The inner work of leadership is the heavy lifting nobody talks about. 
Most leaders can't see what's stopping them. 
I help them see.

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Most leaders sense they're capable of more - but something keeps getting in the way. They're working hard, often carrying more than they need to. The conversation that keeps getting postponed. The weight of responsibility that's hard to put down. The quiet doubt that persists no matter how much they achieve.

It's an invisible cage - built from old beliefs, inherited rules, and protective habits that made sense once but now run the show without permission.

I help leaders see the cage. Once visible, things shift. Clarity comes. Confidence follows - not from external validation, but from solid ground inside. They stop reacting and start leading with intention. Impact follows.

I work with leaders and teams through:
•	Coaching - seeing what's in the way, leading from choice
•	Training - leading change, navigating conflict, building trust
•	Team facilitation - surfacing what's unspoken, creating real alignment

If you're tired of getting in your own way, let’s talk.

Presence: The Hidden Power of Great Leadership
 
Think about the leaders who've shaped you.
 
Not the ones with the best strategies or the sharpest presentations. The ones who changed something in you just by being in the room.
 
What was it about them?
 
I’m guessing it wasn't technique, or even charisma. It was likely something harder to name. When they were with you, they were ‘with’ you. Not half-thinking about the next meeting. Not performing confidence. Not managing your perception of them.
 
They were just... there. Fully. And that was what made the difference.
 
We call this presence. And most leadership development treats it like a skill to acquire - something to add to your repertoire alongside active listening and strategic thinking.
 
I don't see it that way.
 
Presence isn't something you build. It's what's already there when you stop getting in your own way.
 
Watch a leader who's truly present. They're not trying to be calm - they just are. They're not practising curiosity - it's simply how they meet the moment. They're not performing confidence - they have nothing to prove. 
 
Now watch a leader who's straining to appear present. The effort shows. There's something slightly off, slightly manufactured. You can feel them working at it.
 
The difference? The first leader isn't blocked. The second is.

It’s not what they’re DOING. It’s how they’re BEING.
 
Most leaders I work with aren't lacking presence. They're obscuring it - with protective habits, inherited beliefs about how leaders should be, and old fears running the show without permission.
 
The inner work of leadership isn't about cultivating presence. It's about seeing what's covering it up.
 
What if your natural state is already enough, and the real question is "what's in the way?"

#chooseleadership

Connor McDonough, CPCC, PCC

Hungry to drive change?
Not clear on how to enrol others?
Unsure how to create alignment in your team or organisation?
If this is you, then contact me: +353 87 648 0457.

I am a Leadership Coach and Facilitator, inspired by a vision of purpose driven leaders creating extraordinary results in an unpredictable and complex world. For over 20 years I have supported managers and leaders to translate their vision into goals and to create their path forward. 

COACHING LEADERS
Do you want to become more conscious of your leadership strengths and gifts? Do you want to be more intentional and skillful about the impact you are creating? I support managers and leaders by calling them forth to step into their agency and to affect the change they seek. We work together on increasing leadership consciousness, skills and capability to make a difference.

FACILITATING TEAMS
Trust, laughter and intimacy, rooted in a deep respect of our shared humanity, are the hallmarks of the experience I co-create with groups. In service of transforming organisations and lives, my stake as a facilitator is to uncover the issues that really matter. If you are looking for someone to voice what needs to be heard, even when uncomfortable, and who will not sidestep the key concerns, feel free to contact me to talk about what your organisation needs.

I believe that leadership starts within, is grounded in a strong vision and embedded in strong relationships. I empower leaders to step into their purpose and values, to uncover their limiting beliefs, and to make choices which serve their vision.

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