The Priority Academy

As the Owner, Trainer and Coach at The Priority Academy, I run a varied business that helps individuals and businesses. Whether that be to train as a Coach or as a Mental & Emotional Health Coach for businesses who support their employees.

Founder, Trainer and Coach

ExecOnline

As a Leadership Coach with ExecOnline I coach executives and leaders of global businesses, supporting them to achieve their key personal and business goals.

ExecOnline Leadership Coach

Graham Nicholls Strategic Coaching & Training

Strategic Life Coach, Trainer, Author

Priority Intervention Coaching

Results & Success Coaching
Anxiety, Depression & Stress Recovery

Professional Coach - Results Coaching, Anxiety Conitions Recovery

Tayto Group Limited

Interim Technical Consultant assisting with preparation for Tesco PIU Audit, responsibilities included:
- Complete HACCP System re-write
- Redevelopment of the Internal Auditing System
- Allergen Risk Assessment development

Interim Technical Consultant

Adelie Food Holdings

Full Technical responsibility for a sandwich production site including 
- QA Team
- Technical Services Team
- Process Control Team
- Hygiene Team
- Customer Management on site

Interim Technical Manager

SFQC

Working with SFQC offering my services as:

- Food Safety / Technical Consultant 
- Audit Consultant 
- Red Tractor Assurance Scheme Auditor

Consultant / Red Tractor Assurance Scheme Auditor

2 Sisters Food Group

Full Technical responsibility for a Poultry cutting and packing site, including:
- Managing the restructure of the Technical Team to achieve business KPI's
- Ensure Green Tesco PIU Audit
- Ensure A Grade BRC Audit
- Manage multiple retail customer relationships on site
- Write and Impliment Quality Improvement Plan
- Team Management & Coaching

Freshcook (Bakkavor)

Interim QA Manager

Weetabix

•	Complete Technical Management for 2 factories producing wheat biscuit & flake products
•	Audit, review and improve Quality & Technical Systems
•	Complete overhaul of Hygiene systems during tender and transition process 
•	Management of complaint reduction programme
•	Drive improvement standards 
•	Preparation for unannounced BRC Audit

Interim Quality & Compliance Manager

Making Coaching Training Accessible. Founder - CoachHive & The Priority Academy. Over 150,000 people trained. Follow me for posts on Coaching, EQ, Mental Health, Mindset and more.

What the world won't tell you....

Is that training and personal development doesn't have to cost the earth!

Follow my Step-by-Step Coaching Newsletter for regular updates on how to improve your coaching and grow your business and get your free copy of my Coaching Session Success Strategy Cheat Sheet:

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I help people help other people! 

An international best-selling training provider in the areas of Coaching, Mental Health, Emotional Intelligence and Mindset.

Coaching Coaches:
Expert guidance from someone with 20 years experience as a coach. 
Coaches, if you need help please get in touch. I'll bring my 20+years knowledge and experience with me to help you thrive!

Training:
Over the last 7 years I have trained over 150,000 people in 190+ countries in the areas of mental health, mindset, strategic life coaching, NLP, CBT, meditation, mindfulness and more.

I help coaches master their skills and build their sustainable and ethical coaching business.

My portfolio:
=> I'm the founder, trainer and head coach at The Priority Academy & CoachHive
=> I have produced hundreds of hours of training content
=> I have thousands of hours of coaching experience under my belt
=> I have 7 training programs that are international best sellers in their field
=> I've coached leaders at all C-Suite levels of their business

My results:
=> Hudreds of hours of training material produced
=> 150,000 people have been trained or are training
=> A rating of 4.7 out of 5 across over 32000 reviews
=> A community of over 36,000 people
=> I have trained people in 190 countries around the world

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GO HERE: https://www.thepriorityacademy.com/courses-individual/
To check out my courses and super value course bundles

Wishing you success in all you do.
Graham

I almost gave up on coaching.
I was done with it... until...

I realised success isn’t built on wins...
It’s built on what you learn from losing.

No one talks about the failures that happen 
after you’ve committed to your dream.

The quiet moments when nothing works.

→ The launch that flops.
→ The client who doesn’t renew.
→ The self-doubt that creeps in at 2am.

After 20+ years in coaching, 
I’ve been there more times than I can count.

And the truth is 

Success tests you the most 
when you feel furthest from it.

Failure can hurt your confidence
If you let it.

→ You start playing small.
→ You stop sharing your message.
→ You go through the motions, pretending to believe.

And slowly, the spark that made you start
Fades.

Most people fail...

Not because they lack skill or courage…
But because they lose the energy to try again.

That’s when I came across this quote:

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another
with no loss of enthusiasm.”
-Winston Churchill

(If you’ve been here before, this one’s for you.)

It’s not just a clever line
It’s a mindset.

And it changed how I show up every single day.

