Coaching
responsible leaders

Helping you to be yourself, express your values and enjoy your work

I’m Karen Blakeley,

I’m an accredited leadership and psychosynthesis coach. I’m also an author, academic, spiritual explorer and mother of two grown up kids.

I work with leaders who want to make a positive difference in the world. I have conducted research into ‘responsible leadership’ and my latest book, Leading with Love, shows how very senior leaders manage to combine seniority with deep integrity.

I believe responsible leaders combine the following characteristics:

  • They value all human beings and show this in their actions.

  • They use power with integrity.

  • They are aligned to a purpose bigger than their self-interest.

  • They care about our world.

  • They are self-aware. They know their strengths and limitations whilst always learning and growing.

  • They have moral courage. They act out their values even when it feels like it would be easier not to.

  • They are results oriented but not task-drivers or purely profit-focused.

I draw on psychosynthesis, business ethics, an understanding of power in organisations and spirituality to help you to connect to your deeper, truer self and lead in a way that feels strong, harmonious, authentic and purposeful.

Responsible Leadership Coaching for Leaders

Coaching for responsible leaders involves tuning into your true self (rather than the self you have learned to be), developing emotional intelligence, learning how to manage power ethically and learning how to lead mindfully in the moment.

Leadership is an art which is rooted in:

  • profound self-awareness and the ability to learn (personal growth)
  • a moral purpose and integrity (meaning)
  • courage, confidence, kindness and results-orientation (ethical use of power).

These qualities can all be developed.

My Testimonials

Why Choose Me?

For the past 30 years, I have been an executive coach, a business school academic, author, teacher and spiritual explorer. I have extensive experience of coaching leaders at all levels in the workplace. As an academic, I have spent over 10 years researching and writing about responsible leadership as well as exercising leadership myself. I have lived leadership, taught leadership and researched leadership!

I strongly believe the world needs more responsible leaders and I am dedicated to promoting the three things that support it – personal growth, discovering meaning and managing power ethically. I believe that when we combine these three things, success, positive impact and inner fulfilment come naturally.

Personal Growth

The model of the self in psychosynthesis proposes that our true selves are always calling us to live an authentic and fulfilling life – we just need to listen and do the work. It’s hard but the rewards are immense. I have also been through psychosynthesis therapy and so can speak from personal experience. What we seek – happiness, contentment, strength, wisdom, compassion – all of these lie within us waiting to be discovered. And we never stop growing!

Meaning

Responsible leaders use their power to serve society rather than to simply serve themselves. In order to do this effectively, they discover a sense of meaning, a higher purpose for their lives.  This dedication to meaning is sometimes referred to as ‘spirituality’ or ‘the hero’s journey’. I have been on my own hero’s journey and follow a path based on the Diamond Approach. My own experience of the hero’s journey helps me to be a good companion on yours.

Finally – power!

I have always been fascinated by it. I have been involved in politics, activism and critiquing social issues throughout my life. When I worked in organisations and coached leaders, I could see how people were often subject to abuses of power. Since then, and based on my own research into power and leadership, I have been a passionate advocate of responsible leadership. I coach my clients on recognizing power, resisting its abuses and learning how to handle it ethically. It’s the one topic that few people write or talk about – yet it is vital to the healthy functioning of organisations and society alike.

Online Personal Development Workshops to Become a Professional Coach

As your responsible leadership coach, I will provide you with a safe and supportive space to explore your thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. Together, we will:

  • Identify your personal and professional goals.
  • Explore your aspirations, values, beliefs, and inner conflicts.
  • Foster a sense of empowerment and self-confidence
  • Develop strategies to overcome obstacles and challenges.
  • Cultivate mindfulness and self-compassion.
  • Foster a sense of empowerment and self-confidence.
  • Enhance your overall well-being and life satisfaction.