Kindness
Kindness is not the same as being nice. Sometimes being kind means telling hard truths. But being kind means always prioritising people's well being. One of the main ways that kindness manifests at work is in psychological safety.
My core values.
One of the most helpful things you can do to understand yourself better is to determine what your core values are. For a quick guide to how to find your core values, check out my YouTube video.
Here are my core values, all of which show up in my coaching sessions.
Integrity
Integrity means not giving up on your values. It is about honesty and straightforwardness, but it's also about acting out your values every day.
Mastery
Mastery is about continually learning, continually improving and caring about the work you do and its quality.
Control
For me, control means that I like to understand the decisions that affect me and like to have a say in how I work and what I work on. In particular, it's important to me that I work in ways that align with my values.
Happiness
This is what it's all really about. Nothing matters if you're not happy. The overall goal of my coaching is to help people find true happiness both at work and at home.
Independence
Perhaps this explains why I'm an independent coach, and not an employee of a coaching firm.
For more on what I mean by Happiness, click here
“Ben was an absolute lifesaver during my time at GDM. As a woman of color in a leadership role, navigating complex organizational dynamics often felt daunting, especially when my role wasn't fully understood, requiring me to constantly drive clarity across teams. Ben consistently helped me approach tricky conversations with confidence, empowering me to maintain personal boundaries while delivering on priorities. He was exceptional at validating my perspective and experiences, helping me trust in my own significant impact even when others didn't fully grasp it. Ben also keenly recognized and helped me navigate the nuanced challenges that arose, providing invaluable guidance on how to manage these situations effectively."
Dorothy Chou
Director of the Public Engagement Lab at DeepMind & Angel Investor
“Ben was arguably the best manager I worked with during my 18 years at Google and DeepMind. He led with kindness and a deep respect for individual autonomy, creating the kind of environment where people could truly thrive. I always felt seen, supported, and trusted to do my best work. Ben brought out the best in those around him - not by micromanaging, but by believing in and empowering them. I’m thrilled he’s now coaching others, because his values and approach are exactly what thoughtful leadership looks like.”
Obum Ekeke
Co-Founder & CEO, MasteryHive AI
Ex Head of Education Partnerships, Google DeepMind
"Ben's mentorship has been incredibly valuable to my professional development. When I began leading a complex initiative on language fairness, Ben's guidance was pivotal in my ability to effectively lead the team and positively influence others. I really appreciate how Ben took genuine interest in my career and spent time getting to know me as an individual. He helped me recognise my strengths as a leader and build confidence."
Lisa Anne Hendricks
Research Scientist at DeepMind