Helping you lead
Coaching for science and innovation leaders
Become the leader you want to be
Ever feel like leadership is the hardest and most time consuming part of your job? Leadership means lots of different things to different people, from organisation and people leadership, to functional and thought leadership. Whatever your role encompasses, leadership is often the bit you've not trained for and which takes the most time and energy. You've spent years developing your technical expertise and networks, often with little support for your leadership responsibilities.
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I offer an evidence-based approach to supporting you as a leader.
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My background in academia and commercial science leadership means I understand the challenges you have and have been there myself. I will:
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Empower through insight. I support you to build your self awareness and identify your values, passions, aspirations and strengths. This enables you to make easier and better decisions.
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Focus on goal oriented strategies: I work collaboratively with you to set meaningful and transformative goals, both personal and organisational and design programs of work to support your growth and progress.
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Lend accountability and support: My clients often reflect on the value of coaching as a neutral and protected space where they are supported yet held accountable for their commitment to grow and develop.
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Build resilience: I will help you face uncertainty and build resilience to enable independent and innovative problem solving.
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Perhaps most importantly, I will celebrate your successes and reinforce positive change.
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Coaching is ultimately a tool for individual growth and I aim to empower my clients to develop self-knowledge, tools and strategies for sustained change in an organisational context. Coaching has repeatedly been shown to:
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enhance leadership skills,
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improve team collaboration and
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increase employee engagement and retention.
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Coaching is entirely flexible and bespoke to your challenges, situation and needs. It is a powerful tool for business growth and development and an empowered and engaged team is a productive one!
‘The results of coaching are reflected the way we work as a team today. We are much more aligned and structured as a team and this translates into more effective progress.’ T, Biotechnology CEO
A track record of successful change
If you're looking for support from someone who understands the challenges of leading in a scientific setting, you're in the right place. With a doctorate in biochemistry and over 20 years of experience in senior leadership roles in the bioscience and agri-food sectors, I bring a unique blend of scientific expertise, perspective and business acumen to help you thrive. You can read more about my background here.
My track record in executive innovation leadership means I understand the pressures of driving growth and cultural change while staying true to your own values. I know the tension between the demands of leadership with the need to deliver results rooted in good science.
I am one of very few executive coaches that come from a science background. I draw on real-world experience to help you tackle challenges like embedding an innovation culture, leading large technical portfolios, or fostering people-centric leadership in complex environments. Whether your goals are building organisational capability or to inspire your team, my coaching provides practical, evidence-based strategies tailored to your goals.
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High-quality, ethical coaching is at the heart of my practice. As an Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) Level 7 qualified executive coach and member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). I am fully insured and I adhere to the EMCC code of ethics, ensuring you receive the highest standard of support.
"Nell has helped our team develop – by pushing leaders to challenge their conceptions of self, of success and of leadership and to ask them challenging questions" Alistair Cross, MD, ADM Milling
"Nell was patient and understanding, with a remarkable ability to pick up on our needs from our sentences. She could contextualize and synthesize the information, then return with exactly the right question." V, Biotechnology COO
Let's work together
​Coaching can be direct arrangement with you. It can also be useful to involve your organisation, to support feedback mechanisms and align with organisational goals. I will work with either scenario to design an effective program to help you meet your goals.
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I can offer coaching in person (East Midlands or elsewhere by agreement) or online. If possible and practicable, I aim to meet clients in person at the start of the coaching program.
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