Robert Gaylard
Robert works with leaders in the public and private sector who are facing increasing demands on their time, energy and mental and physical capacities. His clients often find they are often being promoted based on their technical capacity, overall work experience and strong career networks, with little or no training in what it means to be a good leader and manager. As a result, many of them struggle with issues of confidence, leadership presence and fulfilling their career potential.
These are all issues Robert faced in his 20-year career with the United Nations, serving in leadership roles in Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan, Afghanistan, Israel/ Palestine, Indonesia, Washington DC and New York.
Robert typically works with leaders over a series of one-on-one sessions to help shine the light on the challenges they are facing; what is important to them, what is challenging, what assumptions they are making, and any negative thinking that might be holding them back. Robert works with leaders to co-create solutions, using well researched and proven techniques, investigating strengths, values and future visioning. We focus on developing the balanced, flourishing life they so deserve!
Robert helps his clients to:
Increase self-confidence at work, and an expanded horizon on what is possible for in their career. The type of jobs and roles they didn’t think were possible have now come into view.
Enhance their leadership and managerial presence, improved communication skills including conflict mediation skills.
Form a well-developed sense of their personal and professional strengths and values.
Create a clear vision for where they want to go to lead a flourishing life.
Work at peak performance in a sustainable way.
“Rob coached me regularly between February and August, 2023 during a period of growth, and also uncertainty, for me. Rob has a laser focus on development and action which challenged me to consider, and work with, issues that were preventing me from moving ahead . I appreciated his passion for helping me take tangible steps out of my comfort zone towards my goals. He offered practical advice as well as prompting me to address more personal issues, very gently and with a lot of positivity. I found Rob to be an empathic and supportive coach who had many wise reflections and sayings that have stuck with me and give me some significant guidance as I put into action what I learned with him.”
“Rob has helped me with business specific goals in developing my career as a Senior United Nations Official with responsibility for the UN’s development work in Europe and Central Asia. Rob is a diligent, inspiring and insightful coach. He not only shared a lot of materials and asked poignant questions so that I can reflect further on my own behaviour and become more aware of the impact I have on others. He has also helped me understand what my priorities in life are and how I should pursue my ambition both at professional and personal levels. Through coaching sessions, I understood my strengths and lesser strengths better and how to address them while further strengthening my strengths. I highly recommend Rob for his practical and inspiring sessions which helped me become more secure and develop nerves of steel. I look forward to continuing to work with Rob.”
- Gwi Yeop Son, United Nations Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.
“Robert is a great coach and mentor, with proven coaching skills and the right pedagogy to guide the person being coached, step by step, towards achieving their goals. Throughout the process, Robert provided regular updates on progress in relation to the initial objectives. He is also able to reassure the person being supported and encourage him to achieve the objectives set. It was a great Pleasure to work with Robert. As a result, I was able to gain more confidence at work in the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Togo. I have subsequently been able to achieve some important goals that have helped to build my leadership presence, confidence and communications skills. For example, I have undertaken a surge mission in Tunisia for 2 months; I have started to express myself more during meetings: and I have improved my active listening skills.”
“I have been working with Rob for several years. Rob has assisted me with setting clear pathways toward achieving my career goals, including technical work, like interview preparation strategies and conflict mitigation. I have also benefitted from Rob’s strategic advice in formulating my career goals. Rob is an excellent coach, insightful and caring. He shared a lot of materials and articles, which helped me clarify a lot of the issues I had, especially related to the impact of my an d my unit’s work on the people we serve. Through his practical advice I gained a better understanding on how to leverage my strengths and shoring up weaknesses in order for my work to be more impactful. Rob is always present when asked for assistance, meaning not only in the context of prearranged coaching sessions, but even outside of those, if an emergency arises that requires his advice or expertise. I am currently working with him, and I cannot recommend him enough for his wealth of experience, his practical approach and his genuine care for the people he works with.”
“Rob was my coach in 2023 and worked with me in an executive coaching context. I found the process valuable and would recommend Rob to anyone who wants to accelerate from good to great. Rob helped me to become more aware of and challenge the assumptions and negative thought patterns that were holding me back. Without a coach I think it would have taken a lot longer to have made the progress I did. Thanks Rob!”
-Testimonials from coaching clients
Areas of Expertise
Developmental/ transformative coaching
Cognitive Behavioural, Solutions Focused coaching
Use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approaches
Mental Health First Aid trained
Leadership and managerial presence- helping to build communication skills, assertiveness, and self confidence.
Performance Management
Leader as coach
Leadership effectiveness
Peak performance tools and techniques
Positive psychology
Strengths, values and future visioning