Coaching for early stage leaders
"I feel like I'm winging every interaction with my new team"
"I don't know how to tell someone their work isn't good enough, they were my friend last week, now I’m their manager"
"I keep just doing the work myself because it's faster"
"I have no idea who my allies are or who to trust"
"I don't want to just copy my old manager. I don't know what my style is yet"
I’m not into creating carbon copies, I want you to be the best leader you can be - your way. So this starts with you and your unique situation:
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No generic advice that doesn't apply to your reality
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No pretending there's only one way to lead
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No "just be yourself" without helping you figure out what that actually means in practice and what tools you’ll need
I’ll meet you at the deep end.
You'll progress with the confidence to create your own leadership handbook.
Finding Your Own Style
One of the most common mistakes new leaders make is only copying their old boss (or a random person on LinkedIn). During our sessions, we’ll work on helping you discover what kind of leader YOU are. That means:
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Understanding your natural strengths and how to build on them
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Knowing where your instincts might trip you up
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Learning different approaches and choosing the ones that fit you
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Building confidence to lead your way, rather than performing someone else's version of leadership
The goal is for you to be consistent, self-aware, and genuinely yourself, while getting results.
Guided Support
Some of the items we might cover include:
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Growth & Feedback
Having honest conversations that help people improve, without damaging relationships or your own confidence.
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Delegation & Facilitation
Why staying in "doer" mode holds your team back, and how to let go. Handing things over properly, following up without micromanaging, and running meetings people actually find useful.
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Allies: Who They Are and When to Call on Them
Understanding who in your organisation can support you, who to trust, and when to ask for help.
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Umbrella Leadership
How and when to protect your team from ‘above’. Holding the line without burning bridges.
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Peer to Manager
The social and emotional complexity of managing people you already have a relationship with.
What are the practicalities?
Start with a rapport call to make sure we connect on a level which will thoroughly support you. Then I‘ll ask you to complete a survey about your current situation, in your own time and in your own words.
Move into a series of 4 x 90 minute calls, which can take place at a cadence to suit you (weekly, monthly etc).
If you’re based near Amsterdam and prefer to meet in person, let me know as this can be done but may add travel expenses to the total price.
On completion of 4 initial sessions, reflect and then choose between pay as you go or a pay upfront for another series of coaching sessions to suit your working life.
Opening Price*
I’m currently studying to achieve my formal qualification in coaching and counselling to underpin my years of experience. That means my first few clients will get a great intro deal!
4 x 90 minute sessions:
Standard price
If your employer pays: €549 (+btw)
However...
If you pay: €449 (+btw)
*fees fixed for coaching packages with a first session completed in 2026 only. Fees can increase from January 1st, 2027. All coaching is conducted in English.
About your coach, Stephanie Kirk
Because Stephanie has spent 20+ years being the person who makes things work, she often got promoted quickly and had to dive in and get shit done!
Her first leadership role began when she was 21 and since then she worked her way, step by step, to Executive level.
Juggling needs for fast-growing businesses that required calm in the middle of chaos meant she had to learn fast and make sure the people on her team came with her.
Stephanie has led teams of 1 to 192. She’s managed her friends and people 20 years older than herself. She didn’t always get it right; some people have called her the best manager they ever had, others have called her ‘that *****!’ But she listened to people, learnt fast and was happy to find her own way to lead without being a carbon copy of everyone else.
She’s worked inside scaling startups in a range of industries (beauty, fintech, design), live theatre companies, and one of the UK's biggest digital advertising businesses, and seen first-hand what great people management does (and doesn't) look like.
Stephanie doesn’t coach leadership from a textbook. She’s lived the pressure of being thrown in the deep end with no manual whatsoever. She also has a teaching qualification, is studying coaching and counselling in Amsterdam, and has coached managers and leaders at every stage. She knows how to make it land, not just talk about it.
“Her approach is people-first, practical, and
refreshingly ego-free”
Get started with a free 20 minute rapport call:
