Lately a powerful theme has been showing up in my conversations with clients: "Maybe I don't want to pursue the next big promotion."

At first, it's shared with hesitation. Sometimes guilt. And almost always accompanied by a caveat like, "I'm not sure I can be saying this to you."

For many, this hesitation stems from a belief - spoken or unspoken - the leadership coaching is about supporting people to climb higher. There's an assumption that growth always means promotion. That sucess means moving 'up.' And if you're not actively striving for the next title, then you're somehow not ambitious or committed.

But this isn't how I define leadership. Not for myself and not for my clients. To me, leadership is about how you show up - in your relationships, in your home, in your organization, in your community, in your values. And growth looks different for every person. Somestimes growth means stepping into a new role. Other times it means staying where you are and leading with deeper presence, purpose, and integrity.

In recent months, many of my clients have begun to articulate something they've been sensing for a while: that chasing the next role may come at a cost they're no longer willing to pay. They're observing senior leaders stretched thin, exhausted, sacrificing time with family, and living in a state of chronic urgency. They're seeing roles that demand compromise - of values, wellbeing, and boundaries. And they're asking the brave question: Is that the version of leadership I want to embody?

What often emerges in our conversations is a broader reassessment. For some, it's the growing realization that they've fused their sense of self with the company. As the navigate layoffs, restructurings, and shifting priorities, they begin to separate their identity from the organizations's identity. Self ≠ Company. They start to remember this: I am a person first. A whole person, with my own values, hopes, and agency.

Agency is a word that comes up often in my coaching. I've had my own dance with agency - moments where I handed it over to others' expectations, and moments where I needed to take it back. It's one of the reasons I care so deeply about helping my clients reclaim theirs. I know how quietly powerful it can be to realize: I get to choose. I've seen how easily workplaces - especially high-pressure, high-performance ones - can strip people of their agency. Or rather, how people slowly give it away, in exchange for approval, security, or belonging. But that agency is never truly gone. It can be reclaimed. And I see clients doing just that - reconnecting with their own inner voice, rediscovering their ability to choose, and redefining what meaningful leadership looks like for them.

Fear is present too. In an uncertain economy, many people feel its safer to stay quiet, keep their head down, and protect what they have. They worry that speaking up or optiing out might signal a lack of ambition - that it might jeopardize their credibility or make them seen dispensable.

But I don't see it that way. I see discernment and courage. I see people pausing long enough to ask: What matters most to me now? What does success really mean - not just professionally, but as a human being? What kind of leader do I want to be - and for whom?

Relocation pressures are surfacing too. More people are being asked to move for their roles - sometimes without much regard for the lives they've built in their communities. Moving is no longer simple. The cost of housing, the disruption to family, the loss of commnuity - these are not small asks. And people are beginning to say: No. Or at least: Let me think about what's truly right for me and my family.

In all of this, I see a deeper reckoning. People are reimagining leadership - not as something they must contort themselves to fit into, but as something they can shape on their own terms. They're waking up to the idea that leadership is not about hierarchy, but about alignment with values, truth, and what matters most.

In my coaching, my role isn't to steer anyone in any particular direction. It's to create a space - free of judgment, full of honesty - where people can tell the truth to themselves. Where they can explore what's possible, what's enough, and what leadership looks like when it's rooted in wholeness, not hustle.

I've been doing some of this reflecting myself - asking what kind of work fuesl me most, how I want to spend my time, and how I want to show up in the spaces I care about. I'm not immune to the noise of the pressure either.

If you're sitting with the quiet thought that maybe you don't want the next promotion - maybe you're right where you want or need to be - know this: You're not alone and you are not failing. And it might just be the beginning of a very honest and powerful next chapter.

In a former life, I was an Occupational Therapist (OT) working in mental health. My first job was on a Mood Disorders Unit at Vancouver General Hospital, and it confirmed what I’d always been drawn to – understanding people in a holistic way. Earlier, I’d studied science and psychology, with a particular fascination for neuropsychology, abnormal psychology, anthropology, business, and healthcare ethics. When I moved to Montreal, I shifted into an administrative role at McGill’s School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, and to my surprise, I loved that too – which eventually led me to pursue an MBA.

During my MBA, I co-wrote a thesis on the standards of executive coaching, not knowing how relevant that would become to my future. Today, I’m a Leadership Coach with a deep belief in ethical, accredited practice. My background in OT has stayed with me – I still take a holistic, integrated approach that considers not just performance, but purpose. As OTs, we’re trained to explore the dynamic relationship between a person, their environment, and their meaningful activities, with spirit and purpose at the core, and I bring that same lens to coaching.

In these times, that lens feels more needed than ever. More of my clients are asking: How can I find happiness and fulfillment in my work? How can I continue to contribute without losing myself? These aren’t just career questions – they’re important life questions.

I’m sharing this because I know it can be hard to figure out who to trust in the coaching world. My path here has been anything but linear – but it’s grounded in deep training, ethical practice, and a lifelong commitment to helping people find purpose and to thrive – rather than survive - in demanding environments. If you’re looking for a coach who brings both heart and rigor, this is the approach that I bring to every conversation. 

