The AC Podcast 279: Empowering Performance: Building a Coaching Culture from the Ground Up
In the first episode of Building Successful Coaching Cultures series, host Rosie Nice speaks with Anna Skeats, CEO of the Rainy Day Trust and former CEO of The Mason Foundation. From her early career supporting vulnerable communities to building a national charity from scratch, Anna's leadership has always centred on empowerment over direction.
Anna challenges the myth that coaching cultures tolerate underperformance, sharing how coaching approaches actually create high-performing, effective and motivated teams by encouraging the skills and strengths already within individuals and teams. Drawing on her experience at the Mason Foundation, she explores how trust, psychological safety, and clear expectations work together to drive inclusion, accountability, and impact.
Throughout the conversation, Anna reflects on the realities of embedding a coaching culture in practice, the importance of listening and responding to real needs, and the incredible results she's experienced. Her insights offer practical guidance for leaders seeking to create sustainable organisations without losing focus on performance, accountability, or impact.
You will learn:
· How coaching cultures enhance performance and empower teams
· How psychological safety and trust unlocks capability
· Leadership starts with listening – Responding to real needs, rather than assumptions
"I found that the way to empower people to make change was to listen, learn, and respond, not just tell individuals what to do."
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