Jacqueline Goodwin

I help companies restore leaders who are stretched too thin, so that they can perform under pressure without burning themselves, or their people, out in the process.

About

I work with leaders who are often the most disengaged, you might even call them the sceptics. The people who think they have to be perfect and forget that it’s alright to be human. The ones who take everything on themselves and struggle with delegation and letting go. And those who think they have to play a part rather than just be themselves.

When I work with organisations, the change is evident. Leaders become the people you saw in them at interview, before imposter syndrome got in the way. They make stronger connections, teams become more open and collaborative, and leaders more courageous and willing to take risks because they’re ok to be human.

They make faster, better decisions, and know they don’t have to do it alone. They stop pretending and start asking for help. People speak up sooner, problems get solved faster, and conflict becomes healthy because it brings fresh ideas.

The big shift I want organisations to feel is that the company is future proofed because everyone is working towards the same goal and vision.

The problems I help solve are real and familiar to many decision-makers:

• Leaders who think they have to be perfect and forget that it’s alright to be human.
• Managers who take everything on themselves and struggle with delegation and letting go.
• Leaders stretched so thin that anger, short fuses and emotional outbursts become the norm.
• Teams where communication has broken down, people stop asking for help, sharing ideas, or bouncing off each other.
• Organisations that lose the people they worked so hard to recruit, because the culture feels flat, disconnected, and unsustainable.

Left unchecked, these challenges don’t just affect individuals, they affect the bottom line. Recruitment is expensive, wasted opportunities mount up when people don’t share ideas, and energy drains until gossip replaces innovation.

The commercial benefits of addressing these challenges are clear:

• Leaders who make faster, better decisions, and know they don’t have to do it alone.
• Teams who collaborate with trust and communicate effectively.
• Retention of top talent through healthier, more supportive management.
• A culture that enables innovation because people feel safe to speak up and bring fresh ideas.
• Sustainable performance, leaders who can deliver results without burning themselves or their people out.

My approach

My approach isn’t “off-the-shelf training.” Traditional training is about giving people information. I’m more interested in how they see things, I get curious. I meet them as humans, not students, and I never assume I’m the expert on them.

I make sure heavy topics land in a way that feels real and engaging. I tell stories, I use emotions – yes, emotions, because we all have them and the best leaders know how to use the full range. Workshops are full of practice: conversations, reflection, storytelling, journaling, even movement. They are never just a lecture.

The tools I use are practical and easy to understand

• Positive Intelligence (PQ): like a gym workout for your brain, strengthening the muscles you need to deal with challenges more positively.
• Emotional Intelligence: widening your understanding of yourself and managing emotions, none are good or bad, it’s what you do with them that matters.
• Nervous system regulation: helping leaders understand why their bodies react and how to move from reacting to responding.

I’ve seen this land with people who were resistant from the start. One older leader (you know the type) walked in saying, “I don’t see the point of this.” Arms folded, closed down and ready to simply endure the training to tick the box.

I set the ground rules light-hearted but clear: stay with an idea for five minutes even if it feels wrong, be open and respectful and by the end, he’d done a full 180 and admitted he’d really loved the session.

That’s what I bring – honesty, fun, and perspective shifts. Participants tell me I’m open, engaging, and compassionate. . My favourite moment is when someone finally realises: “It’s not just me, and there’s nothing actually wrong with me.”

Credibility and experience

• Certified Positive Intelligence Coach (PQ)
• Experienced facilitator and 1:1 leadership coach
• Professional leadership and coaching experience across global corporations, social care, not-for-profit, and corporate organisations

If you’re responsible for leadership development, organisational culture, or people strategy, and you know your managers are talented but stretched thin, now is the time to invest in their restoration. Leaders who are emotionally intelligent, resilient, and mentally fit don’t just perform better, they create organisations where people want to stay, contribute, and thrive.