Here’s what I learned to do differently:
Which of these helped you bounce back from a setback?

1️⃣ Reframe failure as feedback.
Every “no” or missed goal reveals data 
Ask: What is this teaching me that success never could?

2️⃣ Detach your identity from the outcome.
You can fail at a project and still be brilliant at your craft.
Protect your self-worth from short-term results.

3️⃣ Find meaning in the process, not the prize.
When you fall in love with the work 
Failure becomes a temporary event, not a defining label.

4️⃣ Build an enthusiasm ritual.
After every setback, do one thing that reignites your energy 
Momentum starts small, but it compounds.

5️⃣ Surround yourself with people who see your potential
Sometimes, when you’ve lost your enthusiasm,
You need someone else to remind you of your fire.

So if you’re in that place now
doubting, tired, on the edge of quitting

Remember this: 👇 

Success isn’t about how many times you win.
It’s about how many times you choose to believe again.

Because the ones who succeed
aren’t the ones who never fall.

They’re the ones who refuse to lose heart when they do.

💾 Save this for next time failure hits, you’ll need it.
♻️ Repost because you know you are going to win.

➕ For mindset and success frameworks, follow Graham Nicholls

Graham Nicholls

Founder. Coaching Coaches & Leaders who coach. Coaching Training that doesn’t cost the earth! Over 150,000 people trained. Follow me for posts on Coaching, Leadership, Mental Health, Mindset and more.

This story still hurts him.
And it changed how he would lead forever.

She was the kind of person every team needs. 

She'd been with the company for years.
When she resigned, he was shocked.

He offered everything he could
But her answer cut deep.

"It's not about that. 
I just don't feel like I matter here anymore."

In my coaching work, I see this pattern constantly 
Leaders don't lose people; they lose connection.

He'd focused on performance. But not the people.

He assumed people knew they were valued,
But he rarely said it. Rarely showed it.

Rarely made them feel it.
And that's why good people leave.

Show your people they matter.
It's the least expensive part of leadership,

But it delivers the highest return.

Here are 7 simple ways to do that 👇

(you'll know these if you're a good leader)

1️⃣ Notice effort before outcome.
Catch people doing something right 
Even when the result isn't perfect. 
Recognition builds trust.

2️⃣ Ask questions that show care.
Not "How's the project going?" 
But "How are you doing with the project?" 
Small difference, huge impact.

3️⃣ Be consistent in your presence.
Leaders who show up only when things go wrong
Teach people to fear visibility. 
Be there in the calm too.

4️⃣ Give credit publicly.
Shine light on others' contributions. 
What you celebrate, you multiply.
And people notice.

5️⃣ Listen without fixing.
Sometimes people don't need answers. 
They need to feel heard 
Not managed.

6️⃣ Protect their wellbeing as much as performance.
A culture that values rest and respect
Outperforms one that glorifies exhaustion.
Make people the priority.

7️⃣ Say thank you and mean it.
Never underestimate the power of genuine appreciation. 
It costs nothing but changes everything.
Thank you.

That day he learned the simplest leadership truth: 

People don't leave jobs; 
They leave when they stop feeling they matter.

So if you lead others
Remember this: 👇 

Show your people they matter.

It's free to give,
But it's priceless to receive.

💾 If this hits home, save it for your next 1:1.
♻️ Repost to help another leader remember what really matters.

✅ Follow me, Graham Nicholls for more on leadership, mindset, and emotional intelligence.

Founder. Coaching Coaches & Leaders who coach. Coaching Training that doesn’t cost the earth! Over 150,000 people trained. OUT NOW - Burnout Coach & Trainer Certification. See Featured section below!

A terrible fear crashed in on him 
One he'd never admitted to anyone...

"Did any of this actually matter?"
(and that hurt a little more than he expected)

His leadership legacy didn't just fade
It disappeared without a trace.

Your true legacy as a leader

Isn't in what you leave behind
It's in the people who lead because of you.

Leadership convinces you to measure your value.

→ In targets hit, 
→ In goals achieved, 
→ In fires extinguished.

Someone asked him...
"How do I know if I'm becoming a good leader?"

The easy answer was performance metrics.
Deadlines. Output. KPIs.

But in that moment
The answer came to him...

And it's an answer he should have known
many years before. But didn't.

"You'll know you're leading well when
the people you lead become leaders themselves"

Jack Welsh said it better than anyone:

"Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. 
When you become a leader, success is all about growing others."

A true leadership legacy is built quietly, 
in moments like:

• The mistake you turn into a lesson
• The opportunity you give not guard
• The encouragement that unlocks confidence
• The conversation that changes their direction
• The belief you hold until they hold it themselves
• The trust you extend when they doubt themselves

If you want to understand the true strength of your leadership,

Don't look at what you've achieved.
Look at who is rising because of you.

