Astrid Korin’s journey into coaching is one of resilience, self-awareness, and a commitment to helping leaders thrive. With over 20 years of experience as a consultant, leader, executive coach, team coach, trainer, and facilitator, Astrid specialises in guiding senior leaders through personal and professional transformation. Her signature programme, Inside Out, co-founded with mindfulness practitioner Maggie Farrar, blends coaching and mindfulness practices to help leaders build resilience, presence, and intentionality in the face of the multitude of challenges facing today’s leaders.
“Leaders often face extraordinary challenges, and my work is about helping them to thrive—not just simply survive,” Astrid explains. “It’s about building resilience and presence from the inside out, so that they can lead with authenticity and purpose.”
In this interview, Astrid reflects on her journey into executive coaching and leadership development, the creation of Inside Out, and the lessons she’s learned about supporting leaders in highly complex environments.
From Leadership Challenges to Coaching Insights
Astrid’s transition into coaching was deeply influenced by her experiences leading a global consultancy team during the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was one of the most difficult times of my life,” she recalls. “Many of our clients were looking to us for advice on what to do and no one knew. We were navigating uncharted territory, making tough decisions about which clients we could support and how, all while managing and supporting the wellbeing of our people.”
The relentless demands took a toll on Astrid’s wellbeing, leading her to burnout. “I did what I do best in a crisis: I doubled down. I worked harder, slept less, and tried to control everything,” she says. “But I learned the hard way that you can’t pour from an empty cup.”
This experience profoundly shaped Astrid’s coaching philosophy: “Leadership is as much about self-awareness and self-care as it is about strategy. That’s the foundation of the work that I do with leaders today.”
Inside Out: A Programme for Mindful Leadership
Astrid’s co-created Inside Out programme is the culmination of her and Maggie’s experiences and vision for the future of leadership. This one-of-a-kind programme integrates coaching and mindfulness practices in a new way to help leaders navigate complexity with both clarity and confidence.
“The programme is about grounding leaders in self-awareness,” Astrid explains. “We help them tune into their inner world, understand how it shapes their external reactions and behaviours, and make conscious choices about how they show up.”
Initially designed for leaders in education, Inside Out has expanded to cater for leaders across multiple sectors. The programme includes interactive online workshops, a full day face-to-face event, and practical tools to embed sustainable, long-term habits. “One participant shared how taking just five minutes for mindful reflection before team meetings transformed the way they approached conversations. It’s those small changes, repeated often, that add up to big shifts,” Astrid shares. “There are no silver bullets.”
Defining Purpose: A Journey, Not a Destination
Astrid acknowledges that defining her purpose as a coach was not a straightforward process.
“When I first started my business, I felt so much pressure to nail down my niche and purpose immediately,” she shares. “But it took time—nearly three years of doing the work—before I could articulate it clearly and concisely.”
She emphasises that finding your purpose often emerges through experience rather than being something fixed from the start: “Your purpose will become clearer over time,” Astrid explains. “It’s about staying curious, serving your clients, and leaning into your strengths. The more you do the work, the more clarity you’ll gain.”
Astrid invites other coaches to approach this process with patience. “There’s no rush to have it all figured out. Purpose is something that grows with you as you develop both personally and professionally as a coach.”
A Journey with Animas: Growing Through Connection
Animas has been the foundation of Astrid’s coaching journey, providing her with the tools, community, and opportunities to refine her practice and expand her impact. “When I first joined Animas, I was drawn to the depth of the training and the emphasis on reflective practice,” Astrid shares. “It wasn’t just about learning coaching techniques—it was about exploring who I was as a coach and how I could bring my authentic self into my work.”
One of the highlights of her journey has been the chance to contribute to the wider coaching community. As a speaker for the Coaching Leaders in Times of Crisis course, Astrid shared her insights on self-awareness, resilience and presence, drawing from her own experiences as both a leader and a coach. “It was such a privilege to be part of that programme,” she says. “Supporting coaches to navigate crises with their clients—and within themselves—is crucial in today’s complex world.”
Challenges in Leadership Development
Astrid’s work often involves helping Leaders to navigate feelings of isolation, self-doubt, and burnout in today’s rapidly changing, unpredictable environments. “Many leaders I work with feel isolated at the top,” she says. “Coaching provides a safe space to unpack those feelings and develop strategies for navigating them with self-compassion and resilience.”
For Astrid, resilience is not about never struggling—it’s about equipping leaders with the tools to navigate challenges, grow, and thrive through them. “The demands on leaders are increasing, and they are expected to make quick, impactful decisions under immense pressure,” she explains. “Resilience means having the inner strength to lean in, adapt, and lead with confidence even when they don’t have all the answers.”
Through her Inside Out programme and one-to-one coaching, Astrid helps leaders explore how their inner world influences their leadership style and decision-making processes. “It’s about understanding the systems around you and within you, those that enable you and those that hold you back—and finding ways to lead with authenticity and clarity,” she says.
Practical Takeaways for Leaders
Astrid offers several actionable tips for leaders looking to strengthen their resilience and presence:
- Practice Daily Reflection: “Start or end your day with five minutes of journaling or mindful breathing. Ask yourself: “What’s it like being me, right now?” These moments of calm can help you process challenges, focus on what matters most and let go of what is not serving you.”
- Embed Intentional Habits: “Small, consistent actions—like taking a mindful pause before meetings to set your intention for the next step of your day—can have a transformative impact over time. Ask yourself: “What is my deepest intention? How do I want to take this next step in my day?”
- Seek Support: “Leadership doesn’t have to be a solo journey. Whether through coaching, supervision, or peer networks, having support is vital.”
Final Thoughts
Astrid’s journey from leadership challenges to coaching is a testament to the power of self-awareness, resilience, and authentic leadership. Through her work, she equips leaders with the tools they need to navigate complexity, recover from challenges, and lead and live with purpose.
“Coaching is about making the unconscious conscious,” Astrid says as she quotes Carl Jung. “When leaders understand themselves deeply, they can create real, sustainable change—not just for themselves but for their teams and organisations.”
To find out more about Astrid’s work and get in touch, visit Astrid Korin Coaching or connect with her on LinkedIn