Leadership & Personal Development Coach

Grow as a leader.
Grow as a person.
Unlock your potential.

Practical coaching, leadership and personal development from Mike Darbyshire, helping individuals, managers and organisations grow with confidence.

Make an EnquiryView Training Topics

Trusted by teams across the NHS, local government, M&S, PZ Cussons & more.

Mike Darbyshire receiving the Pride of Salford award on stage
‘Pride of Salford’ AwardRecipient
25+
Years of coaching & development experience
100+
Leadership & development programmes delivered
20+
Public & private sector organisations
Mike Darbyshire
About Mike

Meet Mike Darbyshire

I’ve spent 25 years coaching, training and developing people, from chief executives and strategic directors through to managers, apprentices and front-line staff. My passion is simple: seeing people grow in confidence and capability, in their work and in their lives.

Most managers I meet were promoted for being good at their job, then expected to lead a team overnight with no real training. Formal qualifications are valuable, but costly and time-consuming. My approach is practical, grounded in real organisations, and built around the challenges managers actually face.

25 years across the NHS, central & local government and global organisations such as M&S and PZ Cussons.
Delivered coaching and training to every level, from front-line staff and apprentices to chief executives.
Training courses accredited by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) and OFSTED.
Delivers ILM Level 3 and Level 5 leadership and management qualifications.
ILM AccreditedOFSTEDCIPD (CITP)ILM Level 3 & 5CAVA (City & Guilds)Enhanced DBS

Recipient of the ‘Pride of Salford’ award, described by his Chief Executive as “an outstanding individual who embodies all of the organisation’s values.”

Who I Help

Support at every stage of the journey

Whether you’re growing in your career, stepping into leadership, or developing a whole organisation, the right support makes all the difference.

01

Individuals & Professionals

For anyone investing in their own growth, building the confidence, communication and self-awareness to progress in their career and life.

02

Managers & Team Leaders

For managers who want practical, real-world leadership and people-management skills they can use on Monday morning.

03

Organisations & Teams

For businesses developing their people: stronger leadership, healthier teams and better performance.

What I Offer

Coaching & development, tailored to you

Bespoke to your needs: a complete development pathway, or a pick-and-mix of the topics that matter most right now.

01

Leadership Development

Practical leadership skills for modern managers, from first-line supervisors through to senior leaders.

02

Executive & Professional Coaching

One-to-one coaching focused on performance, clarity and growth at every level of an organisation.

03

Personal Development Coaching

Confidence, communication, mindset and career progression: soft skills that make a real difference.

04

Team Development Workshops

Interactive, tailored sessions designed around your organisation’s goals and the way your team works.

Training & Development Topics

Build a complete pathway, or pick the topics you need

Drawn from 40+ practical modules across leadership, communication, personal effectiveness and team development.

Practical skills for new, aspiring and experienced managers: the topics every leader actually encounters. 40 modules

