Turns out I’ve been coaching all along – CliftonStrengths just gave me the language
I’ve always coached people. I just didn’t always call it that.
Before I ever trained as a CliftonStrengths coach, coaching was already threaded through my career. In the Healthy Schools team, and later through national and system-level roles, I was lucky enough to line manage brilliant people, support teams through complexity, and spend time helping individuals grow into themselves. Watching someone build confidence, try something new, or realise they were capable of more than they thought? I loved that bit.
So becoming a CliftonStrengths coach hasn’t felt like a sharp left turn – more like coming home, but with a much better map.
A huge privilege (and I really mean that)
What’s surprised me most is just how much I love this work.
It genuinely feels like a privilege to spend time with amazing individuals – leaders, system convenors, practitioners – and create space for them to learn more about themselves. Not in a “fixing” way. Not in a “here’s what you should be” way. But in a “this is who you already are – let’s use it on purpose” way.
The moments where people pause, smile, laugh, or suddenly go quiet because something has landed – those are gold. And they never get old.
My strengths, showing up (as they always have)
When I look at my own CliftonStrengths profile, it makes complete sense why this work feels so natural.
I lead strongly with Relator, Harmony, Empathy, Positivity and Developer – which basically means:
- I care deeply about people
- I value trust and connection
- I’m tuned into what others are feeling
- I bring energy and optimism
- And I get a ridiculous amount of joy from seeing people grow
Honestly, that’s been true my whole career – CliftonStrengths has just helped me understand why.
When I’m coaching, those strengths show up all the time. I create space where people feel safe enough to be honest (Relator). I help groups find common ground when things feel tense or messy (Harmony). I notice what’s unsaid, not just what’s spoken (Empathy). I hold hope when someone’s confidence wobbles (Positivity). And I am endlessly fascinated by potential – especially when someone can’t yet see it themselves (Developer).
I also know my blind spots better now – like when my desire for harmony might smooth things over too quickly, or when my positivity needs to pause and just sit with difficulty. That awareness alone has made me a better coach.
Coaching in systems, not silos
At Miova, we work with whole systems and place-based approaches – and this is where strengths coaching really comes into its own.
Systems are complex because people are complex. Leadership in systems isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about understanding how you show up, how others show up, and how those dynamics play out under pressure.
CliftonStrengths gives leaders a shared language to talk about difference – without judgement. It helps teams recognise where energy already exists, who naturally builds trust, who brings clarity, who drives action, and who sees the bigger picture.
When leaders understand their innate talents, they can be far more deliberate in how they use them – especially in uncertainty. That’s powerful in any organisation, but it’s essential in systems work.
Yes, I coached my husband
And yes – I even coached my husband.
Which was… enlightening.
Not least because it turns out that when you understand someone’s strengths, a lot of everyday frustrations suddenly make more sense. Conversations change. Assumptions soften. You stop thinking “why do you do it like that?” and start thinking “ah – that’s your strength doing its thing.”
It was a reminder that this isn’t just work stuff. Strengths shape how we show up everywhere – at home, in leadership, in relationships, in systems.
Why this matters to me
I’ve always believed in people. CliftonStrengths hasn’t created that belief – it’s sharpened it.
It’s given me a framework that honours individuality while strengthening collective work. It fits beautifully alongside Miova’s approach – seeing the whole system, and the human beings within it.
So if you’re a leader navigating complexity, working across systems, or simply curious about what makes you you – my invitation is this:
What might change if you stopped trying to be different, and started being deliberate about who you already are?
From where I’m sitting, that’s where the really meaningful work begins.
