positive leadership development

Leadership today carries a level of complexity, responsibility and visibility that few roles have historically required.

Leaders are expected to navigate uncertainty, make the right business-critical decisions and sustain the highest levels of performance, within environments increasingly shaped by outside forces, whether competitive economic pressure, evolving technologies, shifting stakeholder expectations or heightened regulatory scrutiny.

Our leadership development programmes provide leaders with the perspective, capability and support required to operate thoughtfully within this context.

We help leaders to develop an authentic leadership style that draws on their own unique strengths rather than a textbook, role model positive values and behaviours, and flex their thinking and behavioural approach as organisational demands evolve.

OPTIMISE

1:1 leadership coaching

Our practical leadership coaching programmes enable leaders to pursue purpose-driven goals that support both their individual growth and organisational effectiveness.

Drawing on our expertise in resilience, organisational transformation and positive organisational psychology, we create a space in which leaders can reflect openly on their challenges, test new approaches and strengthen their decision-making.

In environments where leaders are balancing operational demands, human dynamics and increasingly technology-driven processes, this reflective space becomes an important source of clarity and perspective.

THE POSITIVE LEADER
Exploring how leaders can remain mindful, authentic and strengths-driven while maintaining optimism and perspective in demanding environments.
THE AGILE LEADER
Supporting leaders in balancing conventional leadership techniques with adaptive approaches as organisations evolve and change initiatives accelerate.
THE CRISIS LEADER
Helping leaders bring out the best in their people, structures and processes during periods of disruption or crisis.

OPTIMISE

leadership team coaching

Our leadership team coaching programmes support collective learning and transformation for leadership groups, whether newly formed or long-established.

Through facilitated sessions, 1:1 coaching for individual leaders and structured support for leadership meetings or events, we help leadership teams strengthen alignment, collaboration and shared accountability.

Using a systemic perspective, our work considers not only internal leadership dynamics but also how leadership behaviour shapes culture, decision-making and organisational performance.

OUTCOMES
Alignment around vision, purpose and strategic priorities
Strengthening understanding and relationships within the team and with stakeholders
Optimal ways of working to support collaboration across distributed working environments.
Measurable and sustainable improvements in team performance

My confidence in my ability to perform my leadership role, and succeed in it, has increased dramatically. I now feel better able to prioritise, identify what change has to happen, and transform key aspects of how we as a department work together.

University of Sheffield

Other leadership activities focus on self-awareness, but the coaching has focused on both self-awareness and a better understanding of what you need to do and give others as a leader in order to unlock the performance you need.

London Stansted Airport

I wanted particularly to focus on my resilience as a leader and we did so in a challenging but supportive way which allowed me to take a new perspective and to focus on strategies that I will and have used in the workplace. The sessions were enjoyable and constructive, with plenty of interaction and discussion. 

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE)

The tools you are given in leadership programmes are usually focused on work, but these tools can be used in every situation. You've given me a much more positive way of being.

London Stansted Airport

This has been a great opportunity for managers to self-evaluate, to improve themselves and get the best out of their teams. I will use all the tools I've learnt to create a positive work environment which encourages the progression and flourishing of staff.

Wild Planet Trust

Through our coaching sessions, we created the time and space, in a natural and unforced way, for me to be able to reflect on both my future direction and current performance as a leader, and to move to resolve blockers that were holding me back. The sections were constructive, organic and responsive.

London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE)

I have learned a great deal through working with Before Nine. Aarti is a very supportive coach as she takes the time to really listen and understand.  She's very good at asking the right questions, which I found was very helpful in making sense of things and also getting me to think about things in a different way.  

Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE)

Before Nine have really helped our leaders to reflect on their behaviours, understand the impact they have on our organisation and transform.

St Stephen's School (State Primary of the Year 2017)