Lir Cowman

Pragmatic, calm and positive. Deeply interested in and curious about my clients. Helping people transform is what drew me towards coaching – a single hour can change your life. As one client, who just did a single deep dive session, said:

“I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders…. I feel like I found me again and that is thanks to you.“

What to expect

My general approach is holistic, supporting growth at both the personal and the professional levels – your work life and your private life are always enmeshed. I draw from a wide range of frameworks, tools and techniques – I don’t believe a single approach works for all, but tailor my approach to the individual. I’m usually democratic in style, knowing the client will find the best solution – but I’m plenty more direct where I think it will help!

My background

By background, I’m a consultant – I’ve done decades in senior management (operations / delivery in startups and agencies). Coaching is pretty much the opposite of this – and I love it: it’s even more practical than the advice-giving of consultancy. Beyond the simple practical support – it’s transformational; it can help people (and companies) change in ways they never dreamed possible.

Further information

Typical profiles that I work with:

Startups. Founders / CEOs / CTOs etc, all working out how to do a load of things they’ve never done before, and who aren’t clear on their path to success in a bumpy environment.

Agencies and consultancies – C-suite and senior leads, and also mid-level folks looking to level up and become their best selves; people figuring out the right path forward for them.

Tech industry in general – I’ve had decades working in or with a huge range of companies in the tech industry, from pre-seed startups to household names like Google. Knowing the context helps in coaching.

LGBT+ folx- I’m family myself, and I’ve worked with a wide range of people across the whole rainbow. One of my main clients is Consortium.lgbt, and I’m a speaker at diversity and inclusion events

Immigrants – where is ‘home’ for you? I’m from Ireland originally, have lived away from it for most of my life, and know how it feels to start in a new country.

Leadership questions – women in leadership; “impostors” in leadership roles. I’ve spent decades as a (female) senior manager in male dominated environments; and in the tech industry without any technical qualifications (my degree in English Lit, specialising in Anglo Saxon, proved less practical than I hoped). Even the most outwardly confident male clients I have suffer to some extent from impostor syndrome.