Coaching with purpose and social impact

My coaching journey and early influences

I am Managing Director of TopHat Discovery, leading a team of associate executive and team coaches and facilitators in coaching led services for social impact.

Before this exciting phase of my career, I have been a teacher in rural Sudan, a humanitarian aid worker, HR director and charity leader. Back in 1980 to 82, Sudan changed my life. It is still changing it. I married and we had our children there, learning many powerful lessons as we traversed our respective cultural boundaries. Most powerful of all, I learned I always had at least as much to learn and unlearn as any knowledge I might think I have to share.

I came to coaching as a result of benefitting from having a coach who enabled me to come to terms with a very tough professional and personal issue. Through this, and coupled with my HR experience, I realised the magic that can happen in organisations and for individuals when they are given the space to think. Growing self-awareness and defining their responsibility. With non-judgemental curiosity, the potential for new perspectives can emerge to create deep and sustained change.

At TopHat Discovery our aim is to enable courage and leadership in non-profits and sustainable business so that they in turn enable performance across their teams to deepen their impact. We are registered as a Social Enterprise and use as much of our surplus as possible to provide low bono coaching for those who would otherwise not be able to afford it and benefit from our services.

Discovering and training with The Coaching Academy

I discovered The Coaching Academy through an online search and signed up for their free Introduction to Life Coaching event. I immediately liked the rigour offered by the courses with the combination of written and practical evidence.

I signed up for the Protégé programme that enabled me to take all of The Coaching Academy's coaching diplomas. Combining this with a full-time directorship made me wonder if I had bitten off more than I could chew, but in the end, it really paid off. It felt like a well-rounded set of studies on which I could build.

I also found a network of coaches with whom I still work, collaborate and exchange six years on. I have also been co-running the South London Coaching Group since 2018-2025, which has kept the links strong.

Reflections for new coaching students

If asked for anyone who has just signed up I would hesitate to offer advice. My training as a coach has taught me not to offer advice as everyone’s journey and discovery is their own. However, reflecting on my own experience, you might consider the following:

• How could you remain curious about how you are studying?
• What is the environment where you do your best thinking and learning?
• What is important to you about this study for you?
• What would you like your coach to ask you each time you meet them?

Applying coaching in practice and leadership

I soon realised that once you start exploring coaching you are always in search of deeper understanding and skills. I used my excellent Coaching Academy experience to build my business, drawing on a wide network from my previous work experience. I have subsequently built on this foundational training with ICF and EMCC accreditation, as well as returning to The Coaching Academy for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for coaches days.

I use my coaching skills daily in the areas of work TopHat Discovery provides, as well as across our company leadership team. Our work comes on coaching platforms as well as directly with clients who connect through the website, on LinkedIn or directly by email.

The bulk of our work to date has been with non-profit company leaders and management teams working internationally, including UN, Oxfam and Save the Children. In the UK I have worked with SMEs aiming for sustainable impact, mainly Social Enterprise and B Corp companies, as well as with Head Teachers and NHS leaders. Our team meets quarterly to brainstorm new products, plan marketing and assess business progress.

I guess you could call me a Business Leadership Coach, but I never use the title. I do not think my clients care. What they want is a coach with a recognised qualification. Life issues often make an appearance at the centre of the work. We go from where they are.

Coaching tools, silence and complexity

What I am working on, always, is the tool of silence. By this I do not simply mean the act of not talking. To create a pool of silence where safe and profound exploration takes place is mastery. With it, you can cede power to your clients, enabling them to think in unfettered ways that may be very rare.

It can sometimes be hard to know how clients move forward. Occasionally you get a message like this from a UN leader in December 2024:

“…With this in place, I am feeling ready to dive into the new year stronger than ever. A huge thank you for all your support, it has meant so much to me and made this possible. You have been such an inspiration.”

Looking ahead and final reflections

Our world context feels deeply polarised and uncertain. Our question is, what is the role of coaching in supporting a sustainable future? We want TopHat Discovery to be a force for good as growing inequality drives many away from opportunities.

I plan to deepen my team coaching experience and skills to support the creation of teams that create value in their workplaces, as well as looking for ways to augment the offers of AI. Away from the robots, for now, I am increasingly drawn to holistic coaching and the connection between thoughts, behaviours and feelings. As someone said, your body is for more than carrying your head around.

Enjoy this life changing journey and thanks to all at The Coaching Academy!

Thank you coach Harriet for sharing your thoughtful and impactful coaching journey with us.