Leadership Coaching for Women
Nicola Childs provides 1:1 leadership coaching for women in Rotherham and across South Yorkshire, supporting women at different stages of their leadership journey, from aspiring and new managers to experienced leaders preparing for their next step.
With more than 25 years’ experience in HR and People Development, an ILM Level 7 qualification in Executive and Senior Level Coaching and Mentoring, and experience of leadership and career transitions herself, Nicola brings practical experience alongside a supportive and challenging coaching approach.
Helping women leaders build confidence, clarity and impact
You might be stepping into leadership for the first time, preparing for promotion, navigating change or simply know you’re capable of more.
Sometimes you know exactly what you want to work on. Sometimes you just know that something isn’t quite right.
Perhaps you’re questioning your confidence, finding a new role more challenging than expected, struggling with a relationship at work or wondering what you actually want from your career now.
Coaching gives you the time and space to step away from the day-to-day and properly think things through.
Who is women's leadership coaching for?
You don’t have to be struggling to benefit from coaching. Sometimes things look fine from the outside, but you know there is something you want to change. You might be:
- Stepping into your first management role
- Preparing for promotion
- Moving into a more senior leadership position
- Building confidence in your leadership
- Finding your voice in a senior environment
- Struggling to get your ideas heard
- Managing people who were previously your colleagues
- Navigating a challenging workplace relationship
- Avoiding a difficult conversation
- Finding it difficult to set boundaries
- Balancing leadership with life outside work
- Returning to work after maternity leave
- Thinking about what you want from the next stage of your career
You don’t need to arrive with a neatly defined coaching goal. Sometimes working out what the real issue is is the first step.
A coaching approach that's tailored around you
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership coaching.
Your sessions are shaped around your circumstances, your goals, your strengths and what’s happening for you at the time. I’m not there to tell you what you should do.
I’ll listen, ask questions, challenge your thinking when I think it will help and bring my experience into the conversation when it’s useful. Sometimes you’ll need support. Sometimes you’ll need a challenge. And sometimes you just need someone outside the situation who can help you see it differently.
The important thing is that the coaching works for you.
What can we work on?
Confidence and self-belief
You can be highly capable and still question yourself when you step into a bigger role.
Coaching gives you an opportunity to look at where that self-doubt is coming from, recognise what you’re already bringing to the role and build confidence in your own judgement.
Leadership presence and influence
As you become more senior, what worked earlier in your career doesn’t always work in the same way.
You may need to have more difficult conversations, influence people who don’t report to you or feel more comfortable contributing in senior meetings.
We can explore how you want to show up and what will help you have more impact.
Returning to work after maternity leave
Returning to work after maternity leave can be a significant transition, particularly if you’re returning to a leadership or senior role.
You may have changed while you’ve been away. Your priorities may have changed too. Perhaps you’re wondering how you will manage the demands of work alongside family life, whether you still want the same career or how you’ll regain your confidence after time away.
You might be returning to the same organisation but finding that things have changed. Or perhaps you are looking at your career differently for the first time.
Nicola understands this transition personally as well as professionally. Having returned from maternity leave herself, she understands that returning isn’t necessarily about simply picking up where you left off. Sometimes it’s about working out what you want now.
Coaching can provide a confidential space to explore that, rebuild confidence and think about the next stage of your career.
Career progression
Sometimes the next step is obvious. Sometimes it isn’t.
You may want the promotion but be unsure whether you’re ready. Or you may be questioning whether the traditional career path is actually what you want.
Coaching gives you somewhere to explore those decisions without someone else telling you what you should do.
Difficult conversations and relationships
Being a leader means having conversations that aren’t always comfortable.
You might need to give difficult feedback, challenge someone’s behaviour, manage conflict or address something that you’ve been avoiding.
We can work through the situation together, look at the different options and help you prepare for the conversation you need to have.
Boundaries and expectations
As responsibility increases, it’s easy to find yourself taking on more and more. You may find it difficult to say no, feel responsible for everything or worry about letting people down.
Coaching can help you step back, understand what is actually yours to deal with and consider how you want to manage expectations.
Why Work With Nicola Childs?
I bring more than 25 years of experience in HR and People Development, giving me a practical understanding of people, organisations and the realities of leadership.
I’m an ILM Level 7 qualified Executive and Senior Level Coach and Mentor and a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD.
I’ve experienced leadership and career transitions myself, including returning from maternity leave, making career decisions and experiencing executive coaching personally. But I don’t assume that because I’ve experienced something, your experience will be the same. Your circumstances are your own.
My role is to help you make sense of them, work out what you want and decide what you’re going to do next.
Leadership Coaching for women in Rotherham & South Yorkshire
I provide face-to-face leadership coaching for women in Rotherham, Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and across South Yorkshire.
I also provide remote 1:1 coaching for clients further afield or for those who prefer to work virtually.
Whether you’re looking for a leadership coach in Rotherham, executive coaching in South Yorkshire or online coaching, sessions are tailored around what you want to achieve.
"I would wholeheartedly recommend Nic"
I have worked with Nic as a coach several times over the years. Returning to my role after maternity leave was a new and important transition. I once again turned to Nic for support, guidance, and constructive challenge. She helped me navigate the balance between continuing to grow in a career I care deeply about while adjusting to family life responsibilities.
Nic’s coaching style challenges the status quo in both supportive and thought-provoking ways. She encourages healthy challenge, helps clarify priorities through questioning, and uses a range of practical tools to highlight gaps and opportunities for growth. She supported me in setting clear direction and intention, establishing achievable goals, and maintaining accountability.
Nic played a vital role in supporting my transition back into work after maternity leave. I would wholeheartedly recommend her as a professional, trusted, and highly effective coaching partner.
Questions About Coaching Women Leaders
What is women’s leadership coaching?
Women’s leadership coaching is a confidential 1:1 coaching relationship focused on the individual challenges, decisions and opportunities that come with leadership and career progression.
Who is women’s leadership coaching suitable for?
It can support women at different stages, from aspiring and new managers through to experienced and senior leaders.
Can coaching help with confidence?
Yes. Confidence is a common area people bring to coaching. We can explore what’s affecting your confidence, recognise your strengths and look at what will help you feel more confident in your role.
Can coaching help me prepare for promotion?
Yes. Coaching can help you think about what the next level requires, where your strengths lie, what you want to develop and how you want to approach the transition.
Can coaching help after maternity leave?
Yes. Coaching can provide a confidential space to explore confidence, career direction, changing priorities and the transition back into work after maternity leave.
Do you offer coaching in Rotherham?
Yes. Face-to-face coaching is available in Rotherham and across South Yorkshire, including Sheffield, Doncaster and Barnsley. Virtual coaching is also available.
What qualifications does Nicola have?
Nicola is an ILM Level 7 qualified Executive and Senior Level Coach and Mentor and a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD (FCIPD), with more than 25 years’ experience in HR and People Development.
Ready to talk?
You don’t need to have everything worked out before you start coaching.
If there’s something you’re thinking about, a challenge you’re facing or simply a sense that you’re ready for something to change, get in touch with Nicola for an informal conversation about 1:1 leadership coaching.