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Executive Coaching Alternative

Thinking about Executive Coaching? This is Strategic CEO Coaching.

After 30 years of running businesses, including scaling a business from £5M to £150M, serving as an interim CEO in turnaround situations, and chairing boards through both growth and stress, I’ve learned something that transformed how I approach working with senior leaders: the executive coaching industry fundamentally misunderstands what high-performing leaders actually need.

Most executive coaching focuses on self-discovery and emotional exploration. But when your operating rhythm gets disrupted, whether from rapid scaling outpacing systems, market conditions testing resilience, or performance challenges demanding immediate response, you need someone who understands what it’s like making critical decisions with incomplete information while everyone expects certainty, not therapy in disguise.

It has been a real pleasure first of all meeting Trevor and secondly engaging and working with him. For an ex military man he is surprisingly empathetic and perceptive. He is also practical and down to earth and seems to be able to get to the nub of an issue pretty quickly. He doesn’t let you off either, you have to show engagement and action and he will hold you to account. If you can persuade him to coach you, and he is selective, then you have done yourself and your business a favour.

Stephen Waud – Group Chief Executive – Business Enterprise Fund

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What Traditional Executive Coaching Is (And What It Isn't)

The challenges CEOs and MDs face aren’t rooted in self-awareness or emotional intelligence gaps. Most are highly capable leaders dealing with genuinely complex operational realities. Whether they’re scaling rapidly and systems can’t keep pace, or managing through market pressures that disrupt normal patterns, the real issue isn’t internal. It’s the operational environment they’re navigating: incomplete information, competing priorities, and decisions that carry serious consequences but can’t wait for perfect clarity.

When your operating rhythm gets disrupted, when growth velocity outpaces management systems, when your board is asking hard questions, and your executive team has conflicting views on the path forward, the solution isn’t exploring your leadership journey. It’s having a trusted advisor who understands what it feels like to be surrounded by smart people but still feel like you’re making educated guesses about critical decisions.

Strategic CEO Coaching: A Different Approach

Strategic CEO Coaching isn’t coaching in the traditional sense, it’s strategic and operational problem-solving with a CEO or MD whose operating rhythm has been disrupted and needs to restore decision-making bandwidth under pressure. We diagnose the operational reality, identify what’s consuming leadership capacity, and build frameworks to move forward with clarity. No introspection. No lengthy discovery phases. Direct analysis of what’s actually stopping progress and how to remove those barriers.

Strategic CEO Coaching works differently. It tackles motivation, morale, and team stability through operational fixes rather than endless reflection. Whether you’re facing rapid scaling complexity, covenant pressure, market volatility, or performance recovery requirements, the approach is diagnostic and practical.

The focus is on what’s actually happening in the business and what isn’t.

We look at where performance is being lost, what’s consuming decision-making bandwidth, and what’s unclear, overcomplicated, or left to chance. Sales execution, cost drivers, organisational drag, team dynamics, operational rhythm. Whatever is affecting outcomes, we pull it apart and address it.

My team consists of some very bright, highly intelligent individuals, but I was struggling to get them all focused upon a joint Mission. I had seen some of the results which Trev was achieving in similar businesses and so approached him. He ran several team events for me over six months, focusing my team’s minds on our mission, attending regular performance reviews and strategy sessions. We had great success with this approach and resulted in a much more aligned and accountable leadership team with clear KPIs. Critically this resulted in a significant profit improvement across the participating business units. If you want to get your team focused upon a joint mission, I highly recommend you consider using Trev to support you.

Mike Linter – Global Head of Tax and Legal Services UK and Vice Chair – KPMG UK

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Why This Approach Works

This isn’t theory. I’ve developed these skills by scaling businesses from £5M to £150M, serving as an operational CEO in both high-growth and turnaround situations, and working inside businesses where operating rhythms are disrupted and decision-making bandwidth is critical. My background in both rapid scaling and stressed leadership roles has developed practical understanding of what works when normal patterns break down and sustainable performance matters.

