21 Oct 2023 | Coaching, Testimonials
Working with Steve is transformational!
Becoming CEO of a VCSE Sector infrastructure organisation at the beginning of the pandemic led to some complex issues and challenges. Coaching with Steve gave me the space for me to reflect, problem-solve and become confident in my abilities to lead the organisation. The sessions were productive, thought-provoking and inspiring.
Being an experienced VCSE Sector leader and ambassador, Steve intuitively knows the challenges faced by charity CEOs and helps them to reflect and see the significant impact they make.
Steve coaches with care, kindness and not a small amount of humour and role models positive behaviours. He unlocks the potential in those he coaches leading to immediate results but also long-term change for individuals and, in turn, organisations.
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Steve. Always a learning experience and our sessions leave a lasting impact for me both professionally and personally.
21 Oct 2023 | Coaching, Testimonials
Steve combines real insightfulness and warmth with the rare ability to show you where (and help you plan how) you need to develop.
This highly thoughtful and skilled approach and his real depth of understanding of the role of the charity CEO (and great use of humour!) means coaching with him is the right balance of action orientated, reflective and supportive.
I worked with Steve in my first year as a new CEO and found his support, insight and challenge an absolute lifeline in navigating the complexities of small charity leadership, in particular leading for change. Cannot recommend him highly enough!
21 Oct 2023 | Coaching, Testimonials
Steve has used his skills and experience to develop senior leaders to improve their impact in our charity. His pragmatic and iterative approach encourages quick progress and a balanced and measured response to every type of challenge.
Steve’s outlook on leadership is refreshing and based on realistic outcomes with authenticity high on the agenda. I would recommend every senior leader or CEO in the Third Sector to have a session with Steve!
21 Oct 2023 | Coaching, Testimonials
Coaching with Steve has helped to restore my confidence following a challenging few months in a previous role and develop my leadership skills and style as I transition into being a first-time charity Chief Executive.
Steve has provided the perfect balance of insightful and honest critical reflection and supportive encouragement. Our coaching sessions have enabled me to feel more self-assured in leading ‘my way’, and also encourage my colleagues to recognise and develop their own leaderships skills.
Steve’s input has enabled me to learn more about myself as a person, and as a leader, at a crucial time in my career, to grow from his wisdom and guidance and feel better prepared for the challenges that I’m likely to face in my role as a charity CEO.
21 Oct 2023 | Coaching, Testimonials
If any of my contacts within the charity sector are thinking about coaching for themselves or for their teams, then I can not recommend Steve Allman highly enough.
His knowledge of our sector and the challenges its leaders face is second to none but his style, approach, skills, insight and personality create a really powerful environment that challenges and supports in absolute equal measure.
I really value the time I get to spend with him and I know that I’m a better leader and person for it.
21 Oct 2023 | Coaching, Testimonials
Steve and I did some coaching sessions soon after I took on a new role as a charity Chief Executive.
I am so glad we connected! What I appreciated about my sessions with Steve was his ability to ask sharp questions to get to the heart of an issue.
He also has a sense of ‘been there, seen it, done it’ with regard to the charity CEO role, which was a tremendous support for someone in my position.
I felt comfortable being fully open and honest with Steve and (although it’s a cliche), he did create that ‘safe space’ for the coaching work to happen.
Steve also has a wicked sense of humour (in a good way), that both puts you at ease, but also challenges you.
Arriving at the end of 2022, and stepping into 2023, I have some clarity on my goals for the short & middle term.
I look forward to keeping up with Steve’s LinkedIn posts, which are also equally insightful and good humoured.
21 Oct 2023 | Coaching, Testimonials
I reached out to Steve for coaching during the lockdown as I had previously come across several of his brilliant LinkedIn posts (If you haven’t come across them already, I urge you to do so, they’re guaranteed to raise a smile!).
Our introductory conversation generated plenty of self-reflection before we even got into the coaching discussions and being able to benefit from Steve’s vast knowledge and experience was invaluable.
Steve’s ‘real’ understanding of the sector with all its opportunities and challenges was evident, and it was a great relief not having to explain some things in detail as Steve clearly understood and ‘got it’ having been there himself. It helped that the sessions also came delivered with an amazing sense of humour!
I learned a lot about myself and admittedly it was not always easy. There were some difficult conversations to be had and reflections to face up to, yet Steve handled those sessions with compassion and sensitivity whilst being challenging and not afraid to ask those tricky questions.
Coaching with Steve was a great investment and an absolute joy. I would totally recommend working with Steve if you get the opportunity.
21 Oct 2023 | Coaching, Testimonials
Steve’s refreshing, clear, no-nonsense support sets him apart. He understood me right from the start and really ‘got’ what mattered to me – which is very reassuring when you’re going in circles in your mind!
Steve and our sessions were focused, friendly, and well-organised. Compared with other coaches, my experience was:
*There’s good continuity and progression between sessions
*He really cares about you and your success
*He doesn’t play games – if he sees something obvious that you’re not seeing, he’ll say
*His observations and suggestions always moved things on productively.
Highly recommended – come to his LinkedIn for the content, and stay for the coaching!
21 Oct 2023 | Coaching, Testimonials
I’ll be forever grateful to Steve for his support and wisdom during a challenging time. His comforting but honest style was helpful in allowing me to see and take control of things and shift my mindset.
Steve is a very skilled coach, carefully but purposefully navigating you through each session and is great at helping you reflect.
Throughout my sessions with him, I felt supported and listened to; (it’s a great skill to be able to ‘actively listen’ to people and Steve is adept at it) and he helped me to regain my confidence through reminding me of the things I do well.
I also bagged an exciting new job as a result of my renewed confidence and without Steve’s coaching, I know I might not have the self-assurance to take the leap of faith and push myself out of my comfort zone.
One of the nicest things Steve said to me during my coaching was that I was very authentic, something which is also very true of Steve and his approach and values is reflective of that.
I’d happily (and have already) recommend Steve to anyone!
