Coaching Beyond Business: When Leaders Need Space to Breathe

I cannot deny that the content of my writing is directly inspired by my practice. Yes, some of my posts are commercial, because I do want to work with you. But more importantly, I am on a mission: to contribute to a world where individuals thrive, where professionals are outstanding, and where organisations perform.

The storms of life are natural. When we accept and navigate them, they become signs of growth.

When the Coaching Room Isn’t About Business

One session this week left me triggered, grateful, honoured, and deeply touched.

Executive coaching with senior leaders is often thought of as business strategy, performance metrics, and career advancement. Yet, in our session, we did not speak one second about business.

We spoke about life. About stress. About sleep. About diet. About relationships. My client, admired, unshakable, always seen as “the rock”, was not in a good place.

And this is exactly what coaching is for: creating a safe space to be human, to be vulnerable, and to process what is really happening.

A Human Being Behind the Rock

My client carries the weight of others. Colleagues, friends, family confide in her because she always copes, always delivers, always holds steady. But here is the truth: she is human. She bends. She breaks. She needs space too.

Today, we created that space.

We assessed her resources to cope. We used the SSSTOPPPP exercise

Stop. Stand up. Shake. Sit. Take a breath. Observe. Plan. Prepare. Proceed. Pulse.

Through this mindful pause, she connected back to herself. She imagined not the big picture of everything that must change, but simply how she wanted to feel tonight. One first step. One small plan. One possibility for relief.

The Ethical Responsibility of Coaching

There is so much noise about coaching today. So many types, so many promises, so many misconceptions. Some of you may think coaching is not for you, or that it doesn’t work.

Here is my conviction: Coaching, when grounded in psychology and ethics, is an essential part of self-care.

A coach trained in psychology knows when to listen deeply, when to observe signs, and when to guide a client toward clinical support. This is not about replacing therapy or medicine. It is about walking alongside someone until they can take the right step.

This morning, that is what happened. We concluded together that clinical support was necessary for her, for her family.

I am not abandoning her. Quite the opposite. We already scheduled our next session in two weeks, not to “fix” but to ensure accountability, to check if she has taken that courageous step, and to walk with her as she integrates it.

Coaching as a Partnership in Humanity

Coaching is not just about business performance. It is about giving leaders, who give so much of themselves to others, the rare gift of being held, listened to, and supported.

This is what real coaching is: a partnership where humanity and performance meet. Where the storms of life are not avoided, but faced together. Where growth emerges from vulnerability.



Because yes, leaders are human too.