Legacy isn't the work you complete.
It's the leaders you leave behind to continue the work.

Who will carry on because of you?
Who will lead because you believed in them?
And what part of your leadership will live on in others?

That is legacy.
And it's the only kind that lasts.

💾 Save this as a reminder of the legacy you're building today.
♻️ Repost to help other leaders focus on what truly endures.

✅ If you want more on human-centred leadership, I share practical lessons every week. Follow me here => Graham Nicholls

I had to learn to coach for impact 
These frameworks helped me do just that.

When I first started coaching,

I thought my job was to ask the right questions,
listen deeply, and help people find their own answers.

And while that helped…
It didn't transform.

Clients left with insight 
But not always with impact.

That's when I realised something powerful:

Coaching isn't about what happens in the session.
It's about what changes after it.

Early on, I confused good conversations
with good coaching.

It wasn't because they lacked effort 
It was because I lacked structure.

Without a clear framework,

Coaching becomes a conversation that fades
Instead of a catalyst that lasts.

That realisation changed everything.

Over 20 years, I've studied what made the difference
Between surface-level coaching and deep, lasting change.

And it came down to this:

The right frameworks turn reflection into results,
Conversation into clarity, and guidance into growth.

Here are the 7 frameworks that transformed my coaching 👇
(Which of these do you recognise?)

📈 1. GROW Model
 (Goal – Reality – Options – Will)
 → Clarify goals and break them into achievable steps.
 → Encourages structured thinking without overwhelm.

🎯 2. SMART Goals
 (Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Relevant – Time-bound)
 → Transforms ambitions into trackable actions.
 → Keeps clients accountable to deadlines.

☸️ 3. Wheel of Life
 → Offers a holistic view of a client's key life areas.
 → Highlights imbalances driving stress or frustration.

🪟 4. Johari Window
 → Enhances self-awareness and understanding.
 → Encourages clients to explore blind spots.

🦾 5. ABCDE Model
 (Adversity – Belief – Consequence – Disputation – Energisation)
 → Helps clients challenge limiting beliefs.
 → Strengthens resilience by reframing situations.

💬 6. Transactional Analysis
 (Parent – Adult – Child States)
 → Reveals communication patterns.
 → Helps clients recognise when they're reacting emotionally.

✅ 7. OSCAR Model
 (Outcome – Situation – Choices – Actions – Review)
 → Focuses on solutions rather than problems.
 → Encourages ownership and responsibility.

These 7 tools became the backbone of my coaching.

They gave every session direction,
Every client progress, and every conversation purpose.

Remember this:

Great coaching isn't about talking.
It's about transforming.

So whether you're a coach or a leader who coaches

Don't just guide.
Create impact.

Which of these frameworks do you rely on most?

➕ Follow Graham Nicholls for more on coaching, mindset, and leadership frameworks.

💾 Save this for your coaching toolkit.
♻️ Repost it to help another coach level up.

✅ Frameworks, powerful questions, free courses and more...
Grab your free Coaching Content Vault here ↓

https://lnkd.in/eP_2xrPa

Your team feels your emotions before your words
And I got taught a powerful lesson.

Your emotions arrive
before your words ever do.

It was supposed to be a simple check-in.

But I walked into that room 
carrying a storm inside me.

I didn’t say anything negative.
I didn’t raise my voice.
I didn’t snap.

But the team shifted instantly.
A heaviness settled over the room

And I remember thinking:
“Why is everyone so off today?”

They weren’t off. I was.
And that would change how I lead.

One of my team members pulled me aside.
Quietly. Gently. Bravely.

“When you walked in, we all felt something was wrong… 
so we held back.”

Because my emotional energy filled the room
before my agenda did.

That moment hit me hard
Harder than any feedback I’d ever received.

Your emotional state is the loudest voice in the room 
even when you’re silent.

I had to change. I had to change me.

My state.
My regulation.
My awareness.

I had to rebuild how I lead
One pattern at a time.

Here are the 7 emotional leadership behaviours 
I now teach every leader 

The ones that rebuild trust, stability, 
and psychological safety 👇

1️⃣ Regulate before you communicate
Your emotions transfer before your message lands.
“Is the state I’m in helping or hurting the room?”

2️⃣ Enter the room with intention
Leaders set the tone... consciously or unconsciously.
“What energy does my team need from me today?”

3️⃣ Acknowledge pressure without projecting it
Honesty builds trust; emotional dumping breaks it.
“How can I share the truth without shifting the burden?”

4️⃣ Slow your pace to calm the space
When you rush, others tense. Pause.
“What changes if I take a breath before I respond?”

5️⃣ Stay emotionally consistent
Predictability creates safety. Safety creates performance.
“Would my team describe me as steady?”

6️⃣ Create space for emotional honesty
The quieter the room, the more people hold back.
“Who needs permission to speak today?”

