By the time David Gwynne became a senior executive, he already had a track record. He went from graduate psychologist to Chief Clinical Psychologist, rose through the ranks of an international management firm, and then founded and led his own successful consultancy. But one piece of blunt feedback from a colleague changed everything.
David tells the story with clarity and no ego. A peer called him out, directly, on how he was leading. The message was sharp: “You’re not helping. You’re not effective. You need to change.” It wasn’t the kind of critique most executives hear or want to hear. But David took it seriously. It hit hard and triggered a deep reassessment.
That moment marked a turning point. He began asking for feedback, real feedback. Not just performance metrics, but input on how he was impacting the people around him. What came next was a deliberate pivot: more listening, more patience, and a heightened focus on communication. The results were clear. Organisational performance improved. People felt more aligned. And David, as a leader, changed for good.
The Shift: From Driver to Listener
The shift wasn’t cosmetic. David describes learning to slow down, not in urgency, but in how he approached people. He became more intentional with how he communicated and more curious about what others needed from him. The key wasn’t doing less, it was doing things differently.
“Patience with people,” he says, “is different from patience with poor process or poor performance.” He learned to separate the two, staying firm on standards but flexible in how he worked with others. That distinction became a cornerstone of his coaching and leadership philosophy.
Coaching with Context
David launched ECI Partners and began coaching others. But his coaching wasn’t about quick wins or generic playbooks. It was grounded in context, knowing the environment, the culture, and the people.
He emphasises three skills: contextual awareness, staying relevant, and patience. These aren’t just buzzwords, they’re tools for helping leaders lead in *their* world, not someone else’s.
David also pushes for a science-backed approach to leadership. Just as CFOs know finance and CTOs know tech, leaders, he argues, need to understand leadership as a discipline. Not just soft skills, but the hard science of what works.
Advice for Emerging Leaders
His advice to those coming up the ranks is straightforward:
1. Learn the craft of leadership like any other technical field.
2. Get feedback early and often.
3. Build a strong sense of agency and control, especially when things get tough.
That last point, managing mindset, is something he believes is underrated. Leaders, David says, need to maintain a positive but grounded outlook. It’s about how you show up.
Leading for the Long Run
David also talks about energy management, not just time management, as a critical skill for today’s executives. He compares it to top-tier athletes, like the pro golfer he once met who emphasised planning for recovery as seriously as training.
“Leaders,” he says, “need to build roles and systems that prevent burnout. If your best people are burning out, you don’t have a performance issue, you have a design issue.” That’s where resilience comes in, not just for individuals, but for the entire organisation.
And here’s the kicker: when people feel seen, supported, and well-used, they give you something extra. Discretionary effort. You can’t demand it, but you can design and lead for it.
One More Thing
“I feel good about my career,” says David, adding, “Leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about being ready to hear what’s hard to hear, and smart enough to change.”
By David Gwynne, Executive Coach, ECI Partners
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