Leading with Courage and Compassion
Coaching a senior public servant through workplace challenge.
Names and identifying details have been changed to protect confidentiality.
Foundation
I’ve been coaching Jane on and off for around ten years. During that time, she has built a career in government, moved interstate, met a partner, had a child, and navigated the death of her father. Across these seasons of life, our work has evolved from leadership and communication to resilience, purpose, and balance. When we first began, Jane was managing a government team and struggling with a direct report who resisted collaboration and change. We explored communication styles, personality preferences, and team dynamics, laying the groundwork for her development as a reflective, relational leader.
Challenge
More recently, in her senior leadership role, Jane faced a new challenge. Two members of her team, were persistently undermining her. They interrupted her in meetings, dismissed her authority, and occasionally set her up to appear ineffective. Their behaviour also unsettled the wider team. The situation was draining. Jane was trying to maintain professionalism and protect the culture she valued, while managing her own frustration and the expectations of her boss.
My Role
Our coaching conversations focused on restoring Jane’s confidence and equipping her with strategies that aligned with her values. We unpacked issues of gender and power, and explored how leaders can hold people accountable while remaining person-centred. We worked through scenarios, imagining how to respond in real time, how to address the disrespect directly, and how to maintain dignity for everyone involved. We defined what success would look like, revisited her leadership strengths, and reframed the challenge as an opportunity to demonstrate her integrity and steadiness.
Transformation
As Jane applied these strategies, the dynamic began to shift. She used coaching-style conversations to encourage reflection and ownership within her team. She also learned when and how to set firmer boundaries, not reacting in anger, but creating clarity through preparation. Over time, both team members chose to leave the organisation. They did so respectfully, with Jane’s support. The process took energy and patience, but it reinforced her credibility and authority as a leader who could hold both compassion and accountability.
Outcome
Jane’s team is now functioning with greater trust and collaboration. She reports feeling lighter, more confident, and more aligned with her authentic leadership style. I am really proud of her! Coaching offered her a space to reflect, recalibrate, and lead with courage. The experience reaffirmed her belief, and mine, that when leaders hold people with empathy while also holding the line, everyone learns and grows.