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Stu Barnes Coaching
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stubarnescoaching

Executive Coaching for Mid-Career Professionals | Clarity, confidence and momentum for your next chapter
ALWAYS LEARNING HOW TO COACH. One of the commitme ALWAYS LEARNING HOW TO COACH. One of the commitments I made to myself this year was to keep investing in my development as a coach. So throughout 2026, I’ve been taking part in the How to Coach series with In Good Company — ten practical CPD sessions exploring some of the challenges that regularly walk into the coaching room. Beliefs. Burnout. Confidence. Conflict. Fear. Overwhelm. Procrastination. Uncertainty. And still to come, Constellations and Metaphors. What I like about the series is the approach. There’s some theory and insight, but importantly there’s also demonstration, practice with other coaches, discussion and reflection.  The focus is on taking the learning back into real coaching conversations. For me, that’s what good CPD should do. It develops my knowledge —understanding more deeply what might be happening for the person in front of me. It stretches my skills — giving me different questions, approaches and tools to draw upon when they might be useful. And it challenges my behaviours — how I listen, how I respond, how comfortable I am sitting with uncertainty, and when I need to resist the temptation to jump in. But there’s something else too. I think ongoing development is part of the professionalism of coaching. Qualifications and accreditation matter. But so does what happens afterwards. Continuing to learn, practise, reflect and challenge yourself is part of maintaining the credibility to sit opposite someone and ask them to do exactly that. I don’t expect to ever finish learning how to coach. And I think that’s probably the point. #coaching #midcareerprofessionals #growth #development #stubarnescoaching 
THE QUIET STRENGTH OF HUMILITY “Humility is the a THE QUIET STRENGTH OF HUMILITY “Humility is the ability to be open to ideas from others”  This thought from Simon Sinek has stayed with me recently. One of the biggest shifts I see in people navigating mid-career isn’t about becoming more knowledgeable.  It’s about becoming more open. When we’re earlier in our careers, we often feel we need to prove ourselves. By mid-career, our experience is valuable.  But if we’re not careful, experience can quietly become certainty. The strongest leaders I work with aren’t the ones who always have the answers. They’re the ones who ask: 💡 “What am I missing?”
💡 “How do you see it?”
💡 “Can you tell me more?” That’s not weakness. It’s humility. Humility isn’t about thinking less of yourself. It’s having enough confidence to know your perspective is only one of many. A quiet strength in who you are as a person and as a leader. And the more senior we become, the more important that mindset becomes. Because growth doesn’t stop when expertise begins.  It begins again when we’re willing to learn. What role has humility played in your own career? #coaching #stubarnescoaching #midcareerprofessionals #humility #leaders
WHAT CAN YOUNGER GENERATIONS TEACH US ABOUT MIDLIF WHAT CAN YOUNGER GENERATIONS TEACH US ABOUT MIDLIFE? My daughter had some good news recently. She was selected for a netball Player Development Pathway. I’m delighted for her, of course. But it wasn’t the selection itself that got me thinking. It was everything that came before it. This was her third attempt. Two previous knockbacks. Teams where she hasn’t always felt she fitted in. Times when she hasn’t felt particularly seen or developed as a player. And plenty of cold, wet training sessions when staying at home would have been much easier. But she kept showing up. She worked on her skills.
She developed her understanding of the game.
She became more coachable.
She grew as a leader and teammate. 
And she learned how to respond when things didn’t go her way. Then she tried again. Watching all of that unfold has reminded me of something that feels particularly relevant in midlife and mid-career: We don’t always have to look upwards or outwards for our learning. We learn from coaches, mentors and supervisors. From colleagues and clients. From books, podcasts and experiences. But what about the younger generations around us? Our children, younger colleagues, athletes, students and others whose experiences and perspectives might be quite different from our own. For me, this has been a lesson in consistency, resilience and continuing to invest in something that matters to you — even when the evidence isn’t immediately telling you it’s going to work out. And perhaps also in remembering that achieving something you’ve worked towards isn’t the destination. It’s simply the opportunity to keep developing. As we move through midlife, perhaps we need to challenge the assumption that wisdom and experience always flow from older to younger generations. We have plenty to share, of course. But if we remain curious, open and willing to listen, there’s an enormous amount we can learn in return. What have you learned from younger generations that has challenged your thinking, shifted your perspective or helped you grow? #coaching #midcareerprofessionals #identity #growth #stubarnescoaching
📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK LESSON FIVE – SETTING HOMEWO 📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK LESSON FIVE – SETTING HOMEWORK  This week we’ve explored: 📚 Taking the register 🎓 Leadership lessons 🧭 Career lessons ⚖️ Life lessons Different topics. But perhaps the same underlying idea. Growth isn’t something that belongs to our school years. Or our twenties. Or the early stages of our careers. The most fulfilled and effective people I meet continue to learn throughout their lives. Not because they have all the answers. Because they’re willing to keep asking questions. As we head into the final quarter of the year, consider these three prompts: 👉 I want to lead with... 👉 I want to move towards... 👉 I want to let go of… You don’t need to reinvent yourself before December. You don’t need a perfect plan. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You simply need the courage to take the next purposeful step. Thank you to everyone who has joined in, reflected, commented and shared their thoughts this week. And a special thank you to those who nominated themselves or others for the coaching session gifts. And to finish, one final question as ‘homework’: What’s one commitment you’re making to yourself between now and the end of the year? #coaching #backtoschoolweek #midcareerprofessionals #careerdevelopment #stubarnescoaching
📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK LESSON FOUR – LIFE LESSONS 📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK LESSON FOUR – LIFE LESSONS Here’s something school never really taught us. How to manage our energy. How to set healthy boundaries. How to balance ambition and wellbeing. How to stay focused when everything feels urgent. How to look after ourselves whilst carrying responsibility for others. And yet these are some of the most important skills we need. Particularly in mid-career. Many of the professionals I coach don’t need another productivity hack. They need permission. Permission to pause. Permission to prioritise. Permission to say no. Permission to stop treating themselves like a machine. As we approach the final quarter of the year, perhaps the question isn’t: “What more should I do?” Perhaps it’s: “What would help me feel more energised, focused and sustainable?” Sometimes growth comes from adding. Sometimes it comes from letting go. 🎁 Today’s gift is my final complimentary 90-minute coaching session. You can enter yourself or nominate someone who gives a lot to others and rarely invests time in themselves. 🎓 Simply comment below or drop me a direct message: What would make the biggest positive difference to your energy, focus or wellbeing between now and the end of the year? #coaching #backtoschoolweek #midcareerprofessionals #careerdevelopment #stubarnescoaching
📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK LESSON THREE – CAREER LESSON 📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK LESSON THREE – CAREER LESSONS At school we’re often encouraged to focus on the next step. The next year.