7️⃣ Reflect on your impact daily
Leadership isn’t about perfection; it’s about responsibility.
“How did my presence shape the room today?”

The moment you stop leading from pressure
and start leading from presence...

Your team didn’t just perform better…
They trusted you more.

Leadership isn’t what you say.
It’s who you are.

💾 Save this for the moments your state matters more than your strategy.
♻️ Repost this for a leader who needs it

✅ Follow for more emotional leadership frameworks => Graham Nicholls

7 leadership behaviours that give you an advantage

I hated it
But leadership isn’t about being liked…

It’s about being trusted.

I had to make a decision the team didn’t want.

Not because it was easy.
Not because it was popular.

But because it was the right one.

The thought hit me:
“They’re going to hate me for this.”

Part of me wanted to soften it.
To compromise. To choose harmony.

But leadership isn’t about avoiding discomfort.
It's about embracing it.

Leadership can feel brutally lonely
When carrying a decision others don’t yet understand.

Then…
Someone from the team pulled me aside:

“I didn’t like your decision at first…
But I see now why you made it.”

This is what leadership means.

Being liked is optional.
Being trusted is essential.

Here are 7 behaviours every leader needs:

1️⃣ Communicate the “why,” not just the “what.”
People can accept hard decisions 
When they understand the purpose behind them.

2️⃣ Hold your nerve when things get uncomfortable.
Confidence is contagious 
Your steadiness becomes their anchor.

3️⃣ Stay consistent in your actions.
Trust grows when your behaviour doesn’t change 
With the room you’re in.

4️⃣ Admit what you don’t know.
Vulnerability builds credibility, 
Not weakness.

5️⃣ Listen to the frustration, not just the feedback.
Emotions are data 
They reveal what people truly need from you.

6️⃣ Make decisions based on values, not popularity.
Favourite leaders come and go. 
Trusted leaders endure.

7️⃣ Follow through on every promise.
Nothing strengthens trust 
Faster than reliability.

Leadership isn’t about being liked today.
It’s about being respected tomorrow.

It’s the quiet trust
that forms long after the noise of disagreement fades.

Sometimes, the decision they resist
becomes the decision they thank you for.

💾 Save this if you’re navigating a hard leadership decision.
♻️ Repost to help other leaders choose trust over approval.

✅ For more human-centred leadership insight, follow Graham Nicholls

Leaders don't need to be liked

One action gave her more respect
Than any promotion ever did.

Respect has nothing to do with other people.

For years, she thought respect came from results.

→ Deliver more.
→ Work harder.
→ Say yes to everything.

But it didn't.
It came from one simple shift. 

How she showed up.

Like many professionals, 
she thought effort was enough.

So she stayed late, stayed quiet, and stayed agreeable.

She wanted to be helpful.
Instead, I became overlooked.

Because when you don't protect

→ Your time, 
→ Your energy, 
→ Or your voice
 
People stop valuing them too.
And I see it every day with my coaching clients.

Here's what she learned 👇

Respect doesn't start with how others treat you.
It starts with how you treat yourself.

🔥 Behaviours that destroy respect:

(I bet you recognise some of these)

→ Saying yes when you mean no.
→ Apologising for things you didn't do wrong.
→ Avoiding conflict to keep the peace.
→ Over-explaining your decisions.
→ Letting deadlines drift without communication.
→ Taking credit from fear, or avoiding it from doubt.
→ Staying silent when you disagree.
→ Complaining instead of leading change.
→ Waiting for permission to act.
→ Treating everyone's priorities as more important than your own.

But there is another way.

💪 Behaviours that build respect:

→ Speaking with calm conviction, even when challenged.
→ Saying no with clarity and yes with commitment.
→ Taking ownership of your time, results, and growth.
→ Listening deeply before you respond.
→ Communicating early and honestly.
→ Giving credit freely and owning mistakes fully.
→ Holding boundaries without apology.
→ Following through every single time.
→ Asking for feedback and using it to grow.
→ Leading through consistency, not control.

I was taught to respect everyone,
no matter their position.

Remember this: 👇 

You can't earn respect from others
Until you respect yourself.

Because your actions tell the world
What you believe about your own worth.

And when that belief is strong 
Respect follows naturally.

✅ Follow me Graham Nicholls for more on mindset, leadership, and growth.

💾 Save this as a reminder to respect yourself daily.
♻️ Repost to help someone strengthen their professional presence.

Blind to her own potential
Something was lying to her...

She almost rejected the opportunity 

Not because she lacked the skills...
Because fear sounded more convincing than fact.

Imposter syndrome is lying to you
And it was lying to her as well.

She stared at the job description for hours.

"I've never done that."
"I only meet about 60% of this."
"Someone else would be a better fit."

"They'll see right through me."

→ It didn't matter that she was talented.
→ It didn't matter that people believed in her.

