One-on-one leadership coaching
Leadership can be lonely, but you don't have to do it alone.
Get the support you deserve
Coaching for new leaders
New leaders often feel isolated, especially when they’ve stepped up to lead the team they used to be part of. And training is often non-existent, leaving them unsure how to lead well. Coaching offers practical support and real-time guidance, helping them build their confidence and drive real results.
Through coaching, new leaders sharpen their self-awareness, strengthen relationships, make better decisions, and develop their own authentic leadership style—setting themselves and their teams up for success.
Coaching for senior leaders
Senior leaders face a daily juggle, trying to balance competing priorities for their teams and the business. The pressure can be relentless, especially when navigating complex change or resistance.
Coaching provides a confidential space to untangle challenges, sharpen decision-making, and strengthen resilience. With support, senior leaders can lead with clarity, maintain perspective, and create the conditions for their teams—and themselves—to thrive, even in demanding environments.
Does any of this 👇🏻 sound familiar?
Constant
overwhelm
With team members constantly needing your help, endless to-do lists, and competing expectations from all directions, you struggle to decide what truly matters most.
Balancing the urgent with the important feels overwhelming. You’re always playing catch-up but never quite getting ahead.
Communication challenges
Messages get muddled, and misunderstandings are growing.
You’re supposed to be able to set expectations, give feedback, and handle tough conversations, but no one showed you how.
You feel out of your depth and worry about damaging trust with your team.
Decision
fatigue
You’re constantly under pressure to make the right call, and you have to manage the fallout when people disagree. And the stakes only get higher as you move up.
The ongoing demand to make big decisions can leave you mentally drained, second-guessing yourself, and struggling to stay focused.
Running on
empty
You feel the pressure to prove yourself and look unflappable, so you’re working harder, and for longer hours. Your friends and family wonder where you’ve gone.
It’s wearing you down, and you feel exhausted, with little energy for life outside work. Even simple joys feel out of reach.
Increasing
isolation
As you’ve taken on more responsibility, you’ve got fewer people you can talk things through with.
Without trusted peers or honest feedback, it’s easy to feel alone in your role and wonder if you’re on the right track. Sometimes, it feels like no one really “gets” what you’re dealing with.
Imposter
syndrome
There’s a nagging voice in your head telling you that you’re not up to the job, and you’re going to get found out.
It chips away at your confidence, making it hard to back yourself and lead decisively when it matters most. Even your achievements can feel like luck, not proof you belong in the role.
Daria's helped me develop key skills in communication and helped me find my style of leadership along with what my strengths are. She's taught me how to improve skills with handling conflict and challenging situations, but what I appreciate the most is she meets you where you're at, and tailors her approach to what you need in that moment to help you meet your daily, weekly and overall goals and objectives for your organisation.
If you're looking for someone who truly cares about your growth and will guide you to achieve your true potential, then Daria's the one."
It’s normal if you're struggling to lead
➡️ You haven't had any training
You’re expected to lead your team and deliver results, but no one trained you how to lead and you feel completely out of your depth.
➡️ You're constantly fighting fires
Being in charge isn’t easy. You’re getting push back from your team. And you don’t know how to handle tough topics that arise.
➡️ Imposter thinking is bringing you down
You wonder when your team and your boss will figure out that you’re making it up as you go. Surely everyone can tell you’ve no idea what’s going on?
You can't be a great leader without the right skills
82%
of new leaders don’t get any training
50%
of workers who rate their manager ineffective plan to leave
33%
of workers who rate their manager ineffective leave within the year
Stats from Chartered Management Institute 2023 report on the state of UK management and leadership, surveying 4,524 employees.
6 ways coaching can help you level up
Know your
strengths
Gain insight into your strengths, and use these to enhance your effectiveness.
Get tailored
support
Pinpoint areas of weakness and put together a team to support you.
Remove
roadblocks
Diagnose the factors holding you and your team back from peak performance.
Build a culture
of trust
Learn ways to help your team open up and build the trust to try new tools together. Trust speeds everything up.
Level up
your team
Detect the hidden strengths amongst your team and create an action plan that will draw these out.