That experience has trained me to recognise when operating rhythms are failing, identify what’s consuming leadership capacity unnecessarily, and help leaders focus on what actually restores operational clarity without damaging the core of the business.

I’ve learned to be outcome-focused and people-oriented, not just because the theory says so, but because I’ve seen what works when teams face genuine complexity, whether from growth velocity or market pressure.

We’re not here to blow things up. We’re here to restore operational rhythm and decision-making clarity, maintain capability, and protect team effectiveness so the business moves forward with focus and resilience, not just urgency.

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Why This Works When Other Approaches Don’t

This is part operational review, part decision-support, part strategic thinking space. But above all, it’s a chance for the CEO to restore decision-making bandwidth with someone who understands what it’s like when operating rhythms get disrupted and has no stake in internal politics.

Most advisors work from the outside looking in. I work from the position of someone who’s been in the seat making decisions with incomplete information while everyone expects certainty. Whether you’re scaling rapidly and systems can’t keep pace, or managing through market pressure that’s testing your resilience, I understand the operational reality you’re navigating.

Having scaled businesses and led through both growth complexity and performance challenges, I recognise the patterns that consume leadership capacity unnecessarily. This experience helps me quickly identify what’s actually affecting your decision-making bandwidth and what’s just noise.

Your existing advisors bring valuable functional expertise, but they often have specific agendas or areas of focus. Your FD focuses on financial performance, your COO on operational delivery, your board on governance and strategic direction. All critical, but none positioned to help you think through the full breadth of operational complexity that affects your leadership capacity.

My role is to act as a trusted, neutral sounding board. Someone with operational depth, commercial range, and no internal agenda. Someone who’s been in the chair, understands the pressure of disrupted operating rhythms, and can help you focus on what actually restores clarity and control.

Trevor came strongly recommended by a former colleague. Harwood parachuted him into a business in which the leadership team, previously reporting to family owners for over 40 years, were struggling to adapt and move at the pace required by an institutional investor whilst dealing with a softness in demand arising from the 2022-3 UK cost of living crisis. Trevor’s deep operational skill set, and strong people management capabilities resulted in him identifying the root cause of multiple internal challenges (poor control of direct and indirect costs coupled with lack of focus on working capital and cash management) and draw up a short-term plan – which the whole management team supported – to deliver an improvement in near term results. Trevor identified weaknesses in the leadership team and has proved very helpful, by way of example, in sourcing a very experienced Interim CFO to strengthen financial control. Trevor is a strong communicator – it was a pleasure working with him, and he kept us updated on progress at every stage. We have no hesitation in recommending you seek Trevor’s leadership and support with any change management/turnaround project – indeed, he’s now considered Harwood’s ‘go-to’ operator for this work across the whole group portfolio.

Jerry Wilson – Partner – Harwood Capital

What This Looks Like in Practice

The conversation is grounded, fast-moving, and geared around real choices: Where are the operational levers? What’s consuming decision-making bandwidth unnecessarily? What are the trade-offs when operating rhythms are disrupted? How do we restore clarity and drive the right behaviours and results?

This absolutely includes leadership presence, communication effectiveness, and team motivation, but we tackle these through operational improvements rather than psychological exploration. Whether the disruption comes from rapid scaling complexity or market pressure, we focus on the operational patterns that are affecting your leadership capacity. Fix the underlying operational issues that create stress and confusion, and you often solve the team effectiveness problems at the same time.

The best outcomes often come from leaders having access to different types of support, whether that’s resilience coaching, peer groups, or strategic operational guidance, depending on what their operating rhythm demands.

It’s not about helping you show up better in meetings. It’s about helping you restore operational clarity and run the business better when normal patterns no longer apply.

