Practitioner Diploma / “It has elevated me into a space where I am the happiest I have been in my whole working life”

Junior Beaman is a senior leadership coach at a leading bank with over 16 years’ experience in leadership culture and DEIB. Starting his career as a cashier, he worked his way into strategic leadership roles before discovering coaching as his true calling. In this Q&A, Junior reflects on his journey through AoEC’s Practitioner Diploma, the evolution of his coaching model, and how he’s using his platform to empower diverse talent, lead global ERGs, and advocate for inclusion in the coaching profession.

You now work as a senior leadership coach within a leading bank and have over 16 years’ experience in leadership culture and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Who or what introduced you to coaching and led to you signing up for coach training with the AoEC?

I started in the bank as a cashier in 2008 and worked my way up to leadership roles. This was where I was first exposed to coaching as I had a performance coach, and we were trained as leaders to performance coach our own people. This skill stuck with me when I moved to a more strategic role as a scrum master, and I really enjoyed it, as I’d always had an interest in psychology and adult learning. I eventually became a leadership coach just over three years ago.

As part of the coaching role, I had to be a qualified executive coach, so the company signed me up with AoEC for my diploma. We also have access to corporate ICF Membership and other tools to work on our CPD and become even better coaches.

What were some of the positives and challenges you experienced while doing the diploma?

Let’s start with the challenges, shall we. Performance coaching and pure coaching are two very different things. I was always trained to be direct, action driven and solution-focused, which of course isn’t the way with executive coaching. I had to unlearn a lot of behaviours and do a lot of reflection throughout the diploma.

The positives were the outcomes of this changed behaviour and reflection as it helped me really lean into coaching and understand the impact it can have and even understand myself better. Also, meeting other coaches who weren’t my direct peers was a fantastic experience as we could all learn from each other in a safe space. I even made some great friends who I still connect with today and it’s been extremely inspirational to see us all discover our individual niches when it comes to coaching.

What is your top advice to others considering coach training?

Embrace curiosity. Not just for your clients but for yourself. You may have some moments of discomfort where you have to learn and unlearn things about yourself and your style, but this is all part of your personal and professional growth.

I’d also encourage people to consider the layers that come with coaching as no client is the same and you’ll benefit from understanding your own confidence levels when it comes to things like cultural intelligence, and the nuances of intersectionality in diverse individuals.

Looking back at doing your diploma, what has been its lasting impact on you as a person and you as a coach?

It has elevated me into a space where I am the happiest I have been in my whole working life. Because I always had an interest in psychology and behaviour, coaching was definitely my ‘calling’. Since completing the diploma, I have grown in confidence so much as a coach and an individual. I’ve achieved certifications in multiple psychometric coaching tools and recently achieved my ICF ACC credential.

I’ve been able to use coaching in both my day job, my role as an ERG Leader supporting diverse colleagues, and in my volunteer role with the NHS. It really has opened so many doors.

Can you tell us more about your personal coaching model and how this has evolved since doing the diploma?

My coaching model is built on the Identity Iceberg, linking to my interest and strengths in Diversity and Inclusion. I explored the waterline of visibility, linking to cultural intelligence and intersectionality. I keep this as my foundation to this day as it is always relevant, especially since I coach a lot of women and people from diverse backgrounds.

In terms of evolution, I’ve learned the importance of adaptability, particularly in light of recent events globally. Flexing my style and keeping my finger on the pulse when it comes to local and geopolitical issues and how these might manifest in my clients helps me to deliver the best possible coaching experience with empathy and care.

Can you tell us your current role – who are you coaching and what are some of the issues and opportunities you coach people around?

I coach senior leaders, teams, and I support talent cohorts for colleagues from diverse backgrounds, mainly those from the global majority.

I also lead our Multicultural Network (ERG) globally, looking after a committee of volunteers and serving over 6,000 members across the business. Prior to this, I led our Rainbow Network for LGBTQ+ colleagues.

The biggest opportunities for me personally have been those opportunities to help diverse colleagues with some of those common barriers like impostor syndrome, self-advocacy and career development through unlocking their potential. Combining both leadership and coaching skills when leading volunteers in roles that can be quite emotional has helped me to help them drive positive change across the business and grow as individuals.

The only issue is that you can’t coach everyone, as much as you’d like to. I do often provide ad-hoc coaching sessions to colleagues where I have capacity, but it’s important to remember boundaries so that I don’t stretch myself too thin, which could impact my overall performance as a coach.

You are actively involved with Black Voices in Coaching Research Conferences and recently acted as MC for an event in Canada. Can you tell us more about the work they are doing and how you are supporting it?

Yes, I was actually MC for their first ever conference in London in 2024. Slightly out of my comfort zone as I’m not officially an MC but, with the power of coaching, I decided to get involved as I was interested in the work they were doing. I was introduced to them by the ICF after presenting my coaching model on one of their DEIB sessions.

Obviously, the event in London went well, which is why they asked me back for the second conference this year in Toronto. I’ve talked lots about cultural intelligence and diversity during this interview, and this works links into just that.

We recognise that there are many coaching models out there, some that speak specifically to people from the global majority such as Ubuntu coaching and Sankofa. The research around the differences in experiences black executives experienced in coaching and the unspoken barriers that emerge due to cultural differences and coach confidence is fascinating and I recommend anyone to check out some fantastic thought leaders in this space such as Jenny Garrett, Bernice Hewson and Dr D.Ivan Young.

I am so thankful to have met this amazing community of coaches who ‘look like me’ and learn from their incredible expertise.

You were recently named in the Top 10 Future Leaders category at the British LGBT Awards. What does that prestigious accolade mean to you?

Yes, humble brag, but I have also been listed in the Top 12 Future Leaders category for the Ethnicity Awards this year too.

I have volunteered in the inclusion space for many years now but have recently started to be recognised for this work as a leader. The work is about the people. It’s about driving change and equity. Because I’m a gay, black man from a lower socio-economic background, I have faced many personal challenges in my life and career, but my goal is “don’t be bitter, be better” and I want to help others navigate this in their own lives.

So, while the accolades are appreciated and it’s great to be recognised in this way, the main thing for me about this is to be an even better visible role model for others, because you can’t be what you can’t see.

Can you share a success story or testimonial from a colleague that highlights the impact of your coaching?

I have shared a few testimonials recently but one that stands out is a leader who said that, as a result of my coaching, they have finally reached a place where they bring their authentic self to work and enjoy it. After years of believing they must behave a certain way to gain respect or status, they can now drop all of that baggage and expectation and just be who they really are, which then ripples out across their team.

I’ve also seen many colleagues unlock their confidence resulting in career progression.

What do you find most rewarding about your work as a coach?

All of the above. Seeing that shift in individuals where they get out of their own way and lean into their authentic self and thrive as a result.

Our deepest gratitude to Junior for sharing his personal experience of coach training with the AoEC.