Coach Development

As the Deputy Head Educational Development at Abingdon School in Oxfordshire, Ronnie Reading has seen her role evolve significantly over the past eight years. What began with a focus on teaching and learning has expanded into a broader mission: shaping the organizational climate, enhancing staff engagement, and leading comprehensive training initiatives. Despite having received professional coaching through various organizations, and practicing some techniques herself, Ronnie felt that something was missing. She craved a deeper, more structured understanding of coaching—one that would elevate her skills and allow her to become a truly impactful coach. This desire led her to ...

Embarking on the path to earning the ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential has been a transformative experience, both professionally and personally. As I reflect on this journey, I recognise how it has profoundly shaped my coaching practice, fuelled my passion for continuous growth, and set me on the path toward coaching mastery. Validating My Skills Achieving the PCC credential is more than just a milestone; it’s a significant validation of my coaching skills. This certification from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) acknowledges that I’ve met rigorous standards and demonstrated a high level of competence. It’s a powerful testament to ...

How Coaching Education Transformed Me as a Professional and a Parent As a sceptic of coaching, I never imagined it would play a significant role in my life, let alone enhance my skills as a parent. In my last corporate environment, my only experience of coaching, was fruitless and unhelpful. Why? Firstly, I was given Executive Coaching when I was at my lowest point. Even though I was in the final two, I didn’t get that top director role — something I had been striving for and worked towards my whole career. I was devastated, and I felt there was ...

Linda Stephens, PCC (United Kingdom) is founder and Managing Director at Cobalt Red, an international executive coaching business geared toward senior C-suite professionals and those aspiring to become C-Suite. Alongside her paid business, Linda offers pro bono coaching to alumni of the African Leadership Academy (ALA). “These are the creme de la creme from all over the African continent. They go to Jo'burg, to go to university, they get an internship, they then go to Harvard, Stanford, or Oxford, and when they graduate with their Ph.D., that's when I meet them. They're usually in their late twenties or ...

Kate Jennings, PCC (United Kingdom) is an executive coach for Kate Jennings Coaching based in Stamford, just north of Cambridge. Kate works with a range of organisations in the UK and throughout Europe helping their leaders excel through developing leadership skills and behaviours. Kate come into coaching through counseling. Through her post-grad therapy qualification about 25 years ago, she decided she didn’t actually want to work as a therapist. “I've always been fascinated by how people tick, what makes us ‑ us, what we can do to bring out the best in ourselves,” she explains. In 2007, Kate ...