Colin Stansell

Business & Executive Coach

Colin is a seasoned executive coach and strategy, leadership and OD specialist. He helps CEO’s, executives, business owners, professionals and leaders of non-profits resolve their toughest challenges, achieve breakthrough leadership results and grow their organisations. He has over thirty years’ consulting and coaching experience across a wide range of sectors.

As an executive you are working in an uncertain, complex, and rapidly changing global business environment. Colin acts as a catalyst to help you chart your ideal way forward and navigate these waters successfully. You apply your natural strengths to find innovative ways to harness opportunities and respond to threats.

He helps you to become more confident and effective as a leader of change and to create and implement innovative strategies. You find creative ways to inspire your staff to live the vision, take accountability for their actions and delight customers. They have no trouble getting out of bed in the morning because they are part of a high-performance team delivering exceptional results.

Three core themes form the basis of Colin’s coaching approach. These are: the business or organisation; your role as a leader; and your life outside of the organisation. This ensures that each area receives the attention it deserves.  This results in profitable and sustainable business growth with less stress as well as time to spend with family and friends and on your outside interests.

Some examples of recent and current assignments include:

Global Financial Services organisation
Leadership coach to the Senior Partner Africa for four years. During this time, his client facilitated the successful integration of many of the country practices to create greater critical mass and business sustainability

Global FMCG organisation
High-performance team facilitator and executive coach to the Country GM Turkey for two years. The team went on to win an award as the leading contributor in their market to the global business.

Financial Services Organisation – Southern Africa
As coach, strategy consultant and leadership skills facilitator, Colin has helped this client develop and execute their business strategy over the past six years. This has led to a five-fold increase in turnover, more effective leadership and stronger teams.

Vocational Skills Centres for marginalised youth – Educational Non-Profit
Facilitator and co-designer of a two-year leadership skills capacity building programme. Benefits included personal growth, improved team leadership, effective conflict resolution, improved strategic planning and success in leading change.

Global Payments Organisation
Member for Southern Africa of a global team of leadership coaches and consultants providing leadership development programmes in client offices around the world.

Colin is a director of Growth Action Consulting which provides coaching and consulting services to business as well as non-profit organisations. He is accredited as a Certified Master Coach through the Behavioural Coaching Institute based in Sydney Australia. A graduate of UKZN, his initial career was in education followed by management roles in the manufacturing and corporate sectors in leadership development and change.

Colin’s professional development includes six years as an external Principal Consultant in organisational change with a leading international professional services firm. He is a global associate of GP Strategies, a consulting services organisation operating in 50 countries around the world. Colin is a fellow of the Institute of Coaching affiliated with Harvard Medical School, is a member of COMENSA and subscribes to the International Coaching Federation code of ethics for coaches.

Colin’s approach is based on narrative coaching which draws on the power of stories for learning and growth. Through reflection and observation you heighten your awareness of your unique identity and strengths. You also become a keen observer of your environment and how this influences your success. This leads to new insights which are the keys to successful personal and leadership growth.

Colin also draws on other effective evidence-based models and tools. These include authentic leadership and emotional intelligence; visioning; strengths-based and systems leadership and Positive Psychology.

Colin’s experience spans many different sectors. These include: Automotive, Business Support Services, Clothing & Footwear, Containers & Packaging, Diversified Industrials, Engineering, Financial Services, Food & Beverage Manufacturers & Distributors, Government, Insurance, Information Technology, Logistics & Freight Forwarding, Media Agencies, Non-Profit Organisations, Paper & Packaging, Pharmaceuticals, Professional Services, Steel & Allied and IT.

Colin’s interests include global and environmental issues, wildlife, tennis and ocean sailing. He is a director of Kloofwaters Outdoor Centre, a non-profit dedicated to the development of young people through leadership training and team building in the Magaliesberg. Colin is married with two sons.

Client Testimonials

 ‘I found my time with Colin to be extremely valuable. I have been able to shift my perspectives and look at problems in different ways, thus finding very meaningful solutions. Focusing more on strategic thinking enabled me to come up with innovative ideas to change the way we do things. I am a better leader today because of the coaching I received from Colin.’
GK, Head of Technology South Africa, Global Insurance Organisation

‘I would like to thank you for being my guide, my sounding board and a wise sage who walked alongside me on this journey. Your strengths-based approach allowed to realise I can connect interpersonally with clients and colleagues to help them and achieve the best outcome for everyone.’
KP, Strategy Specialist, Global Professional Services Organisation

‘Colin gave me the self-confidence to trust in my decisions and a business that is challenging and growing me in all sorts of ways. It was very positive for me’
MB, Entrepreneur & MD, Food Services Organisation

‘My partner and I really appreciate Colin’s practical, down-to-earth non-guru coaching approach in helping us to develop and implement our business growth strategy’
MM, Entrepreneur & CEO, Financial Services Organisation

‘Colin has added a lot of value to our business over the years. My partners and I were so busy with day-to-day demands that it was difficult to step back and decide on the direction we wanted to take. Colin got us to look at different options, develop an effective strategy and stay focused on this. This played an important part in winning a PMR Diamond Arrow Award for 3 years in a row!’
SF: Director, Professional Services Organisation

Contact Colin now on 083 266 9308 to set up a valuable 40-minute complimentary session and experience the benefits of his coaching first-hand. You can also reach him by email at colin@growthaction.com