After coaching many through imposter syndrome
I've learned this truth:

Imposter syndrome doesn't shout.
It whispers. Quietly. Persistently.
 
When she gathered the courage to apply...
They didn't hire her résumé.

They hired her possibility.

Someone, right now, already sees something in YOU.
If you've doubted yourself, this is for you 👇 

The 5-Step Reframe for Imposter Syndrome

1️⃣ Recognise the Real Voice
Separate your fear from your ability.

2️⃣ Reclaim Your Evidence
List what you have achieved.

3️⃣ Redefine "Qualification"
Define success in your own terms
 
4️⃣ Reframe the Gap
Write where you meet the criteria.

5️⃣ Respond With Action
Confidence comes because you leapt.
 
Someone out there sees your potential.
Your job is to catch up to the version of you they see.

So ask yourself:

Who took a chance on you?
When you were convinced you weren't ready?

You're far more qualified than your fear suggests.

Don't wait to feel ready 
Act, and readiness follows.

💾 Save this for the days your imposter syndrome gets loud.
♻️ Repost to help someone who deserves more belief than they currently hold.

➕ PS: I write about confidence, coaching and overcoming self-doubt. Follow for more => Graham Nicholls

Reframing Imposter Syndrome

One meeting taught me everything I know about empathy
Because she was almost in tears.

The leader didn't seem to care.
That moment shifted my leadership forever.

Empathy isn't soft leadership.
It's the strongest skill you can develop.

Nearly 9 out of 10 employees say they'd stay longer 
At a business with empathetic leaders.

Unfortunately, most leaders still treat empathy 
As if it's optional.

When empathy isn't part of leadership:

⚠️ Trust disappears faster than you can rebuild it
⚠️ Teams become guarded 
⚠️ Innovation crashes because people stop talking
⚠️ Turnover costs you your top talent 
⚠️ Burnout spreads like a virus

But when empathy leads the way

🌿 People bring all of themselves to work
🌿 Difficult conversations become easier
🌿 Your team fights for you and with you
🌿 Performance improves when people feel valued
🌿 Loyalty becomes unbreakable

The EMPATHETIC Framework for Leaders:
(This changed everything for me and my team)

E — Engage: Listen to understand, not to reply. 
M — Mirror: People need to feel seen before they can be led.
P — Pause: Great leaders respond with thought, not impulse.
A — Acknowledge: Recognition is healing.
T — Trust: Build it through honesty and consistency.
H — Humility: Empathy thrives where ego doesn't.
E — Empower: Support people in finding their own solutions.
T — Tolerance: Growth needs safety.
I — Integrity: Empathy without follow-through is manipulation.
C — Connection: Lead with heart. 

I've learned this the hard way:
(remember this...)

Empathy doesn't mean lowering standards.

It means understanding the human behind the performance.
(read that again)

The leaders who understand this 
Build unshakeable trust.

The ones who don't 
Watch their best people walk out the door.

Your team is watching how you respond to their struggles.
What message are you sending?

💬 What's one way you show empathy at work?

➕ For more empathy based leadership insights, follow Graham Nicholls

♻️ Repost if you know empathy changes cultures
and save this so you can review it before the next tough conversation.

The Empathetic Leadership Framework

My biggest growth happened in silence 
Long before anyone knew what I was doing.

The truth? 

If you're quietly growing in your career or leadership
You're in the right place to thrive.

When I first started training as a coach over 20 years ago,
I didn't tell a single person.

Back then, I wasn't confident.

I wasn't "a coach."
I wasn't anything special.

I just knew something needed to change.

So I started alone.
Quietly. Privately.

I doubted myself constantly.
I questioned whether I was good enough.

And because no one knew, there was

No reassurance.
No encouragement.
No accountability.

Just me and my doubts.
But that was the gift.

Those months of studying, practising, failing, learning
Changed me.

Not just as a coach. As a person.
And it built the foundation

For every client success I've seen since.

So, if you're in that unseen season right now,

Here are 7 ways to grow when nobody is clapping yet
That I've learned in all my years of coaching 👇

1️⃣ Learn deeply, not loudly.
Grow from curiosity, not from the need to be seen.

2️⃣ Practise even when it feels pointless.
Repetition without applause builds mastery. 

3️⃣ Build self-trust by showing up for yourself.
When no one is watching, consistency becomes identity.

4️⃣ Track your progress privately.
Keep a simple daily log; it compounds quickly.

5️⃣ Use your doubts as data, not judgment.
Every insecurity reveals your next layer of growth.

6️⃣ Set boundaries to protect your focus.
You don't grow in chaos. You grow in intention.

7️⃣ Celebrate the small wins
Quiet milestones are the foundations.

Your private growth becomes your public strength.

If you're growing quietly right now,
wondering if it's enough…

Believe me:
You're not behind. You're being built.