While I no longer practice as an OT, the foundation it gave me continues to shape how I work. I support people in navigating the complexities of their professional lives with clarity, purpose, and care – because in today’s world, our relationship to work deeply impacts our ability to thrive – both personally and professionally.

What allows us to do our best thinking? To hear ourselves clearly? To reconnect with what truly matters and discover the internal shifts that will move us forward meaningfully?

For many, the answer isn't more pressure or urgency - it's space. A space where the nervous system can settle, where thoughts can emerge without rushing, and where clarity comes with ease. In this space, we often feel more energized, open, and able to see new possibilities.

But in today's world, space is hard to come by. The pace of work and life keeps accelerating. The pressure to react, decide, and push forward feels relentless. When was the last time you had some time to step back to truly reflect - not just on what you need, but on what's most important to you, professionally and personally? And when was the last time you had someone skilled to listen, to be inquisitive about who you've been, who you're becoming, and how your experiences have shaped your path forward?

As a coach, I've found that the one of the most valuable things I can offer is exactly this: a space of calm, presence, and deep listening. A space free from judgment. A space of acceptance, safety, and genuine care. For many of my clients, this might be the only time in their day when they step away from urgency and focus on what truly matters - whether it's a deeper professional question, a personal priority, or both.

And this is exactly the kind of space I would want for myself.

To offer this, I need to be grounded. Most days, I hike in the forest. The trees, the stillness, the rhythm of my feet on the earth - this is what steadies me. Nature regulates my nervous system, not just for my own well-being, but so I can show up fully for my clients.

Coaching is a partnership. And in that partnership, the ability to slow down, to truly listen, and to create space for real thinking and feeling can make all the difference. This is what I offer - not just because it's valuable, but because it's the kind of coaching I would want.

People often ask me about the kinds of leaders that I work with - what level they're at, what industries they come from, and what they are working on in a coaching partnership.

There are many ways to frame that question and my response, and I find myself drawn less to titles and more to the qualities of a leader's presence and experience. The ones who choose to work with me are often navigating something more than their next career move. They are used to speaking the language of success - strategy, progression, outcomes - because that's what their environments demand. But beneath that, there's often something harder for them to name.

I get it because, in many ways, it's hard for me to name what is next for me and the clients I'm most suited to partner with. It's doesn't fit neatly into a box. And it's not always evident, I'm often surprised. Which is why I'm attempting to write about it now.

Those things that are harder to name - it's often something deeper. A pull toward a different pace, a less frenetic one. A desire for work to feel more fulfilling, not just successful. A sense that leadership is about more than titles, earnings, or achievement. But they're not always sure how to name it, or if it even is welcome in the conversations they're used to having.

Even the most accomplished leaders have places where they get stuck. A leader who becomes distant when they're stressed, even though connection is what they value. A leader who moves so fast that they struggle to be present, missing moments that make their work more meaningful. A leader who is seen as confident but quietly grapples with self-doubt, wondering if they're measuring up.

Leadership isn't just about outward progress, it's also about inner work - the reflection, clarity, and deep sense of knowing and feeling that guide the way forward. Without that, it's easy to lose sight of what truly matters, to push forward without pause, to meet expectations without feeling fully aligned.

With space to reflect, the conversation often begins to shift. The words become less about what should be said and more about what feels true.

These are the clients I work best with - those who are drawn to leading with intention, who care deeply about their impact, and who recognize that sustainable leadership requires tending to both the external demands of their work and the internal world that sustains it.

I hear this regularly from leaders who work with me after receiving this feedback. It's often positioned as the key to advancing to the 'next level' - but what does it actually mean? More high-level thinking? Less time in the weeds? A clearer vision? Bold ideas? A stronger ability to influence?

In my experience, many leaders already are strategic, but they don't always recognize it - or they define it differently from those evaluating them. Sometimes, the challenge isn't about being strategic, it's about making their strategic thinking visible in a way that resonates with senior leadership.

I believe that becoming more strategic isn't just about doing things differently. It's about expanding how you see yourself as a leader. Do you see strategy as someting separate from execution, or as part of how you lead every day? Do you associate it with authority you don't feel you have? Do you hold back from big-picture thinking because you worry it means being less hands-on?

I think about this in my own business. I set aside Fridays as a client-free day to focus on creativity, innovation, and big-picture thinking. If I'm not intentional, it's easy for the day to get swallowed up by day-to-day emails and small tasks that feel urgent. Being strategic requires protecting space for it, trusting that it's valuable to do so, and resisting the pull to always be 'doing'. I've learned that I can't just sit at my desk and expect inspiration to emerge. The best way for me to get in a truly strategic space is to start my day being active in the outdoors. Movement, fresh air, and natural space allow me to be in my body, to see new possibilities, and to make unexpected connections.

Strategy isn't just about looking ahead, it's about creating space to think, ask different questions, and discover.

When was the last time you gave yourself space to think? To ask different questions? To discover?

Instead of feeling like you never have time to 'think strategically', imagine what would be possible if you approached strategy not as a task, but as a way of being. For strategy to become a way of being, something deeper is needed - perhaps a shift in how you see yourself, what you believe is possible, or even permission to lead differently.