our story
why we do what we do
our story
We founded Seren Leadership after we were serendipitously brought together to run a multidisciplinary leadership development module on the Cranfield MBA back in 2013. After an intensive 8 days of delivery, lots of dialogue, a few glasses of wine and a lot of laughter, we had identified a lack of Conscious, Mindful, Transformational input in leadership development across our various experiences. Our backgrounds were variously in psychology, operational delivery and outdoor education, all with a focus on leadership and teaching. Between us we had facilitated hundreds of coaching sessions, team interventions, focus groups, interviews, training sessions, and experiential learning programmes with thousands of employees, students and leaders. We had repeatedly heard and experienced similar themes around challenging human dynamics at work that interfered with meaningful interactions, inspiring leadership, or authentic purpose.
We took our excitement and our ideas to a rustic retreat centre in the wilds of the Snowdonia mountain range for a long weekend of business planning, open water swimming and campfires, and a Seren, Welsh for star, was born. Seren Leadership was launched as a boutique practice of coaches and experts in Leadership and Development. We invited a range of colleagues who embody our values and ethos to join us. We came together as a company because our partners and associates share a commitment to working with individuals and organisations that are truly interested in embracing genuine change and undergoing intellectual, emotional and psychological growth.
We believe that what distinguishes good from great leaders, and organisations, is their ability to create and maintain collaborative, proactively developmental cultures where creativity and collective intelligence prosper. Seren works alongside you to align leadership development with your business goals and turn your vision into results. We recognise that there is no one-size-fits all when it comes to developing great leaders, so we go to great lengths to ensure that the services we provide are completely tailored to your specific needs.
We wanted to embody a fresh ethos around engaging authentically with people, challenging assumptions and cultural conventions, and nurturing the seeds that will help individuals and groups shift mindsets. We come from a wide variety of backgrounds with a truly eclectic sum of experiences, our magical mix, and we do things a bit differently! We are excited to bring that magical mix to bear for the benefit of your leadership development.
“There is always another layer of awareness, understanding, and delight to be discovered through synchronistic and serendipitous events.”
Hannelie Venucia
our values
Our mission is to help people and organisations to flourish and thrive.
Our Core Values influence our coaching approach and training experiences.
We believe that developing character, competence and connection is the basis for successful leadership.
Our values will influence the individuals and teams we work with to be curious and to grow intellectually, physically and emotionally.
authenticity
***Authenticity is the very nature of what is truthful. Authentic people are close to what they are, what they say, and what they do. In relationships, authenticity inspires a sense of trust and security. For us, authenticity is the greatest source of depth and quality in the development of any human relationship.
“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.”
Brené Brown
compassion
***Empathy is the capacity to “put ourselves in someone else’s shoes” and experience seeing the world from another perspective. An empathic person is aware of and understands the feelings and thoughts of the others, without necessarily agreeing with them. Our empathy, as coach, allows us to connect with our clients’ ways of thinking and bring them to view situations from different angles.
“Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.”
Dalai Lama
empowerment
the process of becoming stronger & more confident
We work with leaders to help them identify and best use their resources, take control over their situation and options, and have trust in themselves and their capabilities
The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.
Alice Walker
wisdom
***Making good decisions and judgements
Humanism is above all else, a positive perception of the human being, an appreciation of how people blossom through their ability to progress, develop, and make their own choices. Humanism is also seeing the differences between individuals as sources of personal growth. Humanism is always present in the relationship between the coach and the coachee through a deep respect of the humanity expressed expressed through individuals' diversity.
Be the change that you wish to see in the world
Mahatma Gandhi
integrity
***We believe that integrity is a foundational value for all human relationships. It embraces trust, honesty and respect. It invites a necessary level of questioning and reflection that lead to greater levels of personal and professional authenticity.
We learned about honesty and integrity – that the truth matters… that you don’t take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules… and success doesn’t count unless you earn it fair and square.
Michelle Obama
nurture
***It is through care and attention that we bring out the best in others. We demonstrate this through deep listening with our clients. Through being of service in this way, we nurture your self-belief and where you may feel self-doubt, we demonstrate our trust and belief in you, so that you are able to achieve success on your own terms.
“We think we listen, but very rarely do we listen with real understanding, true empathy. Yet listening, of this very special kind, is one of the most potent forces for change that I know."
Carl Rogers
“True leadership stems from individuality that is honest and sometimes imperfectly expressed…Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection.”
Sheryl Sandberg
our philosophy
the vision, ethos and passion behind what we do
At Seren Leadership we help develop leaders and transform organisations by igniting consciousness, engaging mindfulness, and transforming talent to ensure success that lasts.
We work at an individual level to focus your purpose, progress your leadership journey and enrich your wellbeing.
We work at an organisational level to develop your leaders, drive organisational strategy and transform your culture.
As a boutique leadership development consultancy, our team works alongside you to align leadership development and personal growth with your business or career goals and turn your vision into results. We believe in carefully tailoring our services to your needs, producing bespoke solutions in inspire leadership growth. Our compelling FAST approach (Focus, Aspire, Shine, Thrive) is committed to your purpose, growth, and success, and is designed to use practical applications, to help you and your team emerge from the ordinary and advance to the extraordinary. We create real engagement and learning that sticks by working in a creative, stimulating, challenging and fun way. We evolve and adapt our work to meet the changing work environment.
At Seren, we believe in taking a holistic approach both in the classroom and with our personalised coaching experiences. When you choose to work with us, you and your team will begin a journey of consciousness that will enable you realise potential and create success.
We personalise learning to develop authentic, courageous, and inclusive leaders and maximise human potential to achieve greater impact together. Through coaching, consulting, development journeys and thought leadership, our goal is to shape corporate leaders to lead consciously, mindfully and successfully from within.
Our approach is founded in our values, and in our ethos of supporting and developing Conscious, Mindful, Transformational leaders who flourish FAST.
Your situation…
You know you’re looking for something different.
Your job developing your team can be difficult, creatively challenging, and hugely rewarding.
You know something needs to shift – but you might struggle to put your finger on exactly what needs changing.
You know you need to reconnect, refocus, and re-energise your team.
Our promise…
We want you to feel engaged, safe, inspired, challenged, moved, and able to ‘evolve’ your perspective.
We want you to feel completely confident in our ability to support you.
We want you to feel refreshed by our open, honest, no bullshit approach and to be truly moved by the experience we facilitate for you.
You know you’re ready to be held to account – and you know you’re ready for a fresh perspective.
“Some really amazing things came out of it. It’s a real dedicated investment programme. You can’t go and buy this off the shelf.”
If you need…
If you, your leaders, and your teams need:
A damned good listening to, with someone who holds you to account
Energised conversations – outdoors or closer to home
An improvement in the quality of your team’s creative thinking
To explore and evolve new perspectives through a physical and metaphorical journey
To develop real trust, communicate honestly, and collaborate well in complex scenarios…
Then you also know you need the unforgettable experiences we offer.
