Damian Bridgeman FIoL.
Partner at Executive Coaching 365.
What do you do now?
I am now recognised as a master coach by many international organisations. I've been lucky enough to have spoken at The International Coaching Conference, where I also gave a workshop on coaching and mentoring.
Where did your career start?
My career began back in 2006 when I was asked to help Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust to engage with users of the Wheelchair Service - this was my first paid consultancy role. I have always had a broad view of leadership, and understood the need for people to stand up and lead. This role led to me creating a networking organisation focused on healthcare, and later to my role as Non-Executive Director for Social Care Wales and previously Care Council for Wales.
Has there been a stage in your life where you first appreciated what great leadership looked like?
Further down my career, I worked with Academi Wales, where I met an inspirational leader of the highest order, her name was Jo Hicks and she became my mentor, her assistance and leadership inspire me to this day. She quickly identified through our mentoring relationship that I had an unconscious way of talking which would make me perfect for consultancy within coaching, mentoring, and business. Jo also supported me to study on The ILM Level 7 Coaching and Mentoring Programme with The University of South Wales.
The next inspirational leader that I met was Dr David Tee, who was the leader of this program and is now a great friend. He helped me unlock my unconscious way of coaching people and made me believe that I am good at it and could really help people.
Do you have any examples of what you have done to develop yourself as a leader?
Despite being heavily dyslexic, I read extensively about leadership and management, even in my spare time. I have also begun to learn the Welsh and French languages, to increase my communication opportunities, which has lead me to discover that I have an ability with languages, something I was told I would never achieve at school.
School told me that my greatest achievement would be attending a day-care centre. I now regularly advise on regulation for these centres and social care legislation across the UK, which showed me the value of self-belief.
I also regularly attend courses, webinars, and seminars, we must keep learning if we wish to maintain a sharp practice.
One of my proudest achievements is my autobiography “I Am Not A Spaz, I’m Safe”. Reaching No1 on The Amazon UK Chart and No9 in the USA, this has led to my book being used by the Universities of Portsmouth and Plymouth on the Msc for Health and Social Care Practitioners. I am proud because my autobiography shows that sometimes lived experience as opposed to text-book conjecture is a valid learning and teaching resource for engaging the practitioner and explaining how certain behaviours can affect the care recipient, that would not be made apparent in a textbook.
So, remember on your leadership journey take every opportunity to learn, be gracious and humble with everyone that you meet, and always be willing to offer the hand of friendship. Share your knowledge willingly where you can help without the need for reward. I wish you all luck. If you would like to connect with me, look me up on LinkedIn.
How do you think Leadership has benefitted you?
I think that leadership and understanding it has given me the confidence to step into my own personal greatness when it comes to the areas that I currently work within. I used to feel overwhelmed by some people and their positions when seated at the board room level, I now find that my leadership allows me to appreciate the opportunity to work with such eminent people, it no longer distracts me from the job in hand and the work it will entail.
I have also found the ability to voice my opinions, which might previously have been considered too revolutionary - but by using the lens of coaching in delivering a clear and targeted message, I am now able to vocalise the message more effectively.