Leadership clarity before commitment.
We help senior leaders and organisations lead with confidence, energy, and commercial impact, without burnout, pressure, or wasted effort.
We don’t begin with coaching.
We begin with Leadership Defined.
Used by senior leaders and organisations navigating growth, complexity, and change.
Leaders don’t fall out of love with leadership because they’re incapable.
They fall out of love because:
- Responsibility outpaces support
- Effort increases while clarity decreases
- Pressure replaces purpose
- Leadership becomes survival, not contribution
At Defy Expectations, our work exists to reverse that.
We create leaders who love leadership, because it’s clear, human, effective, and commercially grounded.
Most leadership development starts in the wrong place.
By the time coaching or training begins:
- Effort is already misdirected
- Leaders are compensating instead of leading
- Teams feel the strain
- Performance is harder than it needs to be
More input isn’t the answer.
Better diagnosis is.
We don’t guess.
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We don’t start with conversations, chemistry, or programmes.
We start with Leadership Defined, our proprietary leadership diagnostic, to establish what’s actually happening before deciding what to do next.
Sometimes that leads to coaching or mentoring.
Sometimes to structured development.
Sometimes to no further work at all.
Clarity comes first.
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The Defy Expectations Approach
Leadership Defined
Leadership Defined is a structured, evidence-led diagnostic that shows how leadership is currently operating, not how it’s intended to.
It provides clarity on:
- leadership strengths and constraints
- decision-making patterns under pressure
- readiness for scale, change, or increased responsibility
- where leadership effort is helping or hindering results
This is the foundation for everything that follows.
Investment
ÂŁ3,000 per executive
(Required for individual 1:1 coaching)
Organisational and Academy pricing available on request.
Begin with Leadership Defined
1:1 Coaching/Mentoring
By recommendation only
1:1 coaching is offered where Leadership Defined shows it will:
- Materially improve decision-making
- Reduce leadership strain
- Increase confidence, authority, and impact
This is not about fixing leaders.
It’s about removing what makes leadership heavier than it needs to be.
Explore Our Coaching Approach
The Defy Expectations Leadership Academy
For organisations ready to develop leadership capability at scale, we offer the Leadership Academy, a structured, cohort-based programme grounded in the same principles.
The Academy focuses on four core pillars:
- Human-Centred Leadership
Creating leadership cultures that deliver both people and business results - AI for Leaders
Leveraging advances in AI as a practical leadership and decision-making edge - Customer-Focused Leadership
Aligning leadership behaviour to drive growth, value, and loyalty - Commercial Excellence
Building commercial confidence, accountability, and performance across leadership teams
The Academy exists to help leaders:
- Enjoy leadership again
- Lead sustainably
- Leliver results without burning out themselves or others
Participation is typically recommended following Leadership Defined.
Explore the Leadership AcademyWhat you can expect
Defy Expectations exists to create leaders who love leadership because when leadership works, everything else follows.
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This work is for:
Senior leaders and executives
Organisations serious about leadership effectiveness
Teams navigating growth, complexity, or change
Businesses that want leaders who perform and stay human
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It is not for:
Motivation or mindset programmes
Generic leadership training
Activity without accountability
Clients often tell us that after working with us they:
Enjoy their work again
Feel calmer and more confident
Stop carrying everything alone
Lead more effectively
Get better results with less effort
Create healthier, higher-performing cultures
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This is not about doing more. It’s about doing what matters, properly.
You were a joy to watch, listen and learn from! I not only learned about leadership, but I’ve also felt more engaged at work knowing the importance of my contributions, collaborating with others, communicating as a leader… I could go on and on!
JENNIFER CARILLO - NATIONAL PURSUIT AND PROPOSAL LEADER - ROUX
 Thank you for leading us through this incredible six-month leadership development program. It was one of the best investments I’ve made in myself and my career.
- Comprehensive challenges in a variety of formats accommodated various learning styles while reinforcing the modules and “growing the muscles” of skill development
- Empathic, accessible, and engaging instructors exemplified true leadership and brought it to life
This program wasn't just about learning strategies or theories; it was about transforming the way we approach challenges, relationships, and even ourselves as leaders. You truly have defied my expectations!
DANELLE MORROW - VICE-PRESIDENT - SODEXO
I not only developed a stronger sense of self-awareness but also learned effective techniques to enhance my communication skills, improve time management, and navigate complex situations with confidence.
NICLAS WALLEN - EXECUTIVE KEY ACCOUNT DIRECTOR -Â SYENSQOÂ
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