Testimonials
Obi was recommended to the World Cities Culture Forum by one of our city leaders and what a find!
She facilitated a leadership and inclusion session with senior leaders at our annual Summit bringing together 40 cities across six continents.
We took a hunch as we’d never worked with her before. The feedback from participants spoke for itself: overwhelmingly positive and candidly grateful.
Obi’s care and open approach to working with a range of issues, cultures and points so view is inspirational. Her generosity and positivity are contagious.
Everyone should have Obi in their professional life!
Laia Gasch
Director at World Cities Culture Forum
Obi recently participated in a virtual panel discussion at Microsoft with an impressive audience of 229 participants from around the globe.
Obi effortlessly created a safe environment for open discussions, allowing for a candid sharing of experiences and wisdom regarding the initial struggles of starting a book-writing journey. It was inspiring to witness her ability to engage with the audience and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with members applauding Obi’s profound knowledge and expertise.
Lily Satterthwaite
Regional Lead at Microsoft | Global Technical Women Committee Lead & Asians ERG Board Member | TEDxLondon TEAMx | Founder of Care, Share & Inspire, STEM Mentor #SocialMobility | Exec MBA & Women’s Club Cofounder @Quantic
The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), UK Chapter sought an experienced and knowledgeable professional to speak to and facilitate discussions with its members at its Quarterly meeting. The Topic of choice was ‘Succeeding in Today’s Hybrid Workplace’.
Obi James did an excellent job at asking us thought-provoking questions, sharing her knowledge and refining & redefining our thoughts through her insightful presentation and facilitation.
The feedback received from the attendees has been amazing with members applauding her depth and breadth of knowledge and leaving better equipped to serve as leaders in the emerging hybrid workplace.
Stella Nse Okuzu
Stella Okuzu (Social Secretary and Member of the Executive Committee of CIBN UK Chapter)
If you need a good head to help provide you with mind searching thinking that can provoke the best of you then Obi is your person. The very first session with her is still reverberating in my day to day activities today
Tomi Davies
Collaborator-in-Chief (CiC) at TVC Labs
Not available
Obi James facilitated 2 strategy days for the Royal African Society, which really helped us to grow and reflect collectively as a team.
Obi’s approach is very unique and holistic – she uses creative tools and exercises that promote team-building and help bring clarity of vision and purpose. Her team work has a transforming and lasting impact on both the individuals and the organisation as a whole.
I also received some leadership development coaching from Obi when I first became a senior manager at the Royal African Society, which enabled me to really step into my new role.
I would highly recommend her services and we shall continue to draw on her expertise in the future. In fact, we valued Obi’s contributions so much that we put her forward to be elected as a Council Member and Trustee of the Royal African Society in 2019, which means she is now an integral part of our charity’s strategic development and future direction.
Sheila Ruiz
Deputy Director, Royal African Society (RAS)
Obi’s first league facilitating skills shaped us, IQPC Finance Transformation Summit & Corporate Finance Executives 2016 participants into open-hearted and open-minded individuals straight in the very first 5 minutes of the event. The remaining 2 hours were run with the same constant level of energy, finely tuned to the mood of the audience, with Obi being always with us, encouraging and manoeuvring with a natural grace and ease.
Group dynamics, outputs of our discussions and her agenda created a monolithic structure, where the content simply slipped into our heads and remained there for good. I truly believe that Obi was prepared to present every single topic in a few possible ways and no distraction existed that could threaten her skills and objectives as workshop leader. These things contributed to my 100% satisfaction and I am positive they shall promise the same with regards to her any future projects.
Beata Rodzoch
Finance Lead, Head of Finance
When we requested Obi to open up our Hearts, Minds and Hands Expert Masterclass Series online for the People Profession in NHS Wales, we knew that Obi would offer something unique. Her insights and expertise in inclusive leadership is aligned to our aspirations to develop the people profession into a modern, inclusive and future-fit workforce to serve NHS Wales. Obi led a fully interactive and thought-provoking online event which highlighted the importance of power and self-awareness, which are key to inclusive leadership.
Obi is a warm and inviting speaker who offers her participants a safe space to show vulnerability, to reflect and learn, and to challenge their thinking. It has been a pleasure to work alongside Obi and I am grateful for the time we have spent together in planning and preparing for such a key event for our profession. Thank you for your warmth and generosity, Obi!
Toni Davies
Leadership and Succession Programme Manager at
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW)/Addysg a Gwella Iechyd Cymru (AaGIC)
I was leading an exciting initiative with lots of moving parts with different stakeholders and I was looking for a way to bring them together in a really constructive and productive way. We invited Obi to create a multi-part programme for us with smaller sub-team sessions designed to give people spaces within their respective teams to align around a common voice/representation for their sub-teams in preparation for one big global session.
The global session had sub-teams with different levels of power/privilege and with members that did not really know one another well. The feedback from their sessions was positive – the sub-teams felt they were able to understand each other better and share a united front which built their confidence to meet in the global team.
