Adrian Whitehead
Leadership Coaching.
For founders and scaleup leaders who are scaling fast and need to grow with their company. Grounded in real Google leadership experience across three continents.
18 years Google leadership
ICF ACC Accredited
Hogan Assessments
CliftonStrengths
Startup Mentor
The leaders who need this most.
Scaling fast creates a specific set of leadership challenges and my coaching is designed for exactly that.
— WHO I WORK WITH
01
Founders growing as their company does
You've built from scratch and it's going well. But what got you here won't get you there in the next stage of scaling your business. The gap between where you are and where you need to be is costing you growth, people and time.
IMPACT: FASTER DECISION-MAKING, STRONGER TEAM, ACCELERATED GROWTH
02
Senior leaders navigating rapid growth
You're wearing multiple hats and the pace is relentless. People are looking to you for answers while you're still building the plane as you fly it.
IMPACT: CLEARER OPERATING MODEL, LOWER ATTRITION, BETTER DECISIONS
03
New leaders at scaleups
You're in a leadership role for the first time. The shift in what's expected of you is significant, the learning curve is steep and imposter syndrome is a common part of the process. Getting it right early makes a real difference for you and for the people you're leading.
IMPACT: IMPROVED RETENTION, FASTER MANAGER RAMPUP, STRONGER TEAM
04
When your leadership team isn't a team yet
It might be a lack of trust, working in silos or a lack of shared goals. Whatever the cause, it's not something an offsite can fix. Even if you had time to do one.
IMPACT: REDUCED FOUNDER DEPENDENCY, FASTER EXECUTION, MORE EFFECTIVE TEAM
— HOW I WORK
Each engagement is tailored. None of them use a generic framework off the shelf.
1:1 COACHING
Executive & Leadership Coaching
One to one work with a single leader over a 6-12 month period. We work on what's in front of you, the real stuff, not just the surface, and build the self-awareness and capability to handle whatever comes next. Underpinned by accredited coaching methodology and evidence-based assessment tools.
1:1 / GROUP COACHING
New Leader and Manager Coaching
Structured coaching for new leaders, delivered 1:1 or for a group. The transition into leadership is one of the hardest career shifts there is. I bring real, seasoned leadership experience into the room to help new leaders find their feet faster and lead with confidence from the start.
TEAM COACHING
Leadership Team Effectiveness
For leadership teams ready to move from a group of leaders to a genuine team. We start at the top and work with the team to build a shared language, clearer ways of working and trust based on well-researched frameworks and deep experience leading and working within high performing teams.
Google leadership experience. Now working with the people building what's next.
— ABOUT
I spent nearly two decades leading teams at Google across APAC, EMEA and the US. I've navigated hypergrowth, restructures, ambiguity and every kind of leadership challenge that comes with operating at scale inside one of the world's most complex organisations.
I also spent years mentoring and coaching startups and founders through that experience. Now I work with them directly.
— WHAT CLIENTS SAY
“When I was five years into building my business, navigating the messy middle of growth, complexity, and self-doubt, I had the privilege of working with Adrian as my leadership coach. He brought not only deep experience from his years at Google but also a calm, grounded presence and a toolbox of proven strategies that helped me evolve as a leader.”
Exited Founder
“Adrian has a unique ability to coach through questioning, empowering you to find your own solutions rather than simply providing answers, was instrumental as I learned to navigate complex relationships."
Technology Leader
“If you find yourself needing to develop a system to create your own consistent and aligned leadership and decision making for your team or organisation, this is a great program to get you on the right path and build the foundational scaffolding.”
Founder, Data SaaS