Paul Barnard, executive coach and founder of Mission Coaching.

About Paul Barnard

Paul Barnard is an executive and team coach, facilitator and board adviser, and co-founder of Mission Group. An award-winning practitioner with more than 20 years' experience, he works with senior leaders to create deeper, more sustainable change.

Most senior leaders do not need more leadership advice. They already know what good leadership looks like.

"'My name's Paul Barnard and I'm the greatest in the world!' Or so the story goes, that's how I introduced myself at the tender age of five. What I was supposed to be the greatest at has, sadly, long been lost in the annals of time. My story has seen many peaks and troughs since then, from being the apparent 'greatest' at five to the humbling life on the breadline some years later, and onwards up to the dizzying heights of executive roles in multi-nationals and trusted advisor to anyone from Chairperson and CEO to 'Dorothy the cleaner' (yes, she's got a great story). We all have stories. I'd love to hear yours."

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Paul's coaching philosophy

Paul coaches the whole person, not just the problem. Rather than papering over the cracks, he works beneath the surface to understand what is really going on - the beliefs, stories and patterns shaping how a leader shows up.

His focus is on the root cause, not just behaviour, challenging the beliefs that drive how we lead rather than treating only the symptoms. As a specialist in behavioural change, he helps leaders get to what is truly holding them back, so change is deeper and lasts.

Experience with senior leaders

Paul has been working with executives throughout the world over the last 20 years, with CEOs, board members and senior executives in the UK and internationally. That has included leaders at Boeing, the Cabinet Office, Fidelity International, ITV, Marks & Spencer, the United Nations and VMware.

A former multinational executive himself, he combines a deep understanding of human behaviour with first-hand appreciation of the realities of senior leadership - pressure, complexity, relationships, competing demands and the weight of responsibility that comes with the role.

Paul coaches senior leaders on leadership, team effectiveness, executive presence and communication. His style is thoughtful, challenging and pragmatic. He creates the space for people to think deeply, while keeping the conversation connected to the decisions, relationships and results that matter.

The Thinking Disruptor

"Instead of 'Coach' I could describe myself as a 'Thinking Disruptor' - disrupting the stories we all create around ourselves, so that we can work out what is stopping us from knowing what to do and how to go forward."

We all carry stories about ourselves - I need to have the answer. I can't let people down. Conflict damages relationships. Repeated often enough, they can start to feel like facts.

Much of what holds a capable leader back is not a missing skill but an unexamined story that quietly narrows the options they can see. As a Thinking Disruptor, Paul helps leaders spot those stories, challenge the assumptions behind them and decide which still deserve to be believed.

Qualifications and accreditations

Paul is a certified practitioner in a range of psychometric and behavioural tools, including Everything DiSC, The Five Behaviours and Herrmann Whole Brain Thinking. He uses them where they add genuine insight, rather than as a predetermined part of every coaching assignment.

He holds a First Class Honours degree in Communications and guest lectures at Leeds Business School.

Mission Group

Paul co-founded Mission Group, an international coaching, leadership and team-development practice. Mission works with leaders and leadership teams to strengthen the human dynamics that ultimately determine performance - how people think, communicate, challenge, make decisions and work together.

Its work spans executive coaching, team development, facilitation and leadership development for corporate, public and not-for-profit organisations in the UK and internationally. At the heart of it sits a simple belief: relationships deliver results.