Paying it Forward: The Role of the Thinking Partner

Julie explains how part of her motivation for applying to the Churchill Fellowship was to be able to connect with ‘thinking partners’, people with shared experiences and knowledge to help her work through issues. In a full turn of the circle, this is now a role she fulfils for the people she coaches, including members of the Churchill Fellowship management team.

I first heard about the Churchill Fellowship when I was talking to a colleague in the hospital canteen. As a Churchill Fellow herself, who had undertaken learnings in the Nordics, she suggested I would benefit from talking to other experts in the field from elsewhere in the world – to connect with thinking partners. The next thing I knew, a leaflet had landed on my desk, and its message of learning from the world to inspire change in the UK absolutely spoke to me.

I was incredibly fortunate to be awarded a Fellowship which then allowed me travel to the USA and Canada where I met some extraordinary people who helped inspire my work with bereaved children. But as well as fuelling my enthusiasm and assisting my work, my Fellowship, plus the support from the Fellowship team, has enabled me to achieve so much more.

In my early career, I was firmly rooted in the NHS and never considered myself as an entrepreneur but through the confidence I gained, and the guidance and encouragement from the Fellowship, I was able to branch out and founded the children’s charity, Winston’s Wish.

I had no experience of running a business – I’d never been involved in anything remotely like it. But in a subtle way the Fellowship provided advice on the fundamental pillars of setting up and managing a charity. That is something that I will be forever grateful for. From ideas around marketing to how to scale the idea, to making sure Winston’s Wish was a sustainable concept that stayed true to its values, the support I received was invaluable.

Over the last 30 years, it has grown from a local community interest business supporting 250 bereaved children to now helping over 68,000 children annually. We were adamant from the start that we wouldn’t charge families for the service, and I’m very proud that this still stands true today.

After 15 years as chief executive of Winston's Wish, I stepped aside to let someone else take over the reins and take it forward. As a founder, it’s a hard decision to make but I’m a firm believer in recognising when the time is right, and again, through the Fellowship and networking with others, I saw how other people evolved their professional lives.

Which brings me to the third part of my career. I am currently an executive coach working with businesses from start-ups to large corporates. So, I now act as a thinking partner for others, including the Churchill Fellowship management team, which is a role I feel privileged to do.

There is an equation that is sometimes used in coaching – p = c x a2 – where the ‘p’ stands for performance, the ‘c’ for competence or capability and ‘a’ for attitude. Attitude is really a much better force for achieving outcomes. As Churchill once famously said, “Attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference”. For me, a Churchill Fellowship represents that ‘attitude squared’. It provides the opportunity to develop an expanded mindset, connects you with thinking partners and inspires a passion for lifelong learning. Ultimately, it provides the path to enable Fellows to share their learnings and turn these findings into great outputs in whatever area they are working.