It meant that when we all got together, people were much more able to have a dialogue, establish where they were starting from, what it is that they wanted to share and what requests they had to make. It made the global session much more productive and there was a lot of really positive feedback from people about the space to do that, as well as a real keenness to carry on meeting. So, it helped reset everybody, re-energised our whole initiative and made everyone connect better as part of a big, meaningful puzzle – not just their piece of the puzzle. It was really a chance to stop, think together and to reconnect with the values, mission and purpose of the initiative.
Obi is really skilled at relationship building and is not fazed by conflict so effectively navigates through complexities. She has a really calm persona and that expertise of knowing how to find a way through the noise with a really powerful ability to constructively be with silence or challenge. That helped people to feel comfortable in sharing what they were really thinking and to surface the things that they were finding really difficult as well as the things that they were finding really positive. I think that is what enabled us to find that constructive way forward.
It was almost like a ground clearing so that we could all build from a renewed and solid foundation. I would highly recommend Obi and her team to any leader, team or organisation that wants to make a breakthrough in any area that they feel stuck, find challenging, complex or difficult.“
Kathleen Kelly
Director of Collaboration, Local Motion
Obi’s workshop on Self-Leadership and Career Progression was absolutely wonderful. It provides practical perspectives to my own professional development (what I want, why I want it, how I can get there). Her activities are meaningful and fun, aiding me to gain a deeper (self) reflection into my professional vision. I felt empowered, connected and hopeful.
Dr Kyara Rojas-Bustos
Critical Learning and Original Thinking. BEd, MA Ling, PGCE, PhD
Obi provides a great balance between encouragement and challenge. She has been my valued companion during a testing period. Her approach ensures a clear perspective and continued progress but is also flexible enough to adapt to bumps in the road. I will be keeping in touch!
Kirsten Giles
Chief Executive Officer at MedicAlert
I have had two coaches before who had helped me achieve great goals, and I was thus hesitant of getting a third coach. However, when I started coaching sessions with Obi I began to realise what an excellent coach she was. She is highly professional as evidenced by her well organised systematic approach to coaching. Every meeting with her has been objective and outcome based, building up my capacity to attain my goals and gradually strengthening my confidence as a leader.
For example, prior to the first meeting Obi advised me to fill in a template reflecting on my current leadership style and setting goals for my desired leadership style. During the first meeting, we discussed my objectives , expected outcomes and firmed them up, following which we met with my line manager to discuss his expectations and expected outcomes of the coaching. For my next meeting Obi conducted an online leadership practices assessment, soliciting responses from over 14 of my peers, direct reports, line manager and other colleagues.
This generated a very comprehensive report with analysis on how I model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart. This report has helped me realise my strengths and limitations, and has helped me begin strengthening some areas of my leadership. For example, I am now more able to challenge processes and to assert myself in a positive way.
Obi has been a pleasure to work with and has great interpersonal skills. I would highly recommend Obi to anyone who is looking to improve on their leadership skills.
Emily E.
Deputy Head of Education/Senior Education Adviser, Save the Children
I worked with Obi, who supported me on some specific Personal Development goals, for a little over a year, and was hugely impressed.
I found Obi to be an engaging and articulate person. She really helped me to get under the skin of my development objectives, to understand what was holding me back, and to build strategies that help me to advance in areas where I had previously not progressed my development as much as I would have liked.
Obi’s approach was a perfect balance between “supportive” and “challenging”, holding me accountable for my own development whilst helping to nudge me towards thinking about things that I otherwise wouldn’t have considered.
I particularly liked the breadth of tools and techniques that Obi had a great understanding of, with her ability to explain the science / logic behind human behaviour really enlightening, and helpful in framing my understanding of behaviours that I personally exhibit.
I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Obi again in the future, and would wholeheartedly recommend that anyone looking for support in their personal and professional development should have an initial conversation with her.
Nick Smith
Chief Lending & Product Officer, UK
A massive thank you to Obi for the coaching. It has really made me rethink my attitude to external coaching given the value I have taken from everyone in our sessions.
I have really developed on a number of different fronts – from how I interact with senior/GEC level executives in my organisation to setting up and interacting with my team at a more practical level.
I went into this experience slightly cynical but with Obi’s brilliant questioning/encouragement and explanation (the neuroscience concept really resonated with me) and emerged completely converted.
John Rankin
Director, Community Banking & Specialist Brands, Risk Division at Lloyds Banking Group
My team had never worked with a systems coach before, so there was a bit of fear of the unknown bringing Obi James Consulting in. We asked Obi to facilitate an away day with us to support us in thinking through some of the day to day challenges we face, managing a heavy workload with demanding stakeholders. We also wanted to strengthen our long term strategy, despite working in an environment in which priorities change a lot. Obi managed to maintain a clear structure while being responsive to our needs and even our mood. Her focus on ‘what’s emerging’ helped us to feel free to explore more possibilities and solutions than we ever have. As a result, we felt energised, hopeful and we had genuinely bonded as a team. We also left the session with a clear plan which felt authentic and true to our vision. We loved Obi’s mix of challenge and playfulness.