Because quiet growth...
That's where coaches and leaders are forged.

💾 Save this for the days when you're growing quietly.

Follow me Graham Nicholls for practical, experience-backed tools to grow your impact as a coach or leader.

"I'll try" => the expensive lie we tell ourselves.
For her, that one sentence shattered her story

For years, she lived in "almost."
"Almost ready."

(Sound familiar?)

It became her comfort zone.

In one of our coaching sessions 
The truth became clear.

And in 20 years of coaching I've seen it many times.
It was hesitation dressed as effort.

Deep down, she knew it.

She'd been offered an opportunity.
Her first reaction?

"I'll try my best."

But the truth hit her just as quickly:
Trying meant nothing would change.

Trying was survival.
But deciding?

Deciding was identity.

She realised she wasn't waiting for confidence.
She was waiting for courage.

Here are 12 things to stop saying today:
You'll start to notice them everywhere.

❌ I'll try...
❌ I'm not sure yet…
❌ Maybe later…
❌ Let me think about it...
❌ What if this doesn't work?
❌ I just need a little more time...
❌ I'll wait for the right time...
❌ I don't feel ready…
❌ I'll see how things go…
❌ Let me get back to you…
❌ I need more information...
❌ It might be better if I wait.

12 things to kickstart your decisions:

✅ I've decided…
✅ This is the direction...
✅ I'm moving forward with this.
✅ Here's my next step.
✅ I choose progress.
✅ I'll create clarity via action.
✅ I don't need to feel ready...
✅ I'm making space for this.
✅ I'm choosing this option.
✅ This is worth the discomfort 
✅ I trust myself to figure it out.
✅ I'm getting started

Your life doesn't change when you try harder.
It changes when you decide differently.

Because your destiny
Is defined by your decisions.
(read that again)

💾 Save this for the day you need courage more than confidence.
♻️ Repost for those who want to thrive.

✅ For more actionable insights, follow Graham Nicholls

The glass shattered... and so did I.
That was the moment I realised...

Burnout had broken more than my routine. 

It had broken me.

I sat there amongst the broken glass
I didn’t even see it coming.

More than 20 years ago
I was diagnosed with stress, depression, and anxiety.

Back then, we didn’t really talk about burnout.

I thought I was just tired.
Just dealing with pressure like everyone else.

But burnout doesn’t happen overnight.

It builds... quietly
until one small moment finally makes you snap.

For me, it was a glass slipping from my hand.

It hit the floor and shattered.
And I followed it down, completely undone.

Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse.
It looks like holding it together for too long.

It looks like performing through pain
and calling it professionalism.

According to Mental Health UK,
90% of people experience high or extreme stress levels.

Here are the 7 Hidden Signs of Burnout 
The ones I wish I’d recognised sooner 👇

(How many do you recognise in yourself?)

🧠 Your Decision Tank is Empty
 → Simple choices feel exhausting.
 → You keep postponing key decisions.

💡 Creativity Has Gone Silent
 → Creative thinking feels forced.
 → Innovation seems like a burden.

⭐ Your Impact Feels Hollow
 → Wins don’t energise you anymore.
 → Purpose seems clouded.

🤝 Relationships Are Slipping
 → You’re avoiding conversations.
 → Empathy requires extra effort.

🛡️ Your Guard Is Always Up
 → Feedback feels like criticism.
 → Vulnerability seems dangerous.

⏰ Your Time Has Lost Structure
 → Everything feels urgent.
 → You can’t remember your last real break.

🪞 Your Internal Mirror Shows Changes
 → Confidence is wearing thin.
 → Imposter syndrome is getting louder.

(If you see yourself in even one of these, pause.)

That’s how burnout hides
Not behind failure,

But behind people who care too much,
For too long, without caring for themselves.

I got help.
I learned what recovery really means.

And it changed everything. 

Here’s how I began to rebuild 👇

🎯 Rebuild Your Foundation
 → Block thinking time in your calendar.
 → Protect your energy boundaries.
 → Start each day with clear intention.

⚡ Reconnect With Purpose
 → Remember your “why.”
 → Focus on impact, not activity.
 → Celebrate small wins again.

🌱 Restore Your Energy
 → Make space for strategic solitude.
 → Invest in deep, meaningful conversations.
 → Choose growth over grinding.

I share this because I see it every day. 

Leaders, coaches, and professionals
Quietly running on empty,

Remember this:

You don’t have to hit breaking point to change.

You just have to recognise the cracks 
Before everything shatters.

Because your life, your energy, and your wellbeing
are worth far more than your output.

✅ Follow Graham Nicholls for insights on preventing burnout and rebuilding balance.

💾 Save this; you’ll need it on the day you don’t see burnout coming
♻️ Repost to help someone recognise burnout before it’s too late.

