Coddiwomple - Stefan’s Week-notes 01/02/202
Inspired by the weeknotes of friends and coachees including John Fitzgerald, Steve Messer and Nour Sidawi - I thought I'd give it a go.
What have I been up to?
A) Work
Coaching
I had a fantastic coaching session with a highly purposeful leader, focusing on the design of their organisation, the setup and composition of the board, and examining how to bring authenticity and their values to the organisation’s purpose and operating model.
Another great coaching session was with a senior leader in the public sector, discussing strategy, stakeholder engagement, and "being themselves."
Coaching with my cycling coach, Joe Staunton, has shown me just how far I've come. To my surprise, I'm in the top 15% of endurance cyclists in the world for my age group on rides over 90 minutes. I'm facing some tough decisions about which goals to pursue, especially with house moves and balancing business and home life needs. It’s important to walk the talk.
I’ve also signed up a new client for my WhatsApp coaching—if you’d like to know more, please get in touch.
Mentoring
No mentoring from me this week; instead, I was mentored by one of my clients on branding and offering—wonderful feedback, including "people need to see you, not the coach you think people need to see." Watch this space.
Meetings
I attended the Conscious Entrepreneurs event organised by Claire Morris; it was a fabulous occasion, beautifully facilitated, and a great opportunity to have the wonderful Sarah Truckel speak on marketing activism.
B) Rest and Play
I had a wonderful evening with my mate, Jason Hayles—putting the world to rights and back while riding our bikes under the starlight; good times indeed.
I managed a couple of three-hour rides this week, as well as some core and strength sessions, which are paying off. It’s great to be smashing it out of the park, with figures looking really good for the year ahead.
C) Sustenance - Family Time
I enjoyed a delightful evening last night (Friday) at the Ventnor Exchange, treating Jason to a night out in return for painting my kitchen and touching up the paintwork in the rest of the flat. God bless him.
2. This Week’s Writing
This week, it has been truly empowering to write an article on the importance of facilitative leadership and its role in overcoming organisational stagnation and fostering meaningful change.
The piece highlights that effective leaders must move beyond traditional power dynamics, encouraging collaboration and innovation among team members. By embracing a facilitative approach, leaders can empower their teams, inspire trust, and guide them towards achieving shared goals.
You can read it here: https://www.stefanpowell.co.uk/blog/week-notstop-holding-back
I also wrote about the 5 challenges you face as an empathetic leader which you can read here.
And a poem for the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust
Remembering the Silence
The earth carries the stories of those we lost,
grief woven into its soil.
Beneath the surface, their absence lingers,
a quiet echo of lives torn apart.
Today, we pause—not just to mourn,
but to honor the strength that rises still,
like roots pushing through cracked earth.
Their memory teaches us:
healing cannot exist in silence.
In shared loss, we find the seeds of change.
To protect what remains,
we must come together.
The planet calls us once more—
to unite, to nurture,
and to ensure the future we leave
is not one of regret,
but of renewal.
Never again, can we let silence become our inheritance.
Stefan
Thank you Stephen Logan for sharing their work so widely today.
3. Testimonial
Having returned from an 85km training ride, I aptly shared a fantastic video testimonial from the incredible Sean Conway, a legend in endurance sports. Known for his multiple world records, working with Sean is a phenomenal pleasure. He continuously pushes the limits of endurance and if you’re aiming to build endurance for sustainable sporting success or looking to enhance your performance, I highly recommend reaching out to Sean.
4. What went well?
More a compendium on January this week:
One of my coachees secured a place on the board of an international charity—such a proud moment!
I received 5 video testimonials from incredible coachees, affirming my mission to encourage seeking support and showing compassion.
Not quite professional, I found out that I made it into the top 15% of cyclists in the world for my age group (90 minutes + rides). A little personal achievement that fuels my work with athletes and human performance in general.
5. What am I grateful for?
I am grateful for my closest friends who have truly made me feel loved and valued, and who have given me that extra push to remind me of my worth. While I spend an entire lifetime helping others feel their potential, it’s possible for even coaches to feel overwhelmed by external factors that undermine their internal dialogue. Even the coach needs people to remind him to use his own processes to get his head back in the right place. We are all human.
6. What could have gone better?
Nothing—I’m exactly where I need to be. Reflecting on my journey, I find comfort in the reflections that every experience—good, bad, or indifferent—serves a purpose in my growth and understanding of life. The moments of joy encourage gratitude, while challenges foster resilience and humility. Even the indifferent moments remind me to pause and appreciate the present, as all experiences contribute to my spiritual development.
In line with the Sikh value of Sewa, or selfless service, I strive to embrace each experience fully, recognising how they shape my path and enhance my interactions with others. By accepting where I am right now, I strengthen my connection to my values and those around me, creating a meaningful space for growth, compassion, and shared understanding within my community.
7. What am I reading?
I’ve started reading Becoming by Michelle Obama, one of the books on female leaders. It was delightful to see my post about the books I’m reading this year was so well received.
Here's what I said; I hope you don’t mind me repeating it in full:
“I feel incredibly fortunate to coach so many inspiring female leaders. I truly believe the world would be a better place if more women were in leadership roles, or if more of the compassionate men I work with were also in these positions.
Last year, I committed to focusing on reading books by and about women in 2025, and here’s a small selection of those I’ll be diving into this year.
The book The (Coffee) First, Then the World by Jenny Graham was a thoughtful gift from one of my amazing coachees. I also love that Business as Unusual by Anita Roddick came from a charity shop, and I’m sure she’d have been proud to know her work continues to be shared in this way.
I’m looking forward to sharing some of the insights I gain from these readings as the year goes on”.
8. What am I wishing for?
This week, I'm wishing for the energy to finish packing down my art gallery, some beautiful weather to get out on my bike, and happiness and love for my nearest and dearest.
9. A Last Word - Coddiwomple
Coddiwomple means to travel in a purposeful way without a specific destination. It often conveys a sense of adventure or exploration, suggesting that the journey itself is more important than reaching a particular endpoint. The word encourages spontaneity and embracing the unknown on one’s travels. Isn’t that lovely?
10. For You: Questions for Reflection
Having read this - here are some questions for you to reflect on; would love to hear your answers":
What steps can I take to embrace a facilitative leadership style in my own practice or workplace?
How do I ensure that I balance decisiveness with the need for collaboration among my team members?
In what ways can I foster an environment where everyone feels valued and heard, thus supporting the overall growth and cohesion of the team?
Thank you for joining me on this journey of reflection and exploration. I look forward to your thoughts!
Stefan
Enjoyed reading this? Consider doing one of these:
Get in touch - If any of this topic resonated with you and you have something you’d like to share with me or if you’d like to discuss working with me on this topic - stefan@stefanpowell.co.uk works really well for me.
Connect with me on linked in and read my long form posts on the rotating topics of Work, Rest. Play, Sustenance and Love every Thursday
Sign up to my newsletter ‘Be The Waves” here - which collates each weeks long form post on a monthly basis and you’ll get to read it later in the month
I’ll continue this in 4 to 5 Thursdays time when I continue the topic of ‘Rest” in my Thursday Journal.
Book an inquisitive session with me to find out more about what I do and how I do it or run a challenge or thought you have passed me.
For now; thank you
I am…
An executive coach who specialises in helping good people lead great things.
Good people care about others, our planet and beauty. Great things are changes for the betterment of society and all that lives within an around it.
It sounds big and fun - it is.
I'm also an endurance racing cyclist and a go. getter.
You can read more about me and what I do; how I work here