R came to Rhian on a personal recommendation from a colleague who had also worked with her. What began as support through difficult leadership challenges developed into a longer-term advisory relationship as R’s role, team and business continued to evolve.

The situation

R was navigating difficult team dynamics as the business prepared for a return to the office following COVID.

A small group within the team had begun reinforcing one another’s negativity and undermining her leadership. Trust and cohesion were deteriorating, and R was increasingly questioning her own judgement. She needed to distinguish legitimate feedback from damaging behaviour and recognise what she needed to take responsibility for as the leader.

At the same time, the business was continuing to grow and change. R needed to stabilise the team, handle difficult conversations, work more effectively across functions and continue operating at an increasingly senior level.

The work

The work focused on the leadership situations R was dealing with in real time.

Rhian helped R examine what was happening, question her interpretations and separate her own accountability from responsibility that belonged to others. Together, they prepared for difficult conversations, established clearer behavioural expectations and worked through people and performance decisions. The return to the office became an opportunity to reset relationships and expectations across the team.

As her scope increased, the work evolved with it: from immediate team challenges into broader questions around leadership visibility, organisational relationships, career progression and how to lead effectively through continued growth and change.

Rhian’s independent perspective and challenge helped R address difficult behaviour directly, without personalising it or allowing challenging personalities to destabilise her judgement.

The outcome

R moved her team from low trust and poor cohesion to a stable, aligned and high-performing team while delivering through significant business growth and a transition into Ireland.

Recurring people issues largely subsided, with HR rarely needing to intervene. Less leadership time was spent managing interpersonal fallout, allowing R to focus more on leading the team and contributing across the business.

She became more confident handling difficult conversations and challenging personalities without allowing them to undermine her judgement or authority.

That increased confidence and effectiveness also translated into greater visibility across the wider business, including with colleagues in the US, and supported her progression into a more senior leadership role.

The change extended beyond R’s confidence: she established greater authority, reduced disruption within the team and sustained a more effective way of working through growth and organisational change.

“I no longer second-guess or question myself. I approach challenges with far more clarity, perspective and self-belief than before, and have a confidence that’s simply innate to how I show up.”

— R · CS Senior Director, MarTech