About

I was born and raised in Cornwall and “made in the Royal Navy”, and ever since I started my leadership journey at Britannia Royal Naval College I have been interested in self-awareness, and on a quest to become self-aware. The ‘unknown to self’, and ‘unknown to others’’ box of Johari’s window was a tantalizing allure of ‘you need to delve here to really find the secret to self’. I think I was under some false self-illusion that once I got to a fully self-aware state, I would in some way be a complete, whole and authentic leader and coach. I now know that I will never be done, but that my developmental work is supporting me in finding inner peace and contentment. It was when I started my Masters in Coaching and Behavioural Change that I realized the importance of self-awareness in terms of its impact on how I was showing up in my practice, and later how self-awareness supports the capability and capacity to sit with uncertainty. This is what is transformational in how we show up as leaders and coaches, because who we are is how we lead or coach, and there is an increasing need to work with uncertainty. My interest and passion in this topic led to me undertaking a PhD to research this further.

I work as a coach and coach supervisor practitioner, with an academic underpinning. My work focuses on working with the whole person (both individuals and teams) to expand and deepen self-awareness. Alongside my coaching and supervision practice I am a visiting tutor at Henley Business School teaching on the Professional Certificate in Executive Coaching, MSc in Executive Coaching for Behavioural Change and heads up the Professional Certificate in Coaching Supervision. To find out more about my work (link to https://carden-consulting.co.uk/services/)

I now live in Hampshire and enjoy spending time with my family, particularly supporting our son Freddie with his burgeoning eventing career. Outside of work I enjoy keeping myself fit, doing yoga and cold-water swimming.