The next exam.
The next qualification. Many of us carry that mindset into our careers. The next role.
The next promotion.
The next salary increase. But sometimes the most important question isn’t: “What’s next?” It’s: “Is this still right?” One of the most common conversations I have with mid-career professionals isn’t about capability. It’s about direction. Successful people who have achieved a great deal but find themselves wondering: 👉 Is this still what I want? 👉 Am I using my strengths? 👉 What’s missing? 👉 What would success look like now? The final quarter of the year can be a powerful checkpoint. Not because you need to make a dramatic change. But because clarity often comes from creating space to think. 🎁 Today I’m gifting a further complimentary 90-minute coaching session. You can enter yourself or nominate somebody who may be navigating a career crossroads, considering a change, or simply looking for greater clarity and confidence about what’s next. 🎓 Simply comment below or drop me a direct message with one aspect of your career you’d like more clarity on before 2027. #coaching #backtoschoolweek #midcareerprofessionals #careerdevelopment #stubarnescoaching
📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK LESSON TWO – LEADERSHIP LESS 📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK LESSON TWO – LEADERSHIP LESSONS One thing I’ve learned from coaching leaders over the years: Leadership development rarely happens during leadership courses. It happens in ordinary weeks. Weeks like this one. The difficult conversation you’ve been avoiding. The team member who needs more support. The decision you’ve been sitting on. The opportunity to delegate instead of doing it yourself. Leadership isn’t something we switch on when we get promoted. It’s something we practise. Every day. As we head into the final quarter of the year, consider: 👉 What does your team need more of from you right now? 👉 What leadership quality would you like to strengthen before year-end? 👉 Where might you need to step out of “expert mode” and into “leader mode”? Sometimes the biggest shift isn’t learning something new. It’s becoming more intentional about how we show up. 🎁 As part of Back to School Week, I’m giving away 3 complimentary 90-minute coaching sessions – starting today. You can enter yourself or nominate someone else. Perhaps a colleague, manager, team leader, or someone stepping into leadership who would benefit from dedicated time to think, reflect, and grow. 🎓 Simply comment below or drop me a direct message with one leadership quality you’d like to strengthen (or the quality you’d nominate someone else for). #coaching #backtoschoolweek #midcareerprofessionals #careerdevelopment #stubarnescoaching
📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK LESSON ONE – TAKING THE REGI 📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK LESSON ONE – TAKING THE REGISTER The kids are back at school. New timetables.
New routines.
New challenges.
New opportunities to learn and grow. It got me thinking... When was the last time you paused long enough to take stock of where you are? Many of us move straight from summer into action mode. The inbox fills up.
The meetings return.
The calendar gets busy. Before long, we’re sprinting towards Christmas without ever stopping to ask: 👉 How am I doing? Not the polite answer. The honest answer. As we enter the final quarter of the year, perhaps the most valuable thing you can do is take the register. A few questions to reflect on: 📍 What are you most proud of this year? 📍 What’s currently giving you energy? 📍 What’s draining it? 📍 What do you want more of between now and December? 📍 What do you want less of? Awareness often comes before meaningful change. Before we focus on where we’re going next, it helps to notice where we are now. So here’s today’s question: What is one thing you’ve learned about yourself in 2026 so far? #coaching #backtoschoolweek #midcareerprofessionals #careerdevelopment #stubarnescoaching
📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK The kids are back at school 📚 BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK The kids are back at school. The summer holidays are behind us. The routines have returned. And for many of us, October brings a chance to pause, reflect, and think about what we want from the final quarter of the year. So next week, I’ll be running Back to School Week here on Insta. Five days of reflection, learning, and growth for mid-career professionals. We’ll explore: 📍 Taking the Register – Where are you now? 🎓 Leadership Lessons – How are you showing up? 🧭 Career Lessons – Are you heading in the right direction? ⚖️ Life Lessons – What’s supporting your energy and wellbeing? 📝 Setting Homework – What will you commit to between now and year-end? Along the way, I’ll also be gifting three complimentary coaching sessions focused on leadership development, career development, and personal development. You can nominate yourself or someone else who would benefit from dedicated time to think, reflect, and grow. I hope you’ll join me from 5–9 October. After all, the most successful people I meet never stop learning. #coaching #backtoschoolweek #midcareerprofessionals #careerdevelopment #stubarnescoaching
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL — WAI Choosing the right coach CLIENT TESTIMONIAL — WAI Choosing the right coach matters. Here’s how Wai described his experience working with me. This testimonial reflects what collaboration with my clients really looks like and the impact it creates. You’ll find more client recommendations on my profile. #coaching #midcareer #professionals #career #leadership client testimonial recommendation impact stubarnescoaching
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ICF Associate Certified Coach and Qualified ILM level 7 Executive Coach

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