--- title: The Unlocked Leader description: Coaching for women who have stepped into leadership but their people-pleasing tendencies are getting in their way. --- [Skip to content](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/the-unlocked-leader#main-content) [![Helen Mason Coaching\_name](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Helen%20Mason%20Coaching_name.png?width=2362&height=1181&name=Helen%20Mason%20Coaching_name.png)](https://www.helenmasoncoaching.co.uk?hsLang=en) - [About](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/abouthelenmason) - [Services](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/ambition-evolution) Show submenu for Services - [The Unlocked Leader - Women's Leadership Coaching](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/the-unlocked-leader) - [The Ambition Evolution - Coaching for Career-Led Mums](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/ambition-evolution) - [Team Coaching](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/team-coaching) - [Contact](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/contact) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [About](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/abouthelenmason) - [Services](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/ambition-evolution) Show submenu for Services - [The Unlocked Leader - Women's Leadership Coaching](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/the-unlocked-leader) - [The Ambition Evolution - Coaching for Career-Led Mums](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/ambition-evolution) - [Team Coaching](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/team-coaching) - [Contact](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/contact) - [Book a Call.](https://calendly.com/helenmasoncoaching/30-minute-discovery-call) [Book a Call.](https://calendly.com/helenmasoncoaching/30-minute-discovery-call) # The Unlocked Leader *You're leading. Now let's make it feel like you.* A six-month coaching programme for women who have stepped into leadership but are still waiting to feel like they belong there.    ![the-unlocked-leader](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/the-unlocked-leader.png?width=2000&height=2000&name=the-unlocked-leader.png "the-unlocked-leader") ## **Does this sound like you?** You're good at your job, you've got the title. But somewhere between the meetings and the managing of yourself, leadership started to feel like a costume you're waiting to grow into. You hold back, you downplay, you wait to be asked instead of putting yourself forward. It feels like the gap between what you're capable of and what you're showing up as keeps getting wider. ## **Does any of this sound familiar?** You don't need to tick every box, but if more than two of these land, coaching could be for you.  ![struggling\_to\_speak\_up\_meeting\_1](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/struggling_to_speak_up_meeting_1.png?width=2000&height=2000&name=struggling_to_speak_up_meeting_1.png "struggling_to_speak_up_meeting_1") [Book a Call](https://calendly.com/helenmasoncoaching/30-minute-discovery-call) - You hold back in meetings - you know what you think, but something stops you from saying it with any conviction. - You wait to be asked rather than putting yourself forward. You've been passed over for things you deserved and didn't say anything. - You're a people-pleaser in ways that are getting expensive. The boundaries are blurry, and resentment is building. - You downplay your contribution. 'I just think...' 'It's probably nothing but....' The hedging has become a habit. - You struggle to articulate your value. On paper and in rooms, you undersell what you actually bring. - You know you're capable of more. You just don't quite know how to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. > *"Helen was great at helping me process my thoughts and come up with a great action plan of my steps. Feel confident about my next steps and they are realistic. Helen asked the right questions and gave me space to go through my thoughts and ideas. Challenging some of these also and really making me think"* > > > ![Zoe logo](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Zoe%20logo.png?width=58&height=54&name=Zoe%20logo.png) > > Finance Leader, Zoe ## **What changes?** Not a personality transplant, but a clearer more grounded version of  leader you already are (with the tools and courage to keep showing up as her) ![crystal\_clarity\_authentic\_leader\_1](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/crystal_clarity_authentic_leader_1.png?width=2000&height=2000&name=crystal_clarity_authentic_leader_1.png "crystal_clarity_authentic_leader_1") [I'm ready](https://calendly.com/helenmasoncoaching/30-minute-discovery-call) - You know who you are as a leader - not who you think you should be. Grounded in your actual strengths and values, your emotional style, the way you naturally communicate - and why all of that is an asset - **Your inner critic stops running the show** - You'll still hear it. But you'll know where it comes from and how to work with it rather than against it. - **You take up the right amount of space** - not loud for the sake of it, and not shrinking to keep everyone else comfortable. You speak with clarity, leaving you with the space to do a good job. - **You lead on your own terms** - you stop performing someone else's version of leadership and start building one that fits your values, strengths, and what you actually want from your life and career.   > *"Helen...helped me look at my challenge from new perspectives and gave me the confidence to take a first step. She had a really calm and thoughtful approach, she listened intently and guided me using some great techniques to come up with possible steps forward."*  > > > ![Oddbox](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Oddbox.jpg?width=50&height=50&name=Oddbox.jpg) > > Marketing and Brand Leader, Oddbox ## **Hello!** ![Becky\_Kerr\_Photography\_Helen\_Manson \_March\_2024-137](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson%20_March_2024-137.jpg?width=1333&height=2000&name=Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson%20_March_2024-137.jpg "Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson _March_2024-137") I'm Helen - mum, former Marketing Director, recovering people pleaser. I help women separate who they actually are as leaders from who they think they should be.  For most of my career, I thought being a chameleon was a superpower. I could read a room, adjust to anyone, keep everyone happy. I was proud of it, and it helped me get all the way to senior leadership. But then I found myself completely paralysed.  It's taken me a long time to understand why. It wasn't a capability problem; I was a high achiever by any external measure. But I'd spent so long performing someone else's version of leadership that I didn't actually have a version of my own. I was so afraid of being imperfect, of not being liked, that I couldn't take the risks that real growth requires. Now I work with women who are doing the same thing. Brilliant, capable leaders who are running someone else's script. The coaching work is about finding your own script - your actual strengths, your real voice and the leader you really are.    [Let's chat](https://calendly.com/helenmasoncoaching/30-minute-discovery-call) > "*Helen is a wonderful coach and uses her empathetic approach to build a sense of ease and rapport. Through working with Helen I gained clarity on my next steps and where I wanted to head in my career.*” > > Harriet, Senior Associate Director # How the programme works Nine sessions over six months, built around two psychometric profiles that give the coaching real traction - EQi 2.0 for your emotional intelligence landscape and VoicePrint for how you communicate. Everything else builds from there.  - ### Onboarding call - 45 minutes A focused conversation to get clear on your objectives and what you want this programme to give you. Your EQi 2.0 profile questionnaire will be sent between sessions - ### Session 1: EQi Leadership Profile Debrief - 60 minutes Identify your emotional strengths and potential derailers, and understand how they affect your presence, impact and decision-making as a leader.  Take away your Signature Strengths workbook. - ### Session 2: Your Signature Strengths - 60 minutes Get clear on what you bring at your best and the story that shaped it. Working through the signature strengths workbook, we build a grounded understanding of what makes you the leader you are. - ### Session 3: Inner Critic and Inner Mentor - 90 minutes Most capable people have a loud inner critic. This session names it, traces it and introduces the inner mentor - a wiser, more useful voice that's been there all along. Complete your VoicePrint Questionnaire between sessions. - ### Session 4: Voiceprint profile Debrief - 60 minutes Discover your natural communication style - how you tend to use your voice in nine distinct ways, and how to use it with more intention. This completes the structured part of the programme and sets the direction for what comes next. - ### Sessions 4-8 - 60 minutes each Classic coaching - these sessions are over to you to set the agenda. With the firm foundation of knowing your strengths and values, and tools to quieten your inner critic and call on your inner mentor, these sessions give you space to think and the courage to act. ![emotional-intelligence-brain-facets](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/emotional-intelligence-brain-facets.png?width=2000&height=2000&name=emotional-intelligence-brain-facets.png "emotional-intelligence-brain-facets") ![communication-voice-small-audience](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/communication-voice-small-audience.png?width=2000&height=2000&name=communication-voice-small-audience.png "communication-voice-small-audience") > *"Having initially been a little sceptical as to the effectiveness of coaching, I've been surprised by how much I feel I have got from the sessions, and I've really enjoyed working with Helen. I've finished...feeling energised and positive. Helen has a wonderful knack for coaxing out the things that really matter, and giving space to consider them. "* > > > ![Tiata Fahodzi](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Tiata%20Fahodzi.png?width=50&height=50&name=Tiata%20Fahodzi.png) > > Theatre Professional ## **Everything that's included** ![Becky\_Kerr\_Photography\_Helen\_Manson \_March\_2024-197](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson%20_March_2024-197.jpg?width=2000&height=1333&name=Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson%20_March_2024-197.jpg "Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson _March_2024-197") - **9** online sessions - onboarding plus 4 structured sessions and 4 client-led coaching sessions. - **2** profiles with full debriefs- EQi 2.0 for insight into your emotional intelligence, and Voiceprint for insight into improving your communication style - **1** workbook - Your Signature Strengths to help you find what matters to you at your core and what you're really good at. - **6** months of support, with email access between sessions [Find Out More](https://calendly.com/helenmasoncoaching/30-minute-discovery-call) ## **Why work with me?** ![Helen Mason Stella](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Helen%20Mason%20Stella.jpg?width=1333&height=2000&name=Helen%20Mason%20Stella.jpg "Helen Mason Stella") [Let's Chat](https://calendly.com/helenmasoncoaching/30-minute-discovery-call) - I offer a relaxed environment that gives you that rare and precious space to actually think. If you think you don't have time for coaching - that's exactly why you need coaching. Otherwise you'll never get off the hamster wheel. - My style is relaxed and safe, but also with energy. I'll balance support and challenge depending on what you need on the day, and we'll take as much time as you need to explore. But I'll also encourage you to take action, to do the brave and hard things that will actually make a shift. - I've been where you are. I've experienced the struggles of climbing the corporate ladder as a woman, a people pleaser and a mum. If you're finding it hard, it's because it is hard. It's not just you, it was also me and it's countless others too. - I'm a qualified and accredited coach with the [Association for Coaching](https://www.associationforcoaching.com/). That means I'm properly trained by an organisation who are checked by one of the main international coaching bodies AND that I continue to engage in training and supervision (like coaching for coaches) to keep my skills sharp and my ethics in line with guidelines. - I'm trained in a raft of techniques and tools specific to supporting women. I'm a trained '[Playing Big](https://www.taramohr.com/)' facilitator by Tara Mohr, and NLP Practitioner and I studied Women's Leadership at Simmons University in Boston. - I'm a bit sweary and quite obsessed with my dogs. That may sway you or put you off, but I think it's important that you know! ## **Investment** ![space\_to\_breathe\_creativity\_clean\_1](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/space_to_breathe_creativity_clean_1.png?width=2000&height=2000&name=space_to_breathe_creativity_clean_1.png "space_to_breathe_creativity_clean_1")   £499 x 5 - for 9 x one-to-one calls, a series of self paced resources and between session email support. OR £2,495 when you pay in full. Even better - get work to pay! You'll be a better leader as result, they definitely win too. Use the template below to help you build a business case. Click the link below and it'll download a word document you can edit as you see fit.    [Your Business Case](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hubfs/Executive%20Coaching%20Business%20Case%20-%20Helen%20Mason%20Coaching.docx?hsLang=en) ## The Unlocked Leader could be for you if... - You're in a leadership role and it doesn't quite feel like yours yet. - You're ambitious, and the gap between where you are and what you're capable of frustrates you. - You want real coaching - not tips, a framework or a cheerleader. - You're ready to look honestly at the patterns getting in your way. - You want to lead in a way that's really you, not a work mask or a performance. ![confident\_meetings\_no\_validation\_1](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/confident_meetings_no_validation_1.png?width=2000&height=2000&name=confident_meetings_no_validation_1.png "confident_meetings_no_validation_1") [This is me!](https://calendly.com/helenmasoncoaching/30-minute-discovery-call) ## **The Unlocked Leader is NOT for you if...** ![letting\_go\_perfectionism\_icon\_1](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/letting_go_perfectionism_icon_1.png?width=2000&height=2000&name=letting_go_perfectionism_icon_1.png "letting_go_perfectionism_icon_1") - **You're looking for someone to give you the answers.** There's no formula to follow here. This programme is here to help you set your own rules. - **You're not willing to be challenged, even gently.** Growing as a leader requires you to get comfortable being uncomfortable. - **You're looking for a therapist or a counsellor** - coaching is different - **You're not looking to take action**. If you just need a space to vent (and we all need that sometimes), go for a coffee with a mate. This space is for you to make real and lasting change. I know time is tight, so the between-session work won't take any more than 30 minutes a week. ## **I'm the coach for you if...** ![Becky\_Kerr\_Photography\_Helen\_Manson \_March\_2024-179-1](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson%20_March_2024-179-1.jpg?width=2000&height=1333&name=Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson%20_March_2024-179-1.jpg "Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson _March_2024-179-1") - You want a calm, safe space to think. Just to be listened to without interruption or judgement. - You like a balance of support and gentle challenge to help you do the brave things. - It helps you to have an accountability partner to follow through on your actions. - You work better on a one-to-one basis rather than a group setting where you can hide [Learn more](https://calendly.com/helenmasoncoaching/30-minute-discovery-call) ## **I'm NOT the coach for you if...** ![Becky\_Kerr\_Photography\_Helen\_Manson \_March\_2024-239](https://helenmasoncoaching.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson%20_March_2024-239.jpg?width=2000&height=1333&name=Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson%20_March_2024-239.jpg "Becky_Kerr_Photography_Helen_Manson _March_2024-239") [I'm ready](https://calendly.com/helenmasoncoaching/30-minute-discovery-call) - You're looking for a confidence coach with coloured blazers, big earrings and a loud voice to try and emulate. I'll help you find YOUR version of confident, which might not be the obvious one. - You want someone to tell you how you need to change yourself. You don't. The problem isn't you, it's the system. I'm here to help you navigate a world that's not setting you up for success. It might mean taking some different actions, but at the heart of those actions needs to be the authentic you. - You're looking for a mentor - someone to give you the answers or tell you what to do. While I may have stood in similar shoes to you, my way is likely not the way for you. I'm here to help you unlock your own path. 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