Leading on the Front Line
Six years coaching leaders in Policing
Coaching emerging leaders with Police Now
Over six years, I worked across Police Now's leadership and development programmes, coaching more than 200 people and working alongside officers navigating the realities of leadership, complexity and change.
That experience gave me a close-up view of what happens when talented people are asked to lead in high pressured environments where there are rarely straightforward answers.
200+ people coached
6 years
11 police forces
My role as a coach
I coached diverse graduates and career changers on fast-track leadership programmes, helping them find their confidence, strengthen their voice and develop the influence to lead in complex and often resistant environments. I supported them to build alliances when facing established cultures and outdated behaviours, challenge racism and become advocates for anti-racism, and develop the resilience to become active agents of change while working under immense pressure and responsibility.
I coached high-potential individuals and those preparing for fast-track promotion, drawing out hidden talent and helping people recognise and use their strengths. Alongside leadership development, I supported participants with self-care and wellbeing, recognising that sustainable leadership depends on being able to manage the demands that come with greater responsibility.
Alongside one-to-one coaching, I designed and delivered online and face-to-face workshops on peer coaching, Values in Action and Character Strengths, behavioural preferences, team dynamics and communication styles. These helped participants understand themselves and others, build tolerance for different working styles, communicate and influence more effectively, and strengthen trust within teams.
At the heart of my work was a simple ambition: to help people become the leader they wished they had — role models in life and society who could challenge outdated cultures, build trust and confidence, and create more inclusive and innovative ways of working with diverse communities.
Developing and inspiring outstanding and diverse individuals to be leaders in society.
‘When a diverse graduate or career changer is tasked with protecting the most vulnerable, being there when no one else can help and connecting the dots. When one person is responsible for paying acute attention to detail, building trust with victims and offenders, collaborating across agencies and making communities safer and stronger.’ - Police Now
Police Now recognises that every crime has a story. Every detective seeks to uncover the truth. As a coach, I had the privilege of seeing another side of that story: the human strengths, courage and character that people draw upon while working in complex and high-pressure environments.
My newsletter, Insights from a Detective Coach takes those observations beyond policing. Drawing on my experience coaching detectives and leaders, I explore what these extraordinary environments can teach all of us about our strengths, our potential and what brings out the best in us.
Each month, I connect one insight to the wonderfully complex world of being human. I invite you to get curious about how it might apply to your own life, work or next steps.
Subscribe and see what you discover.
Working with detectives has taught me something about human behaviour, potential, leadership and navigating complexity.
Questions
Better questions, curiosity, listening, assumptions.
Navigating Uncertainty
Decision-making, ambiguity, confidence, complexity.
Strengths in Action
Character Strengths translated into real situations.
People & Conversations
Difficult conversations, influence, trust, relationships.
Shadow
Blind spots, bias, overused strengths, unintended impact.
Police Now’s Mission is to transform communities, reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, and increase the public's confidence in the police service by recruiting, developing and inspiring outstanding and diverse individuals to be leaders in society and on the policing frontline.