Create an effective structure for appraisals: write clear objectives, give honest feedback on performance and behaviour, and support your people’s training and development.
Understand your role in the appraisal process, gather the evidence to show your progress, and identify your own strengths and development areas.
Build the self-confidence and communication skills to deal more assertively and constructively with difficult people and situations.
Manage customer and stakeholder relationships and enable cross-team working, so the right people pull together to deliver organisational objectives.
Plan, structure and lead workplace meetings so objectives are met, time is respected, and everyone feels able to contribute.
An overview of coaching and the key behaviours, skills and techniques used by coaches, so you can apply them to your everyday working practice.
Communicate clearly and with impact by improving your verbal, non-verbal and interpersonal skills across a range of different methods and situations.
Skills and tools to manage, and proactively avoid, conflict in the workplace and in your personal life.
Analyse and evaluate information like a more rational, disciplined thinker, making sound decisions and limiting the damage when mistakes happen.
Understand what brilliant customer service really looks like and what you can do to deliver it, because looking after customers is what keeps a business thriving.
Understand the role, responsibilities and limits of authority of a team leader, and build the self-awareness to improve your own performance.
Stay on top form when working remotely: boost your productivity, lower your stress, and stay connected, engaged and genuinely at home wherever you work.
Understand how your behaviour impacts others, complete a personal self-assessment, and build stronger, more resilient relationships at work.
Understand your responsibilities for promoting equality, tackling discrimination and fostering good relationships across diverse teams.
Deliver value for money and keep budgets under control: monitor costs, drive efficiencies, and stay on the right side of financial governance and compliance.
Give difficult messages and manage people’s reactions with practical, repeatable techniques for situations where conflict is anticipated.
Listen with empathy, give good advice and build effective working relationships, while staying aware of how you’re perceived and projecting a positive, confident image.
Prepare, structure and conduct successful, objective interviews using competency-based questioning and the STAR approach, then give fair feedback to candidates.
Explore different leadership styles and identify what influences your choice of approach in real workplace situations. Ideal if you’re new to leading or want to be more effective in your current role.
Recognise why leadership matters most when change is hard, understand why people react as they do, and use practical approaches to help change succeed.
Lead, support and develop your people: work with different learning styles, use coaching day to day, and build an inclusive, positive team culture.
Gain the skills, tools and confidence to structure and deliver engaging, participative presentations, face-to-face and online.
Plan and manage your own development and workload with an effective personal development plan and a continuous professional development (CPD) log.
Practical tools and techniques to lead change with less resistance: explain why change is necessary, anticipate how people will react, and make new ways of working stick.
Confidently deliver difficult messages and handle the reactions, working through a proven model and practising it on the situations you’re most likely to face.
People and team-management models: team dynamics, motivation techniques, and how to set goals, give feedback and review performance for individuals and teams.
Set clear performance standards and manage against them, provide constructive feedback, and know what to do when performance drops below the level you need.
Build your own resilience to enhance performance and wellbeing, and become more aware of, and better at managing, the pressures you encounter.
Understand the key elements of negotiation, prepare effectively, create win-win outcomes and adapt your style to influence different people.
Turn strategy into delivery: develop organisational strategy, put operational plans into action, manage change within your team and make sense of workplace data.
Tools and techniques to analyse, tackle and solve problems effectively, both on your own and in collaboration with others.
A practical introduction to the project lifecycle: plan a project, manage risks and issues, and deliver against your plan using the right tools. An introduction, not a replacement for PRINCE2.
Prepare, structure and conduct successful, objective recruitment interviews using competency-based questioning and the STAR approach.
Understand personality types, the Johari Window and your preferred learning style to gain a clearer perspective on yourself and how you work.
Enhance your team-working skills using Belbin Team Roles and the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument to understand your preferred styles.
Identify where your time really goes and use practical tools to prioritise, delegate and stay on top of your inbox so you get more done each day.
An introduction to Transactional Analysis: understand ego states and your preferred TA style to better understand yourself, how you communicate, and your relationships at work and at home.
Change is constant, and resistance is natural. Learn to recognise the effects of change on you and apply practical strategies to respond to it with confidence.
Set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, aligning your objectives to the wider business and tracking real progress for yourself and others.
Get more from Microsoft Teams: set up and manage meetings, use chat and breakout rooms, share your presence, and find the training and support built right in.

Programmes can be delivered as complete development pathways or tailored to specific organisational needs.

Why Work With Mike

Practical, flexible, and proven

Real-World Experience

Practical coaching and development grounded in 25 years of delivery, not theory from a textbook.

Flexible Delivery

Face-to-face or virtual, in-house or off-site, one-to-one or large groups of 100+.

Tailored Programmes

A complete development pathway, or a pick-and-mix of exactly the topics you need.

Proven Results

Trusted by organisations across the public and private sectors, at every level.

What People Say
“
I had the pleasure of working with Mike for a number of years and would highly recommend him. Mike has an impressive depth of knowledge when it comes to professional and management skills training, and I've personally benefited from attending several of his sessions over the years. His ability to engage people, share practical insights and help others develop their skills is exceptional. He's approachable, supportive and genuinely committed to helping people succeed.
Caroline Gregson
Senior Quality Governance Manager | Continuous Improvement, Lean Six Sigma

Feedback shared by colleagues and participants on LinkedIn.

Trusted by organisations across the public & private sector

  • NHS
  • M&S
  • PZ Cussons
  • Manchester City Council
  • Liverpool John Moores University
  • The Growth Company
Get In Touch

Let’s discuss your development goals

Tell me a little about what you’re looking for and I’ll be in touch to discuss how I can help — no obligation.

Emailmike@mdld.co.ukPhone07871 567216
Based inAppley Bridge, West Lancashire
ConnectLinkedIn
Available face-to-face or virtually · One-to-one or groups · In-house or off-site · UK-wide
Please enter your name.
Please enter a valid email address.
Please tell me a little about your goals.

Your details are used only to respond to your enquiry.