About Nicky | Brave Truth

Human leadership. Lived experience. Brave truth.

I’m Nicky Elliot, leadership consultant, executive coach, speaker, and founder of Brave Truth.

I’ve spent over two decades working in and with organisations, leading teams, developing leaders, and supporting people through complexity, pressure, and change. I know what leadership looks like from the inside, not just when it’s working well, but when it feels heavy, isolating, or quietly overwhelming.

My work today brings together senior corporate experience, deep expertise in people development, and a very human understanding of what it takes to lead well and stay connected to yourself.

Where I Come From

My background is in senior leadership, HR, and organisational development, with over 22 years’ experience, including 15 years in financial services.

I’ve led teams, designed and delivered leadership programmes, and worked at senior levels within complex, highly regulated environments. I’ve led and contributed to large-scale change and transformation programmes, supporting organisations through periods of significant structural, cultural, and strategic shift.

That work has involved aligning leaders and teams behind new visions, navigating uncertainty, and supporting people through the very human impact of change, not just the operational one. I understand the commercial pressures leaders face, the pace and complexity of transformation, and the emotional load that often sits quietly alongside senior responsibility.

I’m a Chartered HR professional, a certified women’s coach, and an Insights Discovery practitioner, with BA (Hons) and Masters in people management and development. I’m also a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the Association of Coaching (AoC), and work in line with their professional and ethical standards. I am currently undertaking assessment towards the ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential, as part of my continued commitment to rigorous, reflective professional coaching practice.

Of course, that credibility is important, but it’s not the whole story.

How I Work

What people often tell me is that they feel safe - to think deeply, reflect, and be honest about what’s really going on.

I create spaces that are:

psychologically safe
grounded and respectful
warm, but not fluffy
stretching, but not exposing

I quickly see what’s really going on, with individuals, teams, and systems, and I help leaders to name that clearly and compassionately.

I ask the questions that unlock insight, and I reflect patterns that may have been in place for years, without judgement or blame.This is where meaningful change begins.

The Human Side

I don’t believe leadership can be separated from life, because people don’t live that way.

Alongside my professional work, I’m also a mother to two lively boys. I understand, personally, the ongoing negotiation between ambition, care, identity, and responsibility. I know how easy it is for women, in particular, to lose parts of themselves while holding everything together.

That lived experience deeply informs my work, especially my coaching with women navigating senior leadership, career progression, motherhood, and personal identity at the same time.

It’s one of the reasons clients trust me.

They know I’m not offering theory from the sidelines.

Why Brave Truth?

I created Brave Truth because I saw a gap, between how leadership is often talked about, and how it is actually lived.

Too often leadership development asks people to perform, adapt, or fix themselves, without acknowledging the emotional labour, internal pressure, and complexity involved.

Brave Truth is about doing this work differently.

With honesty.
With humanity.
With depth.
And with action.

Whether I’m coaching 1:1, working with senior teams, facilitating programmes, or speaking to a room full of leaders, my intention is always the same:

To help people lead from who they really are, with clarity, calm confidence, and courage.