How we helped a CEO step back from burnout and lead through £5m of growth
The pressure behind the performance
Global Associates is a UK Building Energy Management Systems specialist, led by ambitious CEO Paul Wetherfield. When Paul began executive coaching with GYST, he was carrying the pressure of keeping the business steady through the pandemic.
Like many business leaders during that troubled time, Paul was focused on survival, stability and growth. His attention was on the company and his people, but the cost was showing up in his own wellbeing.
Long hours and a huge weight of responsibility had understandably taken their toll. At the time, Paul did not realise he was experiencing symptoms of burnout, and just how much it was affecting his personal life. But he did have the courage and self-awareness to approach GYST for advice.
Through one-to-one leadership coaching, Katie helped Paul create space to focus on himself, understand what was happening and rebuild a healthier relationship with work, leadership and ambition.
Industry
How We Worked
What We Delivered
What Changed
The Challenge
Paul’s ambition had helped him lead through difficult circumstances, but it had also become, in his words, “a double-edged sword”.
The constant pressure was affecting his sense of balance, freedom and connection to his own values. What felt like necessary commitment had started to become unsustainable. For a CEO, this matters beyond personal wellbeing. When a leader is close to burnout, it can affect decision-making, communication, energy and the way stress is managed in the wider business.
And a culture of unmanaged stress can be just as growth-inhibiting as a global pandemic.
The GYST approach
At GYST, we don’t do generic wellbeing advice. Our focus was on helping Paul understand the patterns driving his stress, his habits, and his expectations. Our coaching sessions created a calm, non-judgemental, safe space for honest reflection.
Paul explored what he wanted his leadership and life to stand for. Armed with that self-knowledge, we connected it back to his personal values and organisational goals. We set boundaries and put decision-making frameworks in place to help Paul navigate everyday challenges.
This was so much more than achieving a better work-life balance. The purpose was to help Paul develop a more sustainable way of leading Global Associates through change and commercial growth.
Services delivered
Executive coaching
GYST’s leadership coaching helps leaders cut through the noise and rediscover what matters. It offers a safe yet challenging space to understand personal drivers and recognise the habits and stress responses.
Sessions are one-to-one, and typically held bi-weekly over six months. The work moves through three phases:
- Building self-awareness and identifying personal stress patterns
- Establishing priorities, boundaries and habits to replace reactive behaviours
- Embedding those changes under real-world pressure with ongoing accountability
The approach is structured, practical, and grounded in behaviour and execution rather than in motivational theory or vague mindfulness. The insights are clear, actionable and measurable.
Leadership Coaching Workshops
After experiencing the impact of the coaching himself, Paul introduced GYST to the wider leadership team. We delivered tailored leadership workshops to help them:
- Make the distinction between pressure and stress
- Build practical day-to-day habits and resilience strategies to lead through high pressure
Our training sessions are practical and no-nonsense, focused on giving leaders tools to spot stress signals in their teams as well as themselves. The format is flexible and tailored to each organisation.
Explore the full range of coaching and training we offer to help leaders and teams manage pressure and lead sustainably.
The result
Thanks to Paul’s commitment to creating a positive workplace culture, we have achieved great things together. Our work had an impact at personal, team and organisational levels. Paul now approaches his role with less stress, stronger self-awareness and a more positive outlook.
During the period we worked together, Paul also led the business through £5m of growth. While that success belongs to Paul and his team, it reflects an important truth: resilient leadership and commercial growth are closely connected.
“Katie helped me identify some of my symptoms as signs of burnout. Her patience and empathic coaching helped me tremendously. I now function with a lot less stress and have a positive outlook on my future… I cannot recommend Katie highly enough as a brilliant burnout prevention mentor; she truly cares, and she would want everyone to see you can live a better life.”
What to lead with greater resilience?
If, like Paul and his team, you want to explore the link between stress and leadership pressure, GYST can help you understand what is really going on and what to do next.
Get in touch with us to chat about your goals and learn how we can tailor our coaching and training to your organisation.
You might also consider The Meltdown, our escape-room-style challenge that uncovers how pressure unravels teams and helps them examine their stress responses.
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