RUSSELL HARVEY

I didn't become The Resilience Coach because resilience sounded appealing...

I became one because I saw, first-hand, what happens when leaders are asked to perform in environments defined by uncertainty, pressure, and constant change — without the support or skills to do so sustainably.

My fascination with human behaviour started long before leadership frameworks entered my vocabulary. It started with a simple question: why do we behave the way we do? That question followed me to Hong Kong in the mid-1990s, where I was teaching English to local students. Watching people experience genuine moments of realisation — confusion shifting to understanding — shaped how I've worked ever since.

I returned to the UK and spent two decades in senior Learning and Development roles. Most notably at RWE npower, where a three-year leadership programme for 1,500 managers delivered £12 million back to the business — through behavioural change, capability improvement, and significant cost savings. Large-scale, high-stakes work that sharpened my understanding of what performance under pressure actually requires.

My final corporate role was with The Co-operative Group — supporting their top 300 leaders through a period of significant organisational upheaval. Financial pressure, structural uncertainty, emotional strain were daily realities. It was here that resilience stopped being a concept and became a specialism.

I was made redundant six times across that career. Each time stripped away certainty. Each one required resilience. And by the sixth, I was ready to build something of my own. In July 2015, The Resilience Coach Ltd was founded.

For seven years, my stated purpose was to positively impact 100,000 people by 2025. In August 2025, that milestone was reached. Today that purpose has evolved: I am committed to helping businesses become a genuine force for good — through leaders who lead well, and organisations built to navigate whatever comes next.