Read: Jane’s interview with the Coaching Academy
We're delighted to share that our founder, Jane Robbie achieved a distinction in her coaching diploma through the Coaching Academy. She was also thrilled to be interviewed her as part of their ‘‘Coach in the Spotlight” series, to share how she draws on her coaching skills to support charity leaders at the Pearce Foundation. Please read the full interview below or click on the photo below to read on the Coaching Academy’s website.
In the realm of non-profit organisations, effective leadership is paramount. It's what drives change, fuels progress, and ultimately, transforms lives. In today's Coaching in the Spotlight feature Charity Leadership Coach Jane Robbie share her coaching journey and insight to her experience as a Charity Leadership Coach.
My niche is coaching leaders of small charities in early development. I do this through a charitable foundation I set up, the Pearce Foundation.
With 25 years in the charitable sector, I understand the difficulties of setting up and running a charity, especially in the current economic climate. Small charity leaders often find themselves juggling many roles, leading to feelings of overwhelm and uncertainty about what to prioritise. It’s tough to keep a broad strategic vision when absorbed in the details. Maintaining a quality of life when passionate about a cause can be challenging too. Despite my charity background, I wanted a professional framework to strengthen my approach, so enrolled in the Coaching Academy’s Life Coaching Course, and am currently studying for the Small Business Diploma.
A transformational process
My interest in coaching charity leaders began when my life circumstances changed through the loss of close family members and friends in a short space of time. My foundations crumbled and I took time to breathe and grieve away from my role as Support and Development Manager for a charity. During this time, I realised more than ever, how precious life is. I wanted to make the most of it and in my search for meaning and purpose, I turned to a coach. It was transformational. Throughout the process, I was able to explore what mattered to me most and align my personal values with my professional aspirations. I lay the foundations for the next chapter of my life and the Pearce Foundation was born.
The Pearce Foundation provides funding to small fledgling charities, as well as a range of tailored support activities, including coaching. This unique model of support is grounded in my own personal experience of how coaching transformed my life. Fuelled by a desire to provide charity leaders with the same impactful experience, my coaching qualification strengthens our offerings.
“You understood our needs and pronounced our strengths. I came away feeling empowered and excited about Flourish Mentors future” Frederique, Flourish Mentors Charity
Aligning values and finding authenticity
I enjoy creating a friendly, supportive environment and encourage leaders to harness their strengths, brainstorm ideas, explore solutions, and achieve their goals whilst ensuring their personal values align with their charities. I spend time getting to know them and their organisation and enjoy building honest, authentic relationships. By being accepting of where they’re at and bringing a human touch to the sessions, I’m able to empower confidence in their leadership roles, leading to growth within their organisations.
“My biggest learning is that I am a strong leader, with a clear vision for the charity.” Kayla, Andy’s Angels Charity
I love what I do, as I work with people who are driven to create positive changes in their communities. I’m passionate about enabling them to deliver this change and through coaching, I can create a significant impact. This in turn energises me and aligns with my values of integrity, respect, kindness, growth and connection. I’m lucky to work with such inspiring people and have discovered so much about myself through the process.
“Even that first question of where are we at right now? What are our strengths? Which areas do we want to work on next? It all just provided a great opportunity to stop and reflect which enabled us to see things more clearly. It feels very exciting! " Maria & Nicole, Wellbody Wellmind Wellbeing Charity
“I love what I do, as I work with people who are driven to create positive changes in their communities. I’m passionate about enabling them to deliver this change and through coaching, I can create a significant impact.”
My top 3 tips for working as a charity leadership coach are:
Get some charity experience yourself: It is important to gain first-hand understanding of the challenges faced by charity leaders, particularly in the current economic climate. You don’t need to be aligned to any specific cause, but having sector understanding and insight helps to provide more meaningful support.
Know your own values and align them to your approach. As a coach, being authentic is key. Knowing your values and what drives you forms the foundation of your approach. Since charity leaders are often passionate about what they do, spending time understanding what drives them and exploring their values is essential.
Understand that charitable organisations need strategic support. Offering a combination of personal development, practical tools, and business frameworks helps leaders develop their own leadership style and grow their organisations. Good strategy often starts with the ability to step back and see the bigger picture. A coach provides space for them to work ‘on’ their organisation and not just ‘in’ it.
If you are passionate about supporting others, I would wholeheartedly recommend training to become a coach, and particularly coaching within the charitable sector. It's a rewarding and impactful experience. By helping leaders develop their skills, they are more equipped to drive sustainable organisational growth, which in turn fuels far reaching and meaningful change within a community.
Training as a coach in the charity sector means you can become part of the solution to the challenges we face now and into the future.
"You have helped me lift the fog and be clearer in my own mind and clearer on Community Supporters direction.” Lindsay White, Community Supporters
