Sile Walsh’s leadership programmes, blog content and her upcoming book makes her one of the leading voices on how to create create empathy and be a voice within the DEI community particularly on the Mental Health and leadership areas.

Her leadership programmes, which focuses on helping individuals overcome self-doubt and cultivate fulfilling lives. Grounded in psychology and coaching, Sile emphasises trauma-informed and anti-oppressive practices to foster psychological safety and sustainable growth. Her coaching programs, spanning leadership, relationships, and career development, prioritise understanding clients’ challenges and developing sustainable solutions. Siles forthcoming book on inclusive leadership stems from their PhD research, challenging assumptions and offering practical insights. She maintains relevance in their coaching and blog content through reflective practices and engagement with emerging research. Mental health and well-being are central themes, addressed through supportive frameworks like the WRAP model. 

1. Your website mentions that you specialise in coaching individuals to break free from self-doubt and live a life they love. What inspired you to pursue this particular niche?

I didn’t pursue it per se, I guess practically speaking who doesn’t want a life they love? However there are so many barriers to that, for lots of different reasons. While many focus on external accomplishments, I noticed no matter how successful or accomplished my clients are, self-doubt to various degrees and a deep desire to thrive is often a shared human experience. Especially for those who have faced challenges in their lives.

2. Your background includes qualifications in psychology, and coaching. How do these disciplines intersect in your approach to helping clients?  

My background is in coaching psychology, and I utilise a lot of trauma informed and anti-oppressive practices in my work. It is funny as often people assume trauma informed and anti-oppressive practices are just for those overtly traumatised or who have suffered overt marginalisation. However these shared practices are a really important way to work with people in order to co-create psychological safety and work with people in a meaningful way. It isn’t that we discuss trauma nor marginalisation in our work as such, rather it is about cultivating a deep respect for people’s experiences and what has got them to where they are, what they believe and how they approach their life and work. When we utilise these practices we are less likely to go for quick wins that are not sustainable and instead uncover ways of leading and living that are more aligned and sustainable. 

3. On your blog, you discuss the importance of self-awareness and self-compassion. How do you incorporate these concepts into your coaching sessions?

I believe that as a coach I need to cultivate both on an ongoing basis, I need to ensure I am supported and that I do not dehumanise myself by assuming I can do no wrong or that I must be perfect. When working with my clients on change and development, I find that lasting progress stems from fostering self-awareness and self-compassion, rather than relying on shame or the notion of perpetual inadequacy as drivers for change.

4. Your website offers various Leadership coaching programs, including ones focused on relationships and career development. Can you walk us through what clients can expect from these programs? 

When I work with clients I usually suggest we work over a minimum of six sessions, unless the piece of work has a very specific outcome that is technical in its nature such as preparing for a certain meeting, interview, etc.

The main reason for this is that initial sessions often focus on the overt challenges or opportunities a client faces, then we start to understand the patterns that may have maintained these challenges and also develop sustainable methods for maintaining momentum. My clients tend to be really capable people who want to improve how they do things. We often work in a partnership approach in which they can discuss the opportunities and challenges they face with an unbiased party, understand the issue from different perspectives such as psychological, power dynamics, roles and responsibilities etc. as well as how they themselves interact with the situation. Additionally, if I am aware of any research or evidence in that area we discuss that too, as it can give clients an even broader perspective to consider.

5. In today’s rapidly evolving workplace landscape, the need for inclusive leadership has become increasingly important. What inspired you to write a book specifically addressing this topic, and what do you hope readers will take away from it?

Before I decided to write anything on Inclusive leadership, I had always been interested in leadership that considered the needs of people, as a way to support engagement, commitment and personal accomplishment.

I took up a PhD over four years ago and focused on inclusive leadership and as I did, I could see a massive gap between the research and what was happening in industry. I also saw how the minute I mentioned inclusive leadership, people had all sorts of assumptions about what that was and if they needed it or not. It became almost comical with those who were interested in inclusive leadership wanting me to take an activist lens in my work which isn’t want inclusive leadership is about to me. Equally the people who could probably most easily align with it thinking it wasn’t for them, were leaders, not diversity and inclusion practitioners.

Therefore, when I began using “inclusive leadership” as the term, even though I had been utilising its principles for years, I noticed a shift in my audience. Those less interested in leadership were drawn in, while those interested in leadership seemed to feel excluded from the conversation. Over the past  four years this has only been repeated and I decided that instead of being frustrated, I should probably clear up what I mean by inclusive leadership and what I have learned from working in an industry with leaders about what works.

6. Can you tell me more about your PhD research and how it impacts on your work?

During my PhD journey, I’ve really delved into dissecting the assumptions that underlie research and industry practices. Much of the info out there about inclusive leadership seems to have a heavy commercial spin. It tends to overlook the deeper complexities and treats inclusive leadership like it’s set in stone, ignoring the fact that it can vary depending on the individuals involved. Which to me just doesn’t make sense as there are so many influences to how one can lead effectively and how one experiences inclusion.

7. Effective leadership often requires continuous learning and growth. How do you ensure that your blog content remains relevant and insightful in addressing the evolving challenges and opportunities faced by leaders today?

I actively engage with reflective practices. After I find a theme emerging in my work with organisations or in the narrative around it, I look at the research to see what is being discussed currently, as well as look into particular organisations positions on the topics.

8. Mental health and well-being are recurring themes in your blog posts. How do you address these aspects in your coaching practice?

Mental health is important for us all, I utilise the WRAP (Wellbeing Recovery Action Plan) model for myself and also support my clients to do the same when appropriate. I also encourage clients to access appropriate supports for their needs. We also discuss how people are feeling and how this impacts their development and goals.

9. Is there anything that you are working on that we haven’t discussed yet and you would like to include?

In 2024, we will see an inclusive leadership pledge and an Inclusive Leadership award go live to encourage the active engagement with inclusive leadership. 

10. Is there other company or people in the area of Diversity and Inclusion that inspires you?

I really respect Include Inc b Dr Liz Wilson and LeadingKind by Lynn Killick both of whom contributed to Inclusive Leadership Navigating Organisational Complexity.