By integrating enquiry into the ‘self’ with somatic awareness, I help leaders and leadership teams establish a practice of conscious self-authorship—the awareness to stay grounded in complexity, lead with clarity in uncertainty, retain presence in volatility, and the agency to build inclusive cultures.
There is a simple but rarely examined truth at the heart of this work
We are all conditioned. We are all conditioned by the culture we grew up in, by the narratives we absorbed, by the society we live and work in, by the stories told about how to be, about who succeeds, and about who belongs and who doesn't.
Those forces don't stop at the leadership threshold. They operate beneath the surface of every decision, every room, every team and infuse the culture of every organisation. They live in our thinking we rarely critically reflect on, and they live in our bodies — in the embodied intelligence that conventional leadership development almost always ignores.
Examining this truth is the work.
Services
One-to-one coaching for senior leaders — exploring who you are, how you lead, and who you want to consciously become. Find out more →
LEADERSHIP COACHING
A leadership development programme for ExCo and senior teams — because the most significant shift in leadership isn't a new strategy. It's a new way of knowing yourself. Find out more →
EXAMINED LEADERSHIP
Keynote speaking and seminars on identity, belonging, and the stories that shape how organisations think, lead, and change. Find out more →
TALKS AND SEMINARS
"Matt helped me recognise that I was seeing the business as an extension of myself, rather than as an embodiment of my work. Through our coaching, I came to understand that I am more than the business and that the business is simply a vehicle through which my body of work can be expressed. That shift was powerful."
Aisha Thomas, CEO
Who Am I?
I'm Dr Matt Jacobs. I hold a PhD in the sociology of identity, thirty years of leadership practice across organisational development and inclusion, ILM Senior Practitioner and ICF ACC accredited leadership coach, dialogic facilitator, and keynote speaker.
I work in the space of identity — of who we are and how we can be genuinely intentional about how we show up, cognitively and somatically. That means working with leaders on how they lead from a place of authenticity and values, and with organisations on how they create leadership to navigate volatility, uncertainty, and polarisation whilst developing cultures of belonging and inclusion for everyone.
Testimonials
Working in a large, diverse organisation, Matt’s insightful and thought provoking coaching has allowed me to develop and push boundaries around my personal leadership capabilities. Matt listens and hears, providing a safe space for both external and internal dialogue allowing a deeper understanding of ‘self’ and ‘direction’ that contributes to my achievement and performance of the wider organisational strategies.
Kelly Ward, Head of Operations, Public Health Wales
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Matt is patient and kind, but he won’t let you off the hook. He holds space in a way that is non-judgemental yet deeply supportive, offering both challenge and care. If you are ready for that kind of honest reflection, Matt is the right person to work with.
As a woman racialised as Black, I was initially sceptical, as race is often a necessary lens for me to raise in coaching spaces. While Matt openly acknowledges that he will never share my lived experience, he was able to hold a genuinely brave space, one where I could explore, play, and reflect without defensiveness or discomfort. That, in itself, speaks volumes.
Aisha Thomas, Founder & Director, Representation Matters.
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Matt is exceptional to work with. We have partnered on a number of projects and is always a joy to work with. Smart, insightful, empathetic with the right balance of support and challenge he is able to get to the heart of the issue with tact and astuteness. I highly recommend him.