7 Hidden Signs of Burnout - And How to Recover

Ever wonder why innovation dies in perfect teams?
No one challenged him anymore.

He didn't fire anyone. He did something much worse.
He made it unsafe to be wrong.

→ Meetings ran smoothly.
→ Everyone agreed quickly.
→ No one pushed back.

I've seen this pattern in so many leaders
when coaching them

Schools don't teach us how to learn
They teach us how to not be wrong.

And leadership can be exactly the same.

From the outside, it appears to be high-performance.
But underneath, innovation has died.

When a leader builds a culture of compliance
People stop thinking out loud.

People don't stay silent because they have nothing to say.
They stay silent because it's not safe to speak.

And that's how great ideas die.
 
The best leaders don't create fear.
They create freedom.

Here's how to shift your leadership 👇
(you'll start seeing these everywhere)

Don't do this 👇

🔹 Correct people mid-sentence
🔹 Expect polished answers every time
🔹 React defensively when challenged
🔹 Hide your own mistakes
🔹 Reward only results

Do this instead 👇

 ✅ Listen before you respond 
 Seek to understand before correcting.
 
✅ Value curiosity 
Praise good questions, not just good answers.

✅ Invite disagreement 
Treat challenge as a sign of engagement.

✅ Own your own mistakes 
Model what learning really looks like.

✅ Reward honesty and effort 
Growth lives in transparency.

When it's safe to fail, it's safe to try.

The leaders who make it safe to be wrong
unlock something rare:

Commitment, creativity, and courage.
And that's where growth begins.

Leadership isn't about being right.
It's about being real enough to listen.

💾 If this resonates, save it for when you need the reminder
and ♻️ repost it so that it can resonate with others

➕ For more leadership growth insights follow Graham Nicholls.

Back then, we didn't call it burnout.
We just called it "pushing through."

25 years ago, my body gave up before I did.
Stress. Depression. Anxiety. All at once.

It was the worst time of my life!
I'd been living at full speed for too long.

→ Chasing goals 
→ Ignoring rest
→ Pretending I was fine.

And somewhere in between, 
I lost myself completely.

For a long time, I felt ashamed.
How could I have fallen apart?

But burnout isn't weakness.
It's the body's emergency brake 

The final act of self-preservation.

I promised myself that if I ever made it through,
I'd help others do the same.

That promise became my purpose.

Over the last 20 years as a coach,

I've worked with countless professionals 
Travelling between ambition and exhaustion.

Now, I've created something 
I wish I'd had back then

The Burnout Recovery Roadmap 

→ Here's the first thing every client realises in Phase 1: 
Burnout isn't failure, it's feedback.

Here's what that journey looks like 👇
(There's more info in the carousel)

✅ Phase One: Awareness & Recognition 
The moment you stop pretending.
Accepting that you're burning out 
is the first brave step.

✅ Phase Two: Stabilisation & Rest
You can't heal at the same pace that broke you.
This phase is about slowing down, rebuilding energy, 
and creating space to breathe again.

✅ Phase Three: Inner Work & Identity
Here, you begin to explore what led you here
The patterns, the pressure, the beliefs.
It's where self-awareness becomes clarity.

✅ Phase Four: Rebuild & Redesign
You start to rebuild from the inside out.
Values, priorities, and boundaries.
You learn to work with yourself, not against yourself.

✅ Phase Five: Integration
This is where recovery transforms into resilience.
You rediscover purpose, energy, 
and a new, sustainable way to succeed.

Burnout once broke me.

But it also rebuilt me 
Stronger, softer, and infinitely more self-aware.

And if you're there right now, feeling lost, drained, or defeated,
Please know this:

You're not broken.
You're being asked to rebuild.

💾 Save this if you're in recovery or know someone who needs it.
♻️ Repost to help someone else begin their recovery journey.

✅ Follow me, Graham Nicholls for more on burnout recovery, mindset, and emotional wellbeing.

Creating a Burnout Recovery Roadmap

He didn't come looking for a breakthrough.

He came because he was stuck.

This happens to leaders so often
And it boils down to one thing.

Most people don't like hearing it 
They hate this question.

Only the strongest leaders answer it honestly.

This transformative question
is only three words long.

He kept telling his team, his peers, even himself:

"I'm trying my best."
"I'm doing everything I can."
"I'm just under a lot of pressure."

He wasn't failing because of a lack of talent.
He was failing because of a lack of honesty.

And this is where so many careers stall.

Halfway through our coaching session, 
something cracked.

He whispered:

"I'm scared I'm falling behind... 
and I don't want anyone to see it."

That was the moment I asked him the question
That I reserve for the turning points in someone's career:

"What's the truth?"

He thought vulnerability was a weakness.
Once he confronted it,

His leadership sharpened.
His confidence returned.

Because here's the uncomfortable truth:

Leaders don't grow by trying harder.
They grow by being braver with themselves.

