Hi I’m Martin Cole

I run the Self Determined Life Substack and website.

I am a professionally certified organisational and executive coach. I have a Masters (M.Sc.) in Coaching Psychology. I am also a qualified lawyer and I work in finance leading a team of compliance professionals.

I help new and emerging leaders build the skills and presence they need to lead successfully, sustainably and with genuine confidence.

Put simply:

I write about how emerging leaders can navigate their crucial early years of leadership
I teach and coach leaders using evidence-based approaches to help them build the skills, knowledge and presence to create authentic leadership confidenceTo receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Why subscribe?

If you’re a new or emerging leader, you know the unique challenges that come with those early years in leadership.

The transition from individual contributor to leader does not come with a manual. One day you’re excelling as an individual professional. The next, you’re responsible for people, outcomes, and decisions that affect your organisation and the careers and lives of others.

There is an expectation that because you are good at what you do, you’ll be good at managing and leading others to do it too.

But, as anybody who has ever had a terrible manager or leader knows, that does not always follow.

But you can learn to lead well. You can build the skills, knowledge and awareness to be able lead with confidence.

And, when you learn to lead well:

you become equally valued by your organisation and your team
you also create and environment of mutual encouragement and support which means you can lead sustainably, without burning out.

My background and approach

What you’ll find here is based on established research and many years of experience in leadership and developing others.

I bring a unique blend of legal expertise, financial services leadership, and professional coaching to the to help emerging leaders navigate their leadership journey.

My own journey began in the UK, where I qualified as a barrister and practiced at the Bar in London for several years. But my interest in helping others develop led me to transition to management and leadership roles in regulation, risk management, teaching, and coaching.

My academic journey, including earning a Master of Science in Coaching Psychology from the University of Sydney, has equipped me with a deep understanding of the psychological principles that underpin effective leadership development.

But more importantly, I’ve been where you are – struggling with the challenging transition to leadership, making mistakes, and eventually finding the approaches that actually work.

At Self Determined Life, my mission is to provide evidence-backed strategies that help new leaders build sustainable success without sacrificing their wellbeing or authenticity. Everything I share is grounded in both established research and extensive practical experience.

This combination of theoretical knowledge and practical application forms the cornerstone of my approach, making Self Determined Life a reliable resource for anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills and capabilities.

Who should subscribe?

While I welcome anyone interested in leadership development, I’m particularly focused on helping the new and emerging leaders who are wrestling with real challenges, and for whom leadership does not fall easily in to place

I like to help the strivers, the strugglers, the honest hard-working people trying to do the best they can in the face of all that life and work throws at them. I am talking about:

Newly promoted managers dealing with former peers who now report to them
First-time leaders who need practical tools, not motivational platitudes
Emerging leaders trying to build credibility while still figuring things out
Team leads balancing getting results with maintaining relationships
New managers who just need a helping hand navigating the complexity of leadership
Rising leaders who want to develop sustainably without burning out
Reluctant leaders – those who are excellent at their craft but never planned to manage people
Leaders facing impostor syndrome who need techniques to build genuine confidence
People leaders juggling team needs, senior expectations, and their own development
Values-driven leaders who want evidence-based (rather than marketing-based) advice
Experienced leaders facing new or unexpected challenges or recovering from setbacks.

If you’re in your first few years of leadership and committed to doing it right – to leading with both effectiveness and integrity – you’re in the right place.

The truth is, leadership success isn’t about having all the answers or projecting false confidence. It’s about building genuine capabilities, developing authentic presence, and creating sustainable ways of working.

If that strikes a chord, please subscribe. We’ll have something in common, because I’ve been there myself – and I remember what actually helped me, as opposed to what just sounded good.