Ben Brearly

I began my career in software development before moving into consulting, project & program management and management roles across industries including government, healthcare, IT, utilities and resources. Over more than 15 years, I’ve led teams and delivered complex projects and programs high-pressure environments.As I progressed, I became increasingly interested about what helps people thrive at work - and not so interested in just delivering results. I noticed that when leaders are people-focused (rather than just on results), their teams perform better, people feel more engaged and you tend to build a more sustainable way of operating. I decided I wanted to be involved in this, which led me transition to leadership coaching and training work. Since 2018, I’ve worked as a leadership coach and facilitator, partnering with clients in Australia, the UK, Europe, North America and Canada. My work spans a wide range of sectors and leadership levels, from emerging leaders to executives.I bring a calm, analytical and people-centred approach to leadership development. My focus is helping leaders gain confidence, strengthen relationships and create workplaces where people can achieve things without burning out or hating their jobs. I'm also a big fan of working on yourself first, before focusing too much on others, as I believe this self-understanding leads to better leadership outcomes.

I really enjoy working most with leaders who are actually on the quieter / introverted side of the spectrum. These leaders often suffer from self-doubt and imposter syndrome, but we need more of them leading in our workplaces, and we need them to speak up more. I consider my calm, approachable style to be a strength of mine, whether it's during coaching or delivering leadership training or workshops. I try to create a space where people can open up and feel welcome to contribute. I'll never call it a "safe space" (because I don't get to decide whether it's safe), but I'll do my best to create connection in the group so people can feel comfortable contributing.

My work is grounded in the belief that effective leadership starts with self-awareness, understanding and acceptance. When leaders understand their values, patterns and triggers, they can make more conscious choices and lead with clarity and confidence.

I choose to work with LIW because I resonate with their values, particularly "high-impact, low maintenance" and "we care". I'm also aligned with LIW’s belief that leadership development should be customised, context-driven and sustainable, instead of a one-size-fits-all program.

Here are a few direct quotes that I've kept from a few sessions I've delivered in the past:

"Ben was an impressive presenter - this is one of the first 'class-room' environments where I have been 100% engaged 100% of the time. This training positively challenged my beliefs"

"Ben is a great facilitator. Best of the whole leadership program. Knows himself, good pace, good use of humour. Definitely keep him on!"

I don't post these here to boast - and here's why people might describe me this way:

1. I try to be very attuned to the feel of the room, so I can involve people the right way and at the right time.

2. I'm always involving participants - if I'm talking for more than 5 minutes at a time, this is too much and it's time for the group to say or do something rather than keep talking.

3. I'm an introvert and I have a laid-back, casual style and I don't like to make leadership seem like a big deal. At the end of the day, it's about making people feel like they can do it (and do it well), without having to pretend to be somebody they're not or know a mountain of theory.