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Leadership coaching

Finding your way through the maze

Business maze with a man stood in the centre

Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said “Leaders are made, they are not born.”

Of course, you know that already. You recognise a leader will need training and development to be truly effective in your business; you invest in sending them away on a training programme which may last a day or two and the expectation is that they will retain something that can be applied successfully.

Here’s the thing. While there is a possibility this may happen (after all that’s why we play the lottery), the chances are much of the learning will fall to the wayside as the needs of the ‘day job’ take precedence.

A McKinsey report stated most training programs “rest on the assumption that one size fits all and that the same group of skills or style of leadership is appropriate, regardless of strategy, organizational culture or CEO mandate.”

By separating leadership development from the business, you run the risk of leadership that is unconnected to your business and your culture.

We see leadership coaching as integral part of the career journey. We aim to understand the needs of the individual, the team and the business. 

Our leadership coaching programmes/sessions are therefore designed for you and your organisation once we know what you’re looking to achieve   

The benefits our clients see when we work with them to design and deliver coaching programmes and workshops

  1. Improved Business Performance – People who are managed well and work as a team, get more done.
  2. Staff retention and motivation – The right leadership provides clarity and support. That’s why people stay. 
  3. Improved Communication – when you truly connect with your team, the barriers come down and your team are happier to share their ideas with you.
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Don’t just take our word for it,
read our testimonials and judge for yourself.

I needed a Finance Manager for a brand-new role and remembered Saj from previous work she had done for me. She was my first choice, in fact, she was my only choice.

The thing I like about working with Saj is she is a small independent recruiter; she offers personal service every single time. Saj really takes the time to understand my needs regarding job spec, timescale, and budgets. She’s got to know me personally, so she would know who would be a good match for me, as well as the role. She took the time to listen, understand, comment, and advise. Listening is one of Saj’s great skills.

She didn’t tell me what to do, but guided me along the process, offering three service options for me to choose from. Saj is totally person-focused and extremely knowledgeable, she uses brilliant technology which allowed us to view the candidates and hear their responses to the initial interview with Saj, which in turn speeded up the process for us to get to the second stage of interviews. She goes above and beyond every time.

On this occasion we needed another candidate as one of the two shortlisted dropped out, so Saj worked over the weekend to provide that. We got the person we needed. I would absolutely, 100%, without a doubt recommend Saj to anyone. She didn’t put me through the ‘sausage machine’ she provided a totally bespoke service for me and my company, and to top it all, she is really lovely to get along with.

 

Karen Lowe (ACA, ACFE), Finance Director and NED

What can I say about Saj? ‘Oh MY God!’ – In a good way.

I first met Saj about 15 years ago, when I was job hunting and we kept in touch. My role at The British Millerain Company Ltd meant I needed to recruit a Financial Controller and a Senior Accounts Assistant. Saj is the only person I wanted to fill in those roles for me as she offers an incredibly bespoke service.

My experience with Saj has always been positive as she genuinely cares about getting the right person for the role. She knows the market inside out, she also knows all her candidates inside out, so can place the best people suited for your requirements. She is great at getting to the bottom of the type of person needed for the company and role; personality as well as skills wise. She understood the type of person we were looking for and provided the right candidates; the ones we would like to work with.

Saj is extremely efficient, does what she says she will do, and updates when she says she will. She provides people who are the correct fit for the company and more likely to stay long term. The last two roles she places are still there, 3.5 and 4.5 years later.

If you are looking for a recruiter who knows their stuff, talk to Saj, be clear about what you are looking for, have a clear job spec, and a clear idea of the kind of person you would like to work with. Saj will pull out all the stops to get you that person. She gets to know you, your company, and the company culture.

I highly recommend her.

 

Neil Roberston – Finance Director FCCA

Saj is a force of nature!

I am a candidate who has benefitted greatly from Saj’s expertise. She first contacted me two years ago about a role she thought would suit me. I work in IT and Finance; building accounting processes. I am very good at what I do, just not very good at letting other people know I am very good.

Recently, a role came up which would suit me, and Saj helped me polish my CV, coached me in interview preparation, presentation, and competency-based interviews.

Saj is very direct, brutally honest, but she is right! She doesn’t sugarcoat anything, but she gets results. When she gives positive feedback I value it, it means a lot and I know I’ve achieved something. For this recent role she said, ‘I don’t know how you have done it, but you have gone from the worst candidate to the preferred one.’

It was down to her expertise and coaching that I was able to show how suited I am for the role. Saj has a wonderful way of breaking down defences to change, she knows what is needed and got it from me. She is somebody who knows her stuff and cares passionately about her clients and candidates equally. She also gave me confidence in her client, the recruiting company.

 

Samantha MacKenzie – Finance Manager

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