“Becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It’s precisely that simple and it’s also that difficult.”

— Walter G. Bennis

As leaders, we’re often told to search outside ourselves for motivation and perspective.  

We’re told we have to build up our confidence, ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ or ‘fake it ‘til you make it’. 
This approach doesn’t work. No amount of false bravado will turn you into an inspirational and impactful leader, or create the meaningful change you seek. 

 You do not need to do more or be more.

Becoming a leader is the art of being and becoming exactly who you are.

Conscious leadership means understanding who you are at your core, so that you can take courageous action that will inspire and uplift others, without losing yourself.

And I can help you get there.

 

I'm Maureen Johnstone

I’m a Certified and Accredited Leadership Coach for courageous and compassionate change-makers. I coach and lead with a trauma-informed, grief and emotions-centered coaching approach.  

I work with leaders in the community, in politics and as educators and entrepreneurs committed to social impact. People who are determined to serve the world wisely and with impact. People who stand for individual dignity, equity and freedom. People who are in service of others.

I guide you to own your story, your identity and your worth, so you can lead with dignity and grace, and bring hope to others. 

I help you experience your vulnerability as a leader so you can cultivate the courage to take action even in the presence of uncertainty, fear, risk and doubt. 

I provide and co-create with you, a safe space for you to pause, to reflect, recalibrate and reset, so you can make conscious and considered decisions from a place of inner strength, spirit and wisdom. 

So you can show up bravely and continue to do the work that matters most.

 

My grandma Grace gave me the Tahltan name Estsü, which means grandma—old nurturing one.

In my culture, your Tahltan name is what you grow into. It’s what the giver sees in you, as a glimpse of your potential, like a compass pointing in the direction of your greater self. 

I was 35 years old when I first learned my Tahltan name, Estsü. We found it pencilled in the back of a keepsake notebook after my grandmother passed away. I went from elder to cousin to aunt, seeking the meaning of this word, until finally I learned from a friend that it meant ‘grandmotherness’.

From that moment, I became curious about my name, and what it was my grandma had glimpsed in me. 

My grandma’s observation validated my introspective nature and my curiosity about the inner world. To me, she saw my potential to hold space for others with patience, compassion and acceptance, well before I did. These are the gifts I bring to my work today.
I’ve worked as a leadership coach for almost a decade, and previously held leadership positions in government and health for more than 20 years. Over the years, I unconsciously brought this practice of sensing who a person truly is, into my work. Working with my teams, I could look past their edges to see each person’s capacity for greatness. As one person on my team said, ‘You saw us for our greater potential, and you called us forth. You saw our greatness before we could see it’.

In all of these roles, I learned that my potential to influence must be deeply rooted in what I believe. To lead effectively — to uplift and stay connected with others, without losing myself — I must understand who I am at my core and connect to who I am as a leader within, so that I can cultivate and sustain my energy, and thrive while being of service. And I can help you do the same.

As a coach, I specialize in helping people access their inner wisdom – the ultimate source of their strength-so that they can access their greatest potential. I support people to show up, be seen and heard, and ultimately, to lead with courage, compassion and humility.

Are you ready to connect more deeply to your inner strength, power and wisdom? It would be my honour to support you. Click the button below and let’s make a time to chat. 

Professional Credentials:

  • Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) through the CoActive Training Institute.

  • Professional Certified Coach Accreditation (PCC) through the International Coach Federation.

  • JEDI Coach (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion)

  • Certified Daring Way™ Facilitator - Brené Brown

  • Certified Expressive Arts Coach

  • Cultivating Safe Spaces Facilitator

  • Certified Grief Coach

  • Certified Trauma-Informed Coach

  • Certified Strengths Communicator Coach

  • Holding Space Coach Facilitator

  • Certified 2Young2Retire Facilitator

  • Living Life to the Full Facilitator, CMHA

 

 

My work is woven from threads of courage, hope and dignity. 

Courage…
is feeling your vulnerability and responding with self-compassion, so that you can take action even in the midst of fear, doubt and uncertainty.

Hope… 
is cultivating inspired action towards a vision to uplift people, politics and community.

Dignity… 
is leading from a place of self worth and honouring your truth and wisdom, so that you can inspire others to do the same.

If you’re ready to courageously lead with dignity, compassion and hope, it would be my honour to support you stepping into who you are as a leader.

Let’s book a time to talk.