In today’s fast-paced leadership environment, finding clarity amidst change can seem impossible. As a leadership coach, I’ve discovered that some of the most profound breakthroughs happen not in boardrooms, but on walking paths. Let me share how walking coaching is transforming how leaders navigate uncertainty and why you might consider this approach for your own leadership journey.
A Path to Perspective: A Client’s Journey
Recently, I have guided several walking coaching sessions focused on workplace challenges. One particularly powerful session stands out – a leader struggling with organisational change and career uncertainty.
As we began our walk, she found herself on a narrow path with limited visibility ahead. Nearby, a new road under construction caught her attention – wide, unfinished, and representing the very change she was resisting in her professional life.
“I don’t like this new road,” she confided, her words mirroring her feelings about the uncertain changes in her organisation.
But something remarkable happened as our conversation unfolded along the path. By session’s end, she paused to photograph that same unfinished road – now seeing it through entirely different eyes.
“This could be full of opportunity and potential,” she reflected.
The wider road, though incomplete and unfamiliar, suddenly represented possibility rather than threat. Without changing her physical circumstances, her perspective had fundamentally shifted. She began approaching change with curiosity rather than resistance.
This is just one example of the transformative experiences my clients regularly report during our walking sessions.
The Science Behind Walking Coaching
This transformation wasn’t coincidental. Research supports the powerful connection between walking and creative thinking. Stanford University researchers Marily Oppezzo and Daniel L. Schwartz conducted a study in 2014 that found walking boosts creative ideation by an impressive 60% compared to sitting[^1]. Their research confirms what many great thinkers throughout history intuitively knew: movement unlocks mental clarity and innovative thinking.
Whether indoors or outdoors, walking creates the perfect conditions for breakthrough insights. When combined with coaching conversations, it becomes a powerful catalyst for perspective shifts that static environments simply cannot match.
Why Walking Coaching Works for Leaders
As leaders, you are constantly navigating complex decisions and organisational changes. Walking coaching offers unique advantages:
- physical movement disrupts mental patterns, allowing new connections to form;
- natural environments reduce stress hormones, creating space for clearer thinking;
- side-by-side conversation removes hierarchical barriers, encouraging authentic dialogue; and
- changing scenery provides metaphors that unlock new ways of seeing challenges.
These benefits complement my broader coaching philosophy of creating space for authentic reflection.
Experience the Difference
Are you facing a significant transition, complex challenge, or important leadership decision? Consider exploring it from a new perspective – literally. My walking coaching sessions offer a refreshing alternative to traditional coaching approaches.
I now offer specialised walking coaching sessions designed for leaders navigating change. These sessions combine evidence-based coaching techniques with the proven cognitive benefits of movement.
Take the First Step
Change rarely follows a straight, predictable path. Sometimes stepping onto an uncertain road – whether in your career or during a coaching walk – leads to your greatest breakthroughs.
Ready to explore what walking coaching could mean for your leadership journey? Book a complimentary exploratory call to learn more about my approach and how walking coaching might help you navigate your current leadership challenges.
Visit my Leadership Coaching services page to learn more about all my coaching offerings, including the new walking coaching sessions.
Not sure if walking coaching is right for you? Explore my full range of coaching services or read more about my approach.
Transform how you approach leadership challenges – one step at a time.
[^1]: Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014). Give your ideas some legs: The positive effect of walking on creative thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 40(4), 1142-1152. Available at: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/xlm-a0036577.pdf
About Author:
Sarah Jenkins is a qualified Leadership coach, specialising in executive transitions, Board coaching and team development in private, public and non-profit sectors. Learn more about her background.
