Hello,
I’m Jean Balfour!
I work 1:1 with senior leaders just like you to build emotional resilience and find fulfilment at work.
I’m an Executive Leadership Coach with a Master Certified Coach credential (one of only 4% of coaches globally) and Founder of Bailey Balfour, a global coach training academy.
I’ve worked with thousands of leaders and have over 5000 hours of 1:1 coaching experience alone.
My mission is to transform our experience of work and how we are led by working one-to-one with leaders.
More than ever before I believe we need leaders like you, who are relational, self aware and emotionally resilient.
Who are focused on being the best leader they can be. I also understand how challenging leadership can be, because I’ve been there.
I’ve held senior executive roles, been a non-executive director and chair of a not for profit organisation.
I founded and led a global coach training company.
I’ve stayed awake at night worrying about how to lead through complex and challenging times, worried about the board, or a sick employee.
Worrying about the economy, regulatory changes or how the political landscape will impact business.
How did I get here?
My career began in large, complex organisations, where I held senior leadership roles and sat on executive committees.
From the outside, I seemed to be at the peak of my career, but inside, I often felt uncertain, overwhelmed, and held back by self-doubt.
Despite my ambition, I struggled internally with confidence, battled an inner critic, and found it difficult to manage my emotions.
When I reached my first executive role, the pressure mounted, and I realised I needed to do the inner work.
What followed were years of coaching, training, academic learning, therapy, mindfulness and personal inquiry – which all continue to this day. With the right support, everything changes.
I’ve worked on my own triggers, limiting beliefs, confidence, and imposter syndrome.
All in service to being a better leader, coach, friend, colleague, and partner. A better person as a whole.
Even better – I know what fulfils me at work, and what to do if I don’t feel fulfilled.
And I can honestly say my life is rich, happy, fulfilling and joyful because of it.
Today, I’m honoured to walk alongside ambitious leaders as their trusted coach to build emotional resilience, navigate their own emotional challenges and find fulfillment at work.
I started my career in New Zealand in education, moving to London in my early 20s.
With ambition to be a senior leader I moved into Healthcare, quickly moved up through a series of roles and was a young senior leader and member of the executive team of a large organisation.
I loved this work, but could see that my happiest moments were when I was coaching and facilitating individuals and teams across the organisation and in my mid-thirties, left corporate life to set up on my own.
The rest, they say, is history!
In the 25 years since that moment I have worked with thousands of leaders from banking and professional services to healthcare, education, and tech and across cultures in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.
Living in Singapore for the past 10 years has deepened my understanding of leading in complex global organisations and I’ve seen first hand the complications of leading across culture, time zone and market.
This global perspective informs my deep respect for diverse views and ways of working. I am personally hungry for learning and growth. I read extensively and am always good for a book recommendation.
I continue to invest in my own development through regular supervision, ongoing training, reflective practice, and research.
The Results of my Clients.
The leaders I work with are brilliant, smart, driven, and successful.
On the outside, they seem to have it all together, but inside, many have felt unfulfilled, often experiencing overwhelm, anxiety, burnout, or stretched too thin.
Some doubt themselves or question their deeper purpose, while others struggle with difficult relationships at work.
What they all have in common is a sense of dissatisfaction with their work, their leadership, and their true selves.
They are looking for a partner to help them reengage with their leadership.
Over the past two decades as a leadership and executive coach, I’ve supported leaders through a wide range of challenges and transitions.
Lead with clarity, confidence, and calm - even in pressure-filled environments
Build boundaries and emotional intelligence, so they can handle challenges without burning out
Rediscover purpose and alignment, making values-based decisions and finding motivation again
Navigate organisational politics with ease and strengthen communication and presence, especially in difficult conversations and challenging settings
Handle workplace crises with resilience, whether it’s preparing for a promotion, recovering from feedback, or exploring new roles
Most importantly, they become fulfilled leaders who feel good inside, out and you deserve it too.
Here’s Your Next Action.
If you’re feeling ready to find fulfilment and make sense of your internal struggles, I’d love to connect. Book a free Strategy call so that we can identify:
– Your biggest challenges at work and in day to day leadership (whether it be team, navigating your board, or navigating change and decision making)
– Your one next step to help navigate your work – A plan to develop your emotional resilience + create fulfilment at work
Jean Balfour
Master Certified Coach, Leadership Coach and Founder of Bailey Balfour
Professional Background
Master Certified Coach (MCC) – International Coaching Federation (2021)
Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coach (2016)
Ashridge Accredited Executive Coach (2012)
Master's in Organisational Consulting, Hult Ashridge Executive Education (2010)
Dimensions Personality Assessment (Talent Q) (2013)
Hogan Assessment Certified Practitioner (2012)
MBTI® Certified Practitioner – Step I™ & Step II™, Global (2009)
FIRO® Certified Practitioner (2005)
