The Elephant in the Room: Unlocking the Brain’s Hidden Power
Jul 22, 2025
After more than 20,000 hours of coaching leaders and teams, one thing is clear: what holds most people back isn’t skill or will. It’s how the brain is wired to protect us.
That’s exactly why I created Elephant in the Room — a 6-hour programme designed to help people work with their brain, not against it. The goal? Better self-awareness, stronger leadership, and lasting change.
Here’s what the programme covers:
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How the brain prioritises protection over performance
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A clear framework to reflect on personal patterns
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Tools to raise emotional intelligence and self-regulation
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Practical steps to experiment with new behaviours
This isn’t just another coaching model. It’s a mindset shift.
We treat emotions as signals — not problems. And once people understand what their reactions are really protecting them from, they can begin to choose different responses. The result is more impact, more connection, and more clarity — at work and at home.
If you’ve read The Chimp Paradox, you’ll recognise the theme. What makes this different is that it gives people the how— the step-by-step to actually shift their behaviour in the moments that matter.
Here’s what a Partner at Accenture shared:
“I couldn’t have asked for a better gift than the learnings I have gained from you and your programme. I have a better relationship at home than ever before and use this experience to accelerate my impact with my team, which has allowed us to achieve great success so far. Thank you, James.”
The feedback has gone far beyond expectations. More and more senior leaders are now seeking this kind of training — not just for their teams, but for themselves.
I’m currently writing a book to bring this thinking to more people — especially those who know they’re capable of more but just don’t know how to unlock it.
If that sounds like you, or if you're curious how this could help your team, feel free to reach out.
It’s time we talked about the elephant in the room.