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What It Is and What It's Not

What It Is

  • Practical support for CEOs when operating rhythms get disrupted by growth, market pressure, or performance challenges
  • Fast-moving, diagnostic sessions focused on restoring decision-making bandwidth and execution clarity
  • A strategic partner who’s been in the chair making decisions with incomplete information, not a facilitator with a script
  • Grounded in both scaling and turnaround CEO experience, with a focus on operational clarity, action, and continuity
  • A way to restore operational rhythm and improve performance, without damaging the culture or burning out the team
  • A trusted sounding board for CEOs who want straight thinking from someone who understands what it’s like when normal patterns no longer apply

What It’s Not

  • Therapy in disguise
  • A process of guided self-reflection that avoids practical action
  • Coaching from someone who’s never run a business under pressure or led through disrupted operating rhythms
  • Internal politics, functional bias, or agenda-driven advice
Case Studies

Ready for a Different Approach?

If you’re tired of executive coaching approaches that miss the mark, and you want practical support for restoring decision-making bandwidth when operating rhythms get disrupted, let’s discuss how Strategic CEO Coaching can support your specific situation.

Whether you’re scaling rapidly and systems can’t keep pace, managing through market pressure, or facing performance challenges that are consuming leadership capacity, this approach is designed for CEOs who need operational clarity, not personal development.

This isn’t about adding another layer of process or complexity to your leadership routine. It’s about restoring the operational rhythm and decision-making clarity that helps you navigate complexity more effectively, whether that complexity comes from growth or pressure, while strengthening your team’s performance.

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Common Questions

What is Strategic CEO Coaching and how does it differ from executive coaching?

Strategic CEO Coaching isn’t coaching in the traditional sense—it’s strategic and operational problem-solving for CEOs whose operating rhythm has been disrupted. While executive coaching focuses on self-discovery and emotional exploration, Strategic CEO Coaching diagnoses operational reality, identifies what’s consuming leadership capacity, and builds frameworks to restore decision-making bandwidth under pressure.

When do CEOs need an alternative to traditional executive coaching?

When your operating rhythm gets disrupted—whether from rapid scaling outpacing systems, market conditions testing resilience, or performance challenges demanding immediate response. If you’re making critical decisions with incomplete information while everyone expects certainty, you need someone who understands operational complexity, not therapy in disguise.

What's wrong with executive coaching for business leaders under pressure?

Often executive coaching assumes leaders need self-awareness or emotional intelligence development. But CEOs facing disrupted operating rhythms aren’t dealing with internal issues, they’re navigating genuinely complex operational realities: incomplete information, competing priorities, and decisions that carry serious consequences but can’t wait for perfect clarity.

How does Strategic CEO Coaching tackle business performance issues?

It tackles motivation, morale, and team stability through operational fixes rather than endless reflection. We focus on what’s actually happening in the business—where performance is being lost, what’s consuming decision-making bandwidth, and what’s unclear, overcomplicated, or left to chance. Sales execution, cost drivers, organisational drag, team dynamics, operational rhythm.

What does "operating rhythm disruption" mean for CEOs?

Operating rhythm disruption happens when growth velocity outpaces management systems, when market pressure tests normal patterns, or when performance challenges break established routines. It’s when your board asks hard questions, your executive team has conflicting views, and you feel like you’re making educated guesses about critical decisions despite being surrounded by smart people.

How do I know if my operating rhythm is disrupted?

Signs include: feeling like you’re making educated guesses about critical decisions, having competing priorities that seem equally urgent, systems struggling to keep pace with growth demands, team members looking to you for certainty when you’re working with incomplete information, or finding that normal management patterns aren’t delivering expected results.

Do you offer traditional executive coaching sessions?

No. Strategic CEO Coaching doesn’t involve lengthy discovery phases or introspection. It’s direct analysis of what’s actually stopping progress and how to remove those barriers. The conversation is grounded, fast-moving, and geared around real choices: Where are the operational levers? What’s consuming decision-making bandwidth unnecessarily? How do we restore clarity?

