Coaching is about your authenticity and presence and igniting that curiosity in people’s minds.

Andy Barnett is a highly experienced executive coach working with senior leaders within legal and financial sectors.

I had been researching and learning about coaching since the mid-90s – especially the pioneers, Charles Handy, Dale Carnegie and Daniel Goleman. My Masters was on supporting neurodiversity, conflict management, and social communication, and I was a Headteacher, Leadership Consultant and later a founding CEO of an Educational Trust, specialising in supporting a diverse range of complex communication needs – Asperger’s is the usual shorthand for this, but of course it is way more complex. (My handout on Asperger’s Coaching can be downloaded here)

My early work in neurodiversity opened up a deep insight into communication, both its potential and pitfalls. The more I operated within leadership cultures I realised a great synergy between the two seemingly separate worlds – the key determining factor of highly effective leadership always centered on communication. In reality they were immensely complimentary and the learning was transformational. The Industrial Society was where my first formal coaching learning started. It brought together leaders from a wide range of corporate sectors to explore and refine the art of active listening, open questions, thinking time and shift from being an expert, to being present.

As with so many coaches that ignited a passion and curiosity to learn more. Having been an ‘expert’ in a specific field, to being a novice in exploring the potential of the human mind was inevitably humbling and the imposter syndrome was never far away. However, the hunger was there and Meyler Campbell was a perfect restaurant to come and dine in. I loved the rich community and eclectic approach to adding tools to the box, whilst not prescribing a ‘right’ way of coaching. Indeed now having over 25 years of coaching experience, I am still anchored to the belief that it is the person sitting in front of you, and your presence with them, that is far more important than any specific psychological approach, or pearl of wisdom that you may bring to the table. Going through the Mastered programme in 2008/9 enabled me to reflect on my own professional identity and liberated my mind into new ways of operating, both as a coach and as a leader. At the end of the programme you are left with a plethora of ideas, skills and additional learning you want to explore. My instinct took me towards Nancy Kline, and her beautiful approach to the Thinking Environment. Whilst it appears graceful and genteel, it belies a ruthless pursuit of truth and potential, with understated challenges around assumptions and insightful questions that have formed the bedrock of my coaching approach; I then had the privilege of doing advanced training with Nancy.

My executive coaching practice is now almost exclusively within the legal and investment management sectors, combined with coaching supervision. Sometimes the task is supporting and dealing with neurodiversity, sometimes not. I am privileged to have worked with a rich variety of clients, each with their unique qualities and challenges, but all with immense potential. I always want to leave a client feeling challenged, capable, curious and energised. I have made a conscious choice to balance other things in life and to keep coaching in perspective, as I think this gives more value when I meet with clients. My coaching work has taken me all over the world, and I love the diversity of cognitive thought whatever the culture or context.

I still feel immensely privileged to work as an executive coach, and whilst it is now a far bigger industry than it was 25 years ago, at the end of the day it is still all down to your authenticity and presence. Igniting that curiosity in people’s minds, challenging the assumptions and expectations, of both themselves and others. I think as coaches we need to be courageous, to ask difficult questions and to stimulate creative thinking, even when that may be uncomfortable.

About Andy

Andy is a highly experienced executive coach working with senior leaders within legal and financial sectors. He is a specialist in communication, bringing together a unique background of successful leadership in education, bespoke corporate coaching and neurodiversity