For Organisations

A woman with gray hair and pearl earrings, wearing a red blazer with ruffle details, standing in front of a presentation screen with a slide that reads 'You Are Not As Self-Aware As You Think You Are'. She is smiling and holding a piece of paper.

For organisations developing leaders, teams and coaching cultures.

Keynotes, workshops, team development and thought leadership on self-awareness and leading through uncertainty.

Self-awareness is talked about constantly in organisations, but rarely defined clearly. My work starts with a simple question: what does self-awareness actually mean, and what difference does it make to how people lead, work and relate to one another?

My PhD research into self-awareness within adult development, four peer-reviewed papers and more than 1,500 hours of coaching experience give me a depth of knowledge in this field that goes beyond the usual leadership language.

I work with organisations in different ways, depending on what they are trying to achieve.

That might mean a keynote that challenges how people think about self-awareness, a workshop that turns the research into practical reflection and development, team coaching around a particular challenge, or support for organisations developing their own coaching capability.

I’ve worked across sectors including the London Fire Brigade, BMW UK, Rolls-Royce Cars, Thames Water, JLL and the Royal Navy Admiralty Interview Board, alongside Henley Business School and several UK universities.

I’m still an active coach and supervisor, so what I bring into organisational work reflects what I’m actually seeing in coaching today.

I work with organisations on

thought-provoking talks on self-awareness, leadership and leading through uncertainty
practical sessions on self-awareness, leadership and coaching as a leadership style
helping teams understand their dynamics, relationships and patterns of working
developing the self-awareness and judgement needed to lead effectively through complexity and change
supporting organisations to develop coaching capability and embed coaching more effectively
supervision and development for internal coaches and organisations that support coaches

A woman with gray hair smiling and holding a remote control, standing in front of a presentation screen that says 'Self-Awareness & Coach Development' with images of a telescope and a rock in the ocean. There is a small computer or tablet on a stand and a keyboard on a table.

Self-awareness workshops and reflective practice

Tailored workshops exploring what self-awareness is, why it matters for leadership and how it can be developed. Sessions can be designed around a specific organisational or leadership challenge and can include individual reflection, paired and group work, and psychometric profiling where appropriate.

I also offer structured reflective practice for leadership groups, creating space for leaders to step back from the demands of their roles and reflect on how they are showing up, with the aim of deepening self-awareness and their capacity to lead through uncertainty.

Speaking and thought leadership

I’m available to speak as a guest on podcasts, at conferences and events, and to leadership teams on topics including:

What self-awareness actually is, and why most leadership language uses the term without ever defining it
Leading under uncertainty, and why the moment you think you’ve arrived is the moment you haven’t
Accountability with compassion: why psychological safety and being let off the hook are not the same thing
What the Royal Navy teaches about leadership that no graduate scheme can, and how early responsibility builds judgement
Why self-awareness can’t be automated, and what AI-driven feedback and coaching tools miss
Coaching supervision: why even the most experienced coaches need a space to be supervised, and what that says about leadership development more broadly

I’m equally happy to work with an organisation to shape a session around a specific leadership, people or development challenge.

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Client testimonials

“Several people commented on the strong thread of self-awareness running throughout the day and on the way the day combined learning, reflection and practical application. Your session was praised for being relatable, grounded and genuinely useful. One delegate described you as “a gem”, while another particularly valued how down-to-earth and relatable you were. They came away knowing how they could continue thinking about and applying the ideas after the conference. Delegates also appreciated that your session offered learning and areas to explore rather than simply presenting information. The opportunity to examine their own self-awareness, reflect more deeply and take those insights back into their coaching practice was clearly valuable. Thank you for bringing such warmth, credibility and accessibility to an important subject.”
Samantha Lilley
Corporate Contracts Manager, Barefoot Coaching Ltd
“The recently attended the one-day Self Awareness Workshop and found it a rare opportunity to step away from everyday demands and reflect in a calm and focused environment. The tranquil setting of Damson Hill, combined with a group of like-minded coaches created the perfect space for deeper thinking about how I show up. Expertly led by Julia, whose calm and serene presence set the tone perfectly, it is one of the most impactful workshops I have attended in recent years and I highly recommend it.”

Clancy Murphy
“I know of few people who have such a gift for creating an inspiring, open and safe space to learn as Julia Carden. She has a particular knack for curating an inquisitive, impressive and supportive group, and then inviting and guiding them to explore things they have rarely before considered. The Self Awareness Lab Julia has created, informed by her in-depth research into this topic, was an amazingly enriching experience that offered truly valuable insights. I came away with so much more than I expected and would not hesitate to recommend this to other coaches/leaders.”
Joss Mathieson
“Julia created a true learning laboratory, inviting each of us to examine ourselves through the lens of deeper self-awareness. Every element of the experience was intentionally designed. Drawing on her expertise, she combined the right ingredients to create the ideal conditions for reflection, insight, and growth. From the thoughtfully crafted content to the beautiful physical setting, the carefully curated moments for reflection, and the energising food, every detail contributed to an experience that nourished the mind, body and soul.”
Lynne Copp
“I would highly recommend the self-awareness lab for anyone looking to disconnect with the world and reconnect with themselves. I think as coaches we don’t always practice what we preach, we enable great spaces for our clients to do the deep work and sometimes overlook the time to do it ourselves. I am a busy mum, running my own business and life can feel frantic, it was such a treat to step out of that for a day and spend some time reflecting on who I am and the work I need to do next. Julia creates a safe, open environment, and you’re surrounded by others who can listen, give space, and enable your thinking.”
Kim Foster
“Taking the time to slow down and look inward is so valuable, and to be able to do that in a beautiful setting, held by Julia’s presence and with a group of supportive coaches was a gift. Julia’s Self-Awareness lab gave me the opportunity to put myself under the microscope and really zoom in on the question “what does that tell me about me?”.
Melissa Hague