I would recommend Obi to any team who’s serious about making their working environment more human. She helped us scratch behind the surface of our work and really strengthen our relationships. Obi’s work is not for the faint-hearted. We all had to be brave together as a team.
Jeanette Bain-Burnett
Executive Director, Policy and Integrity at Sport England
Obi’s 12-month Senior Leadership Coaching programme has been a pivotal experience for our team, and its positive impact on our business is undeniable. Under Obi’s expert guidance, our self-awareness has seen remarkable growth, reshaping our communication into one that not only supports but propels us toward excellence in accountability, decision-making, and overall productivity.
The coaching process, expertly facilitated by Obi, has elevated the rhythm and focus of our conversations, emboldening us to challenge each other effectively and celebrate our unique strengths.
The journey has fostered synchrony within our team, enhancing cohesion and fostering a crystal-clear understanding of our roles and processes. The secure space for candid expression has deepened our mutual understanding and listening skills, resulting in a more united and appreciative team. Embracing diverse working styles, a cornerstone of Obi’s coaching philosophy, has unleashed our team’s creative potential, transforming perceived weaknesses into strengths. The profound impact on our business is evident as we observe heightened commitment, stronger alignment, more streamlined processes, and a tangible surge in our overall productivity.
SLT Leader
Financial Services
Obi worked with us at ActionAid UK to design and deliver a bespoke ‘Constructive Conversations’ workshop as part of a wider programme of work to embed ActionAid’s Feminist Leadership Principles.
This workshop has now reached nearly 200 employees helping them to recognise how they and others show up when being or feeling challenged in their relationships, and equipping them with the tools to handle disagreements more constructively.
Obi’s positivity, openness and personable nature alongside her professional expertise made her a true pleasure to work with. Her neuroscience background, understanding of human behaviour, ability to safely diagnose development needs and create bespoke solutions was exemplary; and she left us with tools that will serve us both in our workplace and beyond.
I’d recommend her to anyone wanting support improving leadership and relationships in the workplace.
Catherine G.
Senior Learning & Development Specialist | 1:1 ICF Coach | HR Generalist | Mental Health First Aider
I am delighted to commend the exceptional ‘Beyond the Battlefield’ and ‘Rising to the Challenge’ High Impact Military Leadership Development Programme conducted by Obi James Consultancy. This comprehensive initiative has had a profound impact on our mid-level and senior military leaders.
The one-week programme’s structure, encompassing modules on self-leadership, share leadership, and culture change leadership, has equipped our Leaders with invaluable leadership skills and insights. The practical tools and techniques provided have enhanced their self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and adaptability, making them more effective leaders both within and beyond the battlefield.
I am particularly impressed by the unanimous recommendation from the participants to extend and integrate this programme into our continuous military training. The positive testimonials from the ‘Unmasking Uniform’ and ‘The 5:1 Positivity Leaders’ accountability groups, underscore the transformational nature of this initiative. It is evident that the programme has reinvigorated our leaders’ commitment to inclusive leadership, empathy, and positive engagement.
I wholeheartedly recommend Obi James’ leadership development work to both private and public sector organizations in Nigeria, as it aligns with our vision for a more adaptive, inclusive, and effective leadership culture – both within the military and beyond. My sincere gratitude to Obi James and her team for their dedication and expertise in facilitating this essential transformation. I am proud of the value-added perspectives of the Programme to the transformational growth of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
General Lucky Irabor
Former Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria
The programme was exceptional, fostering open communication, feedback, and a sense of camaraderie within the team. I learned extensively about motivations, coaching structures, and effective probing questions, which I will apply in my daily leadership.
The emphasis on listening more and resisting the urge to fix everything resonated with me. It’s an approach I’ll bring to my team, fostering more meaningful conversations about mutual support.
Acknowledging the split role as a leader, encompassing both mentorship and coaching, was an important insight for me. I see the value in considering this proactively, wearing different leadership hats, as needed.
Coaching becoming a habit, stepping out of problem-solving mode, and asking open questions are transformative practices. The programme significantly supported me in adopting a coaching approach within my team.
Learning about the three stages of listening and understanding the ‘WHO’ as the driver of behaviour provided valuable insights. The programme inspired me to give more space for team members and set the stage for effective communication.
Listening more, focusing on the ‘who’ not the ‘what’, wearing different hats, and employing strategic pauses were valuable lessons. The programme content, coupled with a non-traditional format, created an engaging and inspiring learning environment.
The impact of the programme on giving more space for team members and focusing on intercultural influencing skills was significant. The format without a formal PowerPoint presentation was appreciated.
The acknowledgment of the three stages of listening and the role of ‘WHO’; as the driver of behaviour reshaped my leadership perspective. The programme instilled the importance of creating space for team members and setting the stage for effective communication.
