The Unexpected Link Between Leadership Coaching and Gut Health
- Jul 5
- 4 min read
How three decades in organisational development and leadership coaching shaped the way I approach gut health, and why understanding people is just as important as understanding pathology when creating lasting behaviour change.
When I shared my recent social media post about the philosophy behind The Gut Rewire Protocol, I expected questions about gut testing.
Instead, many of the messages were about something else:
"I had no idea you're also a registered psychologist"
"That's probably why you're such a good listener!"
"No wonder you're so focused on outcomes instead of quick fixes."
It made me realise that many people know me as a naturopath, but not the career that came before it.
Before I studied naturopathy, I spent almost three decades in organisational development and leadership coaching, helping leaders and teams navigate complex change.
Looking back, I can see many of those lessons still shape the way I practise today.
Knowledge alone rarely changes behaviour
One of the biggest misconceptions about behaviour change is that people simply need more information.
If that were true, we'd all exercise regularly, eat well and get enough sleep.
By the time most people come to see me, they already know what they should be doing. The challenge isn't knowing what to do. It's turning good intentions into consistent action.
For years I worked with highly motivated professionals who genuinely wanted to change.
They weren't lacking knowledge. They were struggling with implementation.
That lesson has stayed with me ever since, and it's one of the reasons The Gut Rewire Protocol isn't built around handing someone a meal plan or supplement list and hoping for the best.
Lasting change starts with solving the right problem
Sometimes people don't fail because they lack motivation.
They fail because they're trying to solve the wrong problem.
In organisational development, I used various behavioural change frameworks to uncover the hidden assumptions, competing commitments and invisible barriers preventing progress.
On the surface, the issue might look like poor communication or ineffective leadership.
Underneath, the real barriers were often fear, perfectionism or competing priorities. Until we uncovered those, lasting change was unlikely.
I've realised exactly the same thing applies to gut health.
By the time someone books an appointment with me, they've often spent months (or years!) trying to solve the probem themselves.
They've removed gluten.
Then dairy.
They've tried probiotics.
They've followed advice on social media.
They've genuinely done their best.
None of those strategies are inherently wrong.
But without understanding what's driving your symptoms, it's easy to work incredibly hard without ever seeing the bigger picture.
Digestive symptoms can have many contributing factors, including digestion, the microbiome, inflammation, immune function, bile flow, medications and lifestyle.
If we don't understand what's driving the symptoms, it's easy to spend months, or even years, trying to solve the wrong problem.
That's why one of the first questions I ask isn't: "What should we remove next?"
It's: "What's actually driving your symptoms?"
That question shapes everything that follows.
Rather than relying on guesswork, I use functional testing and targeted pathology to help us understand what's happening beneath the surface. It allows us to focus on what matters most instead of trying to fix everything at once.
The body changes. People don’t.
Today, I spend my days helping people make sense of blood tests, microbiome and DNA testing so we can better understand what's driving their symptoms.
Of course, understanding the biology is only part of the picture.
But people are still people.
They still want to feel better.
They start every Monday with good intentions.
Then work gets busy.
Someone in the family gets sick.
Life happens.
Before they know it, they've lost momentum and they're wondering if they've failed.
They haven't.
They simply need a plan that fits their reality, not an ideal week that never exists.
I've learned that people approach change differently. Some want to understand the science. Others want practical steps. Some need the bigger picture, while others need reassurance they're on the right track.
It's a lesson I learned long before I became a naturopath.
That's why I don't believe in one-size-fits-all plans. The treatment and the support must fit the person, their family and the realities of their life.
The philosophy behind The Gut Rewire Protocol
When I designed The Gut Rewire Protocol, I wanted it to reflect everything I'd learned across both careers. Not just the science of gut health, but also what I'd learned about how people create lasting change.
The principles are simple: understand the problem before trying to solve it, use objective information wherever possible, build a personalised plan, and support people to implement it in a way that works for their life.
Because lasting change doesn't happen through willpower alone.
It happens when you understand both the body and the person living in it.
Looking back, I don't see two separate careers. I see one continuous thread: helping people understand what's really getting in the way of lasting change, then supporting them to move beyond it.
Today, I get to bring those lessons together in The Gut Rewire Protocol.
If you've been living with ongoing digestive symptoms, you've already tried making changes and you're wondering what you're missing, I'd love to help you understand what's really driving your symptoms. Because lasting change starts with understanding the right problem.
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