How quickly can Strategic CEO Coaching restore decision-making bandwidth?

Unlike traditional coaching that unfolds over months, Strategic CEO Coaching is designed for immediate impact. When operating rhythms are disrupted, leaders need fast-moving, diagnostic sessions focused on restoring execution clarity. Most see improved decision-making bandwidth within the first few sessions because we tackle operational issues directly.

Who provides Strategic CEO Coaching and what's their background?

I’ve scaled businesses from £5M to £150M, served as interim CEO in both high-growth and turnaround situations, and chaired boards through growth and stress. This background provides practical understanding of what works when normal patterns break down. I work from the position of someone who’s been in the seat making decisions with incomplete information while everyone expects certainty.

What makes Strategic CEO Coaching different from other advisory services?

Most advisors work from the outside looking in. I work from having been in the chair. Your existing advisors, FD, COO, board, bring functional expertise but often have specific agendas. My role is trusted, neutral sounding board with operational depth, commercial range, and no internal agenda. Someone who understands disrupted operating rhythms and can help restore clarity.

Can Strategic CEO Coaching work alongside other forms of executive support?

Yes. The best outcomes often come from leaders having access to different types of support, resilience coaching, peer groups, strategic operational guidance—depending on what their operating rhythm demands. Strategic CEO Coaching complements other approaches by focusing specifically on operational clarity and decision-making bandwidth restoration.

What types of situations call for Strategic CEO Coaching over executive coaching?

When you’re scaling rapidly and systems can’t keep pace. When managing through market pressure that’s testing resilience. When facing performance challenges that demand immediate response. When covenant pressure builds. When your executive team has conflicting views on the path forward. When normal operational patterns no longer apply.

How does Strategic CEO Coaching address leadership presence and team motivation?

We tackle leadership presence, communication effectiveness, and team motivation through operational improvements rather than psychological exploration. Fix the underlying operational issues that create stress and confusion, and you often solve team effectiveness problems simultaneously. It’s about running the business better when normal patterns no longer apply.

What's the difference between Strategic CEO Coaching and management consulting?

Management consulting typically involves external analysis and recommendations. Strategic CEO Coaching is collaborative problem-solving that restores your decision-making capacity. Instead of being told what to do, you work through operational complexity with someone who’s navigated similar disruption. The focus is restoring your operational rhythm, not implementing someone else’s framework.

What results can CEOs expect from Strategic CEO Coaching?

Restored decision-making bandwidth, clearer operational priorities, improved team performance without cultural damage, better navigation of complexity whether from growth or pressure, stronger operational rhythm, and maintained capability during challenging periods. The focus is operational clarity and sustainable performance, not personal transformation.

Is Strategic CEO Coaching suitable for high-growth companies?

Absolutely. When growth velocity outpaces management systems, when scaling rapidly creates new operational complexity, when success brings different types of pressure, Strategic CEO Coaching helps maintain operational rhythm while protecting team effectiveness. It’s designed for leaders navigating the complexity that comes with rapid scaling.

What's the time commitment for Strategic CEO Coaching?

It’s designed to fit disrupted schedules, not add complexity. Sessions are focused and outcome-driven, scheduled around operational demands. The approach recognises that CEOs dealing with operating rhythm disruption need support that works with their reality, not against it. Frequency and format adapt to what your situation requires.

How does Strategic CEO Coaching help with board relationships?

By restoring operational clarity and decision-making bandwidth, you engage with your board from a position of strength rather than reactive uncertainty. When your operating rhythm is stable, you can convert board direction into practical leadership more effectively. This strengthens rather than replaces your board relationships.

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Many CEOs tell me they do not need another consultant. What they need is clarity, calm direction and a trusted sounding board who understands both investors and operations.
That is where I step in. I work alongside leaders to bring focus, steady the team and move the business forward when the pressure is on.
If that sounds useful, the next step is simple: book a short call to see if we are a fit.