Here's my 5-step leadership breakthrough framework

The same one I use with executives, founders, 
and senior leaders worldwide 👇

1️⃣ Name the truth
Growth demands honesty 
long before it demands action.

2️⃣ Identify the cost of not changing.
Leadership stagnates when comfort wins. 
Progress requires discomfort.

3️⃣ Own what's yours
Accountability accelerates careers. 
Self-blame destroys them.

4️⃣ Choose one courageous action today.
Movement breaks fear faster 
than motivation ever will.

5️⃣ Commit before doubt returns.
Decisions shape identity. 
Identity shapes leadership.

You might be one honest answer away
from your next level.

Because clarity never destroys
It builds strength and resilience.

💾 Save this for the moment honesty becomes your turning point.
♻️ Repost to show you know the truth

➕ Ready for more leadership and mindset insights? Follow Graham Nicholls

I stopped telling myself BS excuses...

And gave my potential the room to thrive.

Everything changes when 
You stop giving yourself a way out

I had a routine I knew mattered to me
Morning reading, mindset work, and coaching practice.

But every morning, 
I’d still tell myself the same quiet lies

I now coach clients through this
Every day.

“It won’t matter if I skip just once.”
But “once” always becomes twice and more.

High performance doesn’t collapse overnight.
It erodes quietly.

Eventually, 
You forget you ever had standards.

My excuses weren’t the problem.
My negotiations with them were.

So I made a decision
“No more negotiations.”

And within weeks, everything shifted:

My energy. My focus.
My discipline. My consistency.

Your identity strengthens
Every time you follow through on a promise to yourself.

Here are the 7 insights that will help you
Because they help my clients to level up:

1️⃣ Decide your non-negotiables in advance

Never decide in the moment.
Choose your standards before the day begins.

2️⃣ Reduce the friction, not the goal

Make the habit easier, not smaller.
Create an environment where success wins.

3️⃣ Start with “the minimum viable win”

Five minutes of consistency 
beats one hour of inconsistency.

4️⃣ Recognise your most common excuse pattern

Is it time? Fear? Fatigue?
Knowing the pattern helps you stop falling for it.

5️⃣ Anchor your behaviour to identity, not emotion

Don’t ask, “Do I feel like it?”
Ask, “Who am I becoming?”

6️⃣ Use accountability that protects your standards

A partner, a journal, a routine
Something outside your emotions that keeps you aligned.

7️⃣ Track only one thing: Did you show up today?

Not perfectly. Not impressively.
Just truthfully. Yes or no.

Consistency is what unlocks 
every level of high performance.

When I stopped negotiating with my excuses,

I didn’t become someone new 
I became someone consistent.

If you’re tired of being stuck between who you are

Start where I did:
Stop negotiating with the voice that wants you comfortable

Discipline isn’t loud. It’s the quiet choice you keep.

💾 Save this for the days your excuses feel louder than your potential.
♻️ Repost to show you are quitting the negotiations with yourself

✅ Follow me Graham Nicholls for insights that help you thrive.

Growth felt like he was falling backwards.
And that's why he almost quit.

At the time, he felt like a failure.

Every effort was heavy.
Every step forward felt like sliding back.

And he thought, 
"If it's this hard, maybe I'm not cut out for it."

One thing I've learned
From 20 years as a coach:

No one warns you that progress 
Rarely feels like progress.

→ You doubt your ability.
→ You question your choices.
→ You feel resistance and assume it's a sign to stop.

He still remembers sitting in his car 
Wondering why trying so hard felt so impossible.

And that's when the truth hit him 
Growth always feels wrong before it feels right.

You feel:

 📉 Weak before you feel strong.
 📉 Confused before you feel clear.
 📉 Terrified before you feel brave.

It's the same in every area of life:

💪 The gym makes you sore before it makes you strong.
🧠 Learning makes you doubt before it makes you confident.
💎 Investing in yourself feels risky before it pays off.
🦁 Facing your fears feels terrifying before it sets you free.

What part of your growth journey has felt the hardest?

Growth hides behind friction.
Yet every breakthrough demands it.

He didn't know it then,

But those moments of discomfort 
Were proof that he was growing.

Here's what he discovered 👇

→ Start before you feel ready.
Courage is built in motion, not in waiting.

→ Learn before you feel confident.
The lessons arrive after the leap, not before it.

→ Stretch before you feel certain.
Growth never happens in the comfort zone. 

He kept going.
Falling. Rising. Repeating.

Because the only true failure
is letting temporary discomfort stop permanent growth.

One day the struggle will make sense.

Not because it was easy, 
But because it shaped who you became.

💾 Save this for the next time resistance makes you doubt yourself.
♻️ Repost to help someone else keep going when it hurts.

✅ Follow me, Graham Nicholls for more stories on mindset, resilience, and growth.

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