confidentiality

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It's OK

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Why is it so hard to admit a mistake? And why does it get harder the higher up you go?

I hear a version of this in almost every coaching conversation I have with senior leaders. Not "I don't know what I got wrong," they usually know exactly. It's "I can't be the one to say it out loud." The fear is not irrational as admitting error at a senior level carries real risk to credibility, to authority, to how you are read by the people who decide what happens next. I think the cost of not admitting it doesn't disappear, it just gets paid by everyone below you, in the form of the same mistake happening again.

This is often where the work of coaching sits: not in supplying the answer, but in giving someone a confidential space to say the thing they cannot yet say in the room, and to work out what it would take to say it there. Organisations need role models who admit when they were wrong. A culture where mistakes surface openly is the only kind where innovation and creativity genuinely exist. And If mistakes do not surface, they happen again and again.

Trust the process

I spend most of my working life between two groups: internationals finding their footing in Denmark, and Danes trying to understand them. What strikes me is how often people on both sides are performing a version of themselves they think the situation requires.

I think you can begin to recognise the beliefs you have inherited from your experiences and ask: is this actually who I am, or is this what I learned I had to become in order to cope? This is where coaching can be valuable as sometimes we don't need someone to tell us what to do. We need someone who can sit with us in the uncertainty, listen without judgement, challenge the stories we have come to believe about ourselves, and help us see possibilities we could not see on our own. That is what coaching offers: a confidential space to examine your patterns, rebuild trust in your own judgement, and begin making choices aligned with your values rather than your fears.

If you are ready to start questioning what no longer serves you, let's talk. Contact me via this link to arrange a conversation.

Coach Burrell

When I coach, I don’t justify or explain the process to make it acceptable, I do it to help build a culture where people have patience with themselves and with others as they work through the challenges they face. Coaching is always confidential. I never speak about my clients, though they may choose to speak about Coach Burrell.

Throughout my career I have seen far too many people promoted into roles they were not fully prepared for. This often leads to two outcomes: they either take away empowerment and lead with command and control, or they struggle with imposter syndrome, feeling unworthy of the position. The best time to prepare someone for their next role is before they step into it. Contact me via email if you would like to have a informal discovery conversation.

Silence is golden

Yesterday, I was asked for a list of clients, and I explained that my coaching clients are confidential. As a result, I cannot reveal the names of the individuals, organisations or companies with whom I work with. Confidentiality is the essence of my business ethics, all my clients sign NDAs, and I promise not to use their names or affiliations for any promotional purposes. However, they are free to refer me to their colleagues, family, or friends.