Learn practical
tools
From frameworks for tough conversations to prioritise tasks, get tools to tackle challenges and manage their load.
A coaching approach that's positive, fun, and powerful
❇️ We focus on your strengths
I work with a strengths-based, Appreciative Inquiry-informed approach – that means we focus on what you’re great at and love doing, so you can do more of that, while using your strengths to neutralise your weaknesses.
❇️ See me as your potentiator
The desire and energy for change and growth come from you. I provide support, encouragement, accountability, and resources to facilitate your development journey, and help you realise your full potential.
❇️ High energy and high empathy
I bring curiosity, empathy, strategic awareness, humour, and optimism to be your improvement-focused change-agent and cheerleader, helping you to activate your personal super-powers and achieve your goals.
Your leadership coaching journey
1: Discovery
We start with a free, no-obligation video or phone call to talk about your goals, your current situation, your concerns, and what you’d like to get out of working together. I’ll ask lots of questions to learn more about you, and I encourage you to ask me questions too!
At the end of the session, I’ll invite you to take some time to reflect on whether you believe we’re a good fit for working together. I don’t expect an answer within the session – I’ll follow up with you a few days later. I’ll also be reflecting on whether my skills are the right fit for you.
This is always a “no-obligation” session – you’re not signing up to any programme or committing to any future coaching.
2: First coaching session
Once we agree to work together, we’ll set up our first coaching session. This session takes about an hour and a half because we’ve got a lot to cover! Before our session, I’ll send you a copy of my Coaching Standards. This is a set of guidelines to help you get the most out of our sessions.
We’ll discuss how we’ll work together. This includes outlining and agreeing our expectations of ourselves and each other, and whether coaching will be delivered on an as-needed or programme basis. We will also talk about your goals, your context, and identify some practical actions that you can start taking right away.
If you select the programme option, then after our meeting, I’ll provide you with a recommended plan, including the timing and frequency of sessions. This will be based on your context and goals discussed in our first session.
3: Subsequent coaching sessions
Ongoing coaching sessions take around an hour. This gives us time to dig into what is going on for you and to work on your goals and action plans.
We’ll start with a check-in and review the previous actions you’ve committed to taking. Part of my role as a coach is to hold you accountable to your commitments. This helps ensure that you are getting the best value out of our sessions and making solid progress toward your goals.
Then, we’ll talk about what you’re currently working on, what’s working well, what needs changing, and how you can use your strengths to serve your goals. You’ll identify action points and takeaways that you can implement immediately, and we’ll finish up with an overview of the session and agreeing on the timing of our next session.
All coaching sessions are held via Zoom unless otherwise agreed prior to the session. Additional travel costs may apply.
4: Support between sessions
If you need some extra support between our scheduled sessions, I’m just an email away. If it’s a simple question that has a quick answer, you’ll get an email back from me. If it needs more a in-depth response, I’ll be in touch to schedule a coaching session with you.
If you’re working with me on an as-needed basis, normal session fees apply. If you’re working with me on a programme basis, this additional session will count towards your total sessions.
Leadership coaching packages
As-needed coaching sessions
Offer includes:
• Your discovery call
• 1 x coaching session
Ideal for simple issues or when you just need a sounding board.
Programme of 6 coaching sessions
Offer includes:
• Your discovery call
• 6 x coaching sessions
Fortnightly or monthly sessions. A three- to six-month coaching programme.
Programme of 12 coaching sessions
Offer includes:
• Your discovery call
• 12 x coaching sessions
Fortnightly or monthly sessions. A six- to twelve-month coaching programme.
$325 + GST
$1,800 + GST
$3,250 + GST
I'm Daria, your leadership coach
With 15+ years’ experience as a leader across a variety of industries and organisational structures, I know what leaders struggle with day-to-day.
I’ve coached senior leaders, new managers, team members, and colleagues for two decades. I’m here to help you develop personal insight, self- awareness, and a no-nonsense action plan to transform your life and work.
In addition, I’m:
• trained in DDI Interaction Management and Targeted Selection skills,
• an accredited Strengths Profile Practitioner
• an ‘Elephant Rider’ with the Emotional Culture Deck.
And I’ve got a couple of university qualifications to boot!
Known for my positive, engaging approach, I inspire leaders to embrace change, seize opportunities and unleash their potential. I’m passionate about building leadership and interpersonal capabilities, helping you to accelerate your development and reach your goals.
Your leadership coaching FAQs answered
What does a coach do?
I provide a confidential space, focused on you. I act as your sounding-board, taking a non-judgemental approach as you explore your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
I will make observations and ask questions to help you identify patterns that hinder or help you achieve your goals. I also offer a balance of challenge and support as you navigate your development journey.
One of my key coaching goals is to help you to discover and unleash your inner genius.
I also:
• Support you to translate insights into concrete actions.
• Provide accountability.
• Helps you recognise and celebrate progress and success.
I won’t:
• Do the work for you.
• Give detailed advice or tell you what to do.
• Listen to endless complaints without challenging you to act.
• Affirm your victimhood or blamelessness.
• Provide a quick-fix feel-good solution to deeply embedded issues.
• Address employment relationship (HR) problems.
To help me be the coach you deserve, I seek out ongoing training and professional development, extending my knowledge to support you more effectively.
How many coaching sessions will I need?
There is no fixed rule for coaching – it depends on your goals, your context, and what you can commit to. I’m realistic – it’s better that we work within what’s do-able for you than set ridiculous expectations that drain your time and energy instead of unleashing them.
How much work do our leaders need to do between workshops?
There’s no set homework, yet the true work happens when your leaders put what they’ve learned into practice.
Work between sessions is self-directed. Leaders do a personal action plan at the end of each workshop. It’s up to your leaders to hold themselves accountable. I also trust that if they need accountability, they’ll ask for support. Some organisations hire me as a coach, so their leaders can use me as a sounding board between sessions.
When I send leaders away, I give them worksheets with frameworks to help them put what they’ve learned into practice. Those frameworks become woven into the way your leaders work.
For example, your leaders already handle tricky conversations. The tools I give them help them have more effective conversations. Your leaders may invest a bit more time upfront planning how they’re going to have a conversation. But a discussion that used to take 30 minutes dancing around a sensitive topic, they can now resolve in 10 minutes.
Over time, the cumulative impact of better conversations, more robust thinking, and better planning makes your whole business more efficient and productive. You’re not wasting time going back and forth clarifying points, and redoing low-quality work done without a clear brief.
How long do we need to work with you for?
It really depends on your goals.
If you’re trying to solve a challenge with a tight deadline, we might have a limited engagement where we do six monthly sessions to solve specific issues and equip your team with the tools they need to succeed.
However, typically I work with organisations over several years. Our first year tends to be quite intensive as I upskill your leaders. Subsequent years are about continuous improvement. Usually, I check in with your leaders every 100 days, to maintain momentum and try new things.
What happens in a typical session?
Each session is a confidential conversation focused on your goals, challenges, and desired outcomes.
For all sessions, we’ll start by establishing your goal for the session.
If we’re working together in a programme, we’ll also check in on any actions you committed to in our previous session.
Then, we’ll explore what’s going on, identify your options and resources, and find practical strategies that can shift the dial for you. You’ll leave each session with a greater sense of clarity, and with some actionable steps.
Are our sessions confidential?
Absolutely! Confidentiality is at the heart of the coaching relationship. What you say stays between us, so you can be honest and work through what’s on your mind in a judgement-free zone.
Even if your employer is paying for your sessions, I maintain your confidentiality over the specifics of what we discuss.
The only exception to the principle of confidentiality is if I have genuine reason to believe that you or someone else is in danger. In that case, I would contact the relevant authorities to share my concerns, with the goal of keeping you and others safe.
Are the sessions face-to-face or online?
Unless otherwise specified, sessions are held via your preference of Zoom or Teams. Online sessions are confidential, won’t be recorded without your express permission, and work just as well as face-to-face sessions.
All you need is a computer or phone with an internet connection, and somewhere quiet where you won’t be interrupted for our session. I’ve coached clients who have been sitting in their cars, in the back corner of a cafe, or on a bench at their favourite park.
Limited face-to-face sessions in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland are available, but may incur travel costs. Please get in touch with me if you’d like to talk about this option.
How do you measure progress?
Most coaching clients use their own judgement to measure progress. However, if you wish to measure something specific, we can discuss that before we start working together, and agree how we’ll measure it.
That could involve you completing a psychometric assessment, seeking feedback from family, friends, colleagues, or your boss, or another kind of measurement.
You’ll also notice your progress through changes in your confidence, decision-making, relationships, and how you handle challenges. And I’ll help you recognise and celebrate these changes along the way.
What if I don't have a clear goal?
That’s absolutely fine. Part of the coaching process is getting clarity on what you want, what’s getting in your way, and the resources and strengths you have available. We’ll work together to uncover your priorities and set meaningful goals.
Can coaching help with work-life balance and wellbeing?
Yes! Coaching isn’t only about work performance, because work is only a part of your life. If you’re feeling rested, engaged, supported, connected, and mentally stimulated, you’ll be able to perform at your best in all areas of your life.
We’ll look at your entire leadership experience to ensure that you’ve got clear, practical strategies to sustain your energy, set boundaries, and make space for what matters both inside and outside of work.
Do you offer a guarantee?
Committing to coaching is a big decision, and I recognise that things won’t always play out the way we expect or hope them to. That’s why I provide a free chemistry-check call so we can both assess the fit before we start working together. And I offer significant flexibility with my services: you can work with me on an as-needed basis, or in a programme, and the timing of the sessions is entirely up to you.
If you’ve had a session with me and don’t feel like it was helpful, please let me know via my contact form or give me a call (my number is included on my email signature).
If you committed to a programme, and part-way through decide that it’s not working for you, or you are unable to continue with the programme, please let me know via my contact form or give me a call. If you’ve pre-paid for sessions that haven’t been completed, I will arrange a refund for these.
Will I see an immediate change after a coaching session?
My coaching clients often tell me that they feel much better after a session with me, especially if something has been worrying them. Feeling better is the start of change, but the really good stuff happens when you put what you’ve learned and committed to into practice after our session.
“Aha” moments feel great, and can be the gateway to transformation, if you’re willing to make changes that are aligned with your goals and values.
I am a great believer in experiments – you won’t know whether something will make a difference unless you give it a go. In our session, we’ll work together to define the change you’ll experiment with, and the results you expect to get. Then, you’ll give it a go, and come to your next session ready to talk through what worked, what was tricky, and what your next step will be.
Small, consistent steps will take you from ordinary to extraordinary faster than you ever thought possible.
What's the difference between coaching and mentoring?
As your coach, I’m here to support your learning and growth through reflection, practical support, and skill-building. I’ll ask you lots of questions to help you understand your thinking process better, and to identify and consider all the options available to you.
Mentoring looks a little different: instead of asking questions, a mentor typically offers answers and direct guidance on decisions.
I work for you as your coach and not your mentor. From time to time, I may offer recommendations or suggestions that lean more towards mentorship, but only when I believe that doing so is in your best interests, and will provide you with a better outcome than coaching alone.
Do I need a coach or a therapist?
Coaching is great when you’ve got a goal you’re working towards, or you want to hone your skills to deal with daily challenges at work or at home. All emotions are welcome, and it’s normal to feel some ups and downs in a session.
However, if you’re experiencing poor mental health or are in significant distress, it’s vital that you seek treatment from an appropriately-qualified mental health professional.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Mental Health Foundation has links to support services for:
• Crisis (whether that’s yourself or someone else)
• Ongoing mental health support (groups, therapists, community mental health teams etc)
If you are outside Aotearoa New Zealand, please search “mental health support” and your town or city name for details of services near you.
How do I get started?
It’s easy! Simply book your no-obligation chemistry check call. We’ll talk about where you’re at, what you’re looking for, and whether coaching is the right next step for you.
Need help to sell coaching to your manager or to apply for your professional development budget?
Here’s a handy template you can personalise to request professional development budget for leadership coaching. Get your copy now! 👇🏻
Level up your leadership
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