THIS IS NOT SURFACE-LEVEL COACHING
If conflict is consuming you: replaying conversations, draining your confidence, or affecting how you lead? Then this work is designed to change how you operate, not simply how you feel about it.
My work with individuals is demanding, practical, and grounded in real situations. It requires attention, honesty, and a willingness to look closely at how you contribute to conflict as well as how you respond to it.
Clients often tell me the work is challenging. They also tell me it changes how they lead, long after the coaching ends.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
I work with leaders who are dealing with conflict that feels too significant, sensitive, or personal to resolve through formal organisational routes.
You might recognise yourself here:
- You're carrying unresolved tension with a colleague, peer, or stakeholder
- A difficult dynamic is affecting your confidence, judgement, or wellbeing
- You sense conflict building but are unsure how to intervene constructively
- You are burying what you really want to say, a decision to be taken - all to avoid getting into conflict
- You are high-performing, but something about how you handle tension is costing you
This work is not a general reset or personal development exercise. It is for leaders who want to handle real conflict more deliberately and effectively.
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
From confusion to clarity under pressure
"Working with Sean was a turning point in how I work through tension and conflict.
The thing about Sean is, he is able to draw on all of his experience, skill and insight meaning that he very quickly "gets you". That meant that in just the first session, his coaching helped me understand not just how I show up in conflict, but why. He helped me to see what that means for the relationships I rely on, both inside and outside the organisation.
The work we did on values, motivation and how I respond under pressure gave me sharper insight into how I lead through tension. I now approach difficult conversations with more clarity and confidence — not avoiding them, but using them to build trust and move things forward.
Sean has a rare ability to challenge without judgement, and to bring humour and warmth to serious, often messy leadership realities. I particularly benefitted from him drawing on a wide range of inspiration and insight that he knew would resonate with me."
- Director of External Affairs
Change that lasts
"Working with Sean helped me rediscover what I truly stand for — my purpose and values — and gave me a strong compass for how I show up under pressure. Through his coaching I recognised not only what drives me, but also how that shows up as conflict.
Sean’s structured approach — mapping my motivators and conflict triggers — gave me the insight and tools to lead differently.
I found Sean both an astute listener and a positive questioner: helping me to consider a different perspective and context and appreciate the motivations and values of others - extremely valuable in supporting positive outcomes in my day to day interactions.
I now approach difficult conversations at work with clarity and calm, not avoidance. My decision-making is steadier, my communication sharper, and I feel more grounded — even in high-stakes situations."
- Head of Commercial
Handling challenging stakeholders
“I was brought in to transform the learning organisation and inherited a wonderful team filled with potential and passion for what we do...I was inspired! My peers were warm and also passionate about wanting to do things right.
My boss was supportive and a big champion for me and I met some incredible colleagues on the journey.
I was struggling with a relationship with a significant stakeholder which resulted in me feeling that I lost my sense of purpose and confidence.
Sean helped me to rediscover this through a series of coaching sessions - my purpose, values and how to apply these in my everyday working life.”
- HR Leader and Chartered Fellow of the CIPD
WHAT CHANGES AS A RESULT OF THIS WORK?
By the end of this work, clients consistently describe developing what I thnk of as conflict radar.
They:
- notice tension earlier, in themselves and in others
- understand what that tension is signalling
- regulate their responses under pressure
- choose how to engage rather than reacting or avoiding
- bring conflict into the open in ways that are constructive and purposeful
Conflict does not disappear. What changes is how it is handled — so it becomes something you can work with, rather than something that drains your time, energy, or authority.
HOW I WORK
My approach follows a clear, tested curriculum for working with conflict.
This is not unstructured conversation. The work is deliberate and progressive. We focus on:
- how you currently show up when tension arises
- why those patterns make sense, given your experience and context
- how your responses land with others
- what it takes to bring more of your best self into difficult moments
Reflection is part of the process, but always in the service of action. Insight only matters if it changes what you do when the pressure is on.
What's involved
Work begins with a confidential exploratory conversation to understand the situation you are dealing with and whether my approach is the right fit.
Where we do work together, engagements are typically:
- Five to six months in length
- One session every four to six weeks
- Focused on live situations rather than hypothetical scenarios
- Grounded in practical judgement rather than generic technique
I draw on a relational intelligence framework to help make sense of what is happening beneath the surface in moments of tension, difference, or strain. This creates a shared language for understanding motivations, patterns, and pressure points, and supports more deliberate choices about how to respond. It also introduces a rigour and discipline to support you from sliding back.
This is not packaged work. Each engagement is shaped around the context, the people involved, and what is at stake.
IS THIS THE RIGHT NEXT STEP?
This work will ask something of you.
It will require attention, honesty, and a willingness to practise new ways of engaging with conflict.
If that feels appropriate — and the tension you are dealing with matters — a confidential conversation is the best place to start.
A short, confidential conversation to explore whether this work is right for you.