From a D- to a B-: What I’ve Learned About Looking After Myself

Rachel Morris reckons she used to be terrible at self-care and self-compassion — genuinely, a D- performance. Here’s what’s shifted that, and why understanding the difference between these two ideas gave her new tools for supporting herself and others, especially when classic self-care advice just didn’t land.

Stepping into a senior leadership role can feel exciting, disorienting, and unexpectedly complex all at once. In this article, Rachel Morris explores the shift from individual contributor to people leader, and the hidden challenges that come with letting go of the familiar “doing” to make space for a different kind of leadership.

Read on to discover the “balcony moment” and what it really takes to lead well at the next level.

Self-awareness is something we often recognise as important, yet rarely find the time or space to fully explore.

In this blog, Rachel Morris reflects on a recent experience that challenged her own assumptions, opening up a deeper look at how we understand ourselves and how others experience us. Through this lens, she explores the subtle but powerful link between self-awareness, self-doubt, and our ability to find and use our voice.

Have you ever found yourself softening your message, holding back your opinion, or wondering whether being direct will make you seem “difficult”?

You’re not alone. In her latest post, Rachel Morris explores the assertiveness paradox many women face: how to speak up with clarity and confidence without losing warmth or connection. If you’ve ever felt the tension between being true to yourself and keeping the peace, this article offers a thoughtful and empowering place to begin.

You might notice it before you even sit down – a subtle shift in energy, the quick scan of faces, the somatic awareness that your presence is an exception, not the norm.

Maybe it’s a board meeting, a senior leadership offsite, or a strategic negotiation. Around the table, the voices carry confidence and familiarity. You take your seat, already aware that you are – once again – the only woman in the room.

Senior leaders are often surrounded by people yet feel deeply alone with tough decisions, constant visibility and ultimate accountability.

This blog explores the loneliness paradox at the top, why it matters for performance and wellbeing, and how a strong external Bench – including executive coaching – can provide the confidential, human space every leader needs.

From January 2027, the Employment Rights Act 2025 will quietly raise the bar on how organisations and leaders manage their people.

In this blog we explore what’s changing, why it lands squarely on line managers’ desks, and how practical performance management, conversation skills and coaching can turn legal risk into stronger everyday leadership.

If you’ve ever felt drowned by the demands of work and life, you know you’re not alone.

At CityLit’s Mental Wealth Festival, Rachel Morris and Helen Brooks explored practical ways to regain control, transform overwhelm into action, and build true resilience—tools everyone can use to thrive in our high-pressure world.

Burnout doesn't just sneak up on teams—it announces itself in silence, missed deadlines, and fading energy.

Real resilience in teams isn’t built through overwork or empty slogans.

When did you last ask someone how they were, and although they said ‘fine’ you weren’t convinced? It happens regularly in the coaching room, as Rachel Morris acknowledges.

The way we communicate when faced with the signs of stress has a huge impact; finding a way of enabling someone to open up and discuss their true emotions is a real skill…

Stress seems to have become a badge of honour in modern working life. Conversations in the coaching room suggest that many people accept it as the price of ambition, of building a career or of having increased responsibility.

But if the “slippery slope” resonates silently, you may well already recognise the meaning of burnout.

We don’t believe that mental health in the workplace will improve through campaigns and slogans alone, or through nice sounding values written on lovely walls.  

It only improves when actions match intentions. When mental health isn’t an afterthought but woven into ‘who we are, and how the work in our place gets done’.  Rachel explores her beliefs in our latest blog.

For HR and talent leaders, choosing the most suitable approach to develop your people and teams can be challenging.

Two effective options - group coaching and team building - are often confused, yet they serve very different purposes. Find out more.

We are currently living in a world where remote and hybrid working models are the norm.

In our latest blog, Rachel Morris explores the way each type of work setting has brought new challenges for leadership teams, and how group coaching can help.

Stepping into a leadership role for the first time can feel both exciting and daunting.

But when a person accepts their first management role it brings with it a new set of challenges. With group coaching organisations can provide a supportive environment for its new managers and leaders.

In today's competitive business landscape, everyone's hunting for that magic bullet – an intervention that delivers genuine returns, not just on the bottom line, but in culture, innovation and sustained employee performance.

Our clients are no different., which Howard Rich discusses in his latest blog.

Group coaching offers a unique opportunity for individuals to grow together, learn from one another, and create meaningful change.

Rachel Morris shares her insights on listening to both the ‘said and unsaid’, whilst facilitating with care, to build trust and connection between individuals within a safe group setting.

Group coaching is becoming a powerful tool for leadership development and culture change.

In this blog, Rachel Morris shares her take on where it’s heading, the latest trends shaping its future, and simple ways professionals can get more from it. It’s a must-read for today’s people leaders.

We've been listening to tons of podcasts for inspiration as we’ll be launching our own in the autumn.

While you wait, below are a few of our summer listening recommendations from the team at Motion Learning. We hope you enjoy them!

If you’re looking to strengthen your organisation’s leadership capability and increase business performance, group coaching could be the missing piece.

In this blog, we explore how this approach delivers real results, how you can get started, and why your people – and stakeholders - will thank you for it.