goal or discussion topic for the coaching. This might be about a decision you need to make, an issue you want to solve, or something you need to plan out. You don’t have to have everything perfectly thought-through, because the coaching process will help with this.

Sure, we do talk during the session.

However, coaching is about outcomes – and to get outcomes, we need to focus. We need to work to identify the real issue that you’re having and what is holding you back.

If you come to the session with a list of problems a mile long, then we will never get anywhere. So I will help you narrow your focus so we can tackle specific topics to help you move forward.

I won’t give you loads of advice. Instead, I’ll ask you lots of questions to help you see your situation differently.

Then we’ll work together to develop actions that will help you move forward.

It all depends. The coaching sessions themselves are up to 60 minutes in length, so that doesn’t take too long.

But it’s often what you do in between the sessions that matters. In each session, we usually work to develop practical steps for you to take after the session. This might involve trying out things at work or at home – and this may take more effort.

The only way you will get results is to put in the work outside of the coaching sessions. What this looks like exactly will depend on the topics that we discuss.

For the first few weeks, we’ll meet weekly to do the foundational work (vision, values and motivations). Then we’ll meet every two weeks for the remainder of the coaching.