Paul Barnard, executive coach and founder of Mission Coaching.

About Paul Barnard

Paul Barnard is an executive coach who works with senior leaders to create deeper, more sustainable change.

"'My name's Paul Barnard and I'm the greatest in the world!' Or so the story goes, that's how I introduced myself at the tender age of five. What I was supposed to be the greatest at has, sadly, long been lost in the annals of time. My story has seen many peaks and troughs since then, from being the apparent 'greatest' at five to the humbling life on the breadline some years later, and onwards up to the dizzying heights of executive roles in multi-nationals and trusted advisor to anyone from Chairperson and CEO to 'Dorothy the cleaner' (yes, she's got a great story). We all have stories. I'd love to hear yours."

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Paul's coaching philosophy

Paul coaches the whole person, not just the problem. Rather than papering over the cracks, he works beneath the surface to understand what is really going on - the beliefs, stories and patterns shaping how a leader shows up.

His focus is on the root cause, not just behaviour, challenging the beliefs that drive how we lead rather than treating only the symptoms. As a specialist in behavioural change, he helps leaders get to what is truly holding them back, so change is deeper and lasts.

Experience with senior leaders

Paul has been working with executives throughout the world over the last 20 years. His own path has included executive roles in multi-nationals, and he has been a trusted advisor to leaders at Chair and CEO level.

That breadth of experience means he brings a genuine understanding of the practical challenges of senior leadership, alongside the depth needed to work with what lies beneath them.

Executive coaching for senior leaders

The Thinking Disruptor

"Instead of 'Coach' I could describe myself as a 'Thinking Disruptor' - disrupting the stories we all create around ourselves, so that we can work out what is stopping us from knowing what to do and how to go forward."

We all carry stories about who we are, what we are capable of and how things have to be done. Those stories are usually invisible to us because they feel like simple fact. Much of what holds a capable leader back is not a missing skill but an unexamined story that quietly narrows the options they can see. The work is to surface those stories, hold them up to the light and question whether they are still true, so that what to do next becomes clearer.

Qualifications and accreditations

Paul is an Everything DiSC Authorised Partner, accredited in The Five Behaviours, and a Herrmann certified practitioner.

Everything DiSC Authorised Partner, The Five Behaviours, and Herrmann certified practitioner logos

A human at the heart of it

Behind the executive roles and the accreditations, Paul's work is grounded in something simpler: a genuine interest in people and the stories they carry. From the Chair and CEO to "Dorothy the cleaner", everyone has a story worth listening to.

"We all have stories. I'd love to hear yours."

Start a conversation

If something is showing up in your leadership and the usual fixes have not shifted it, the next step may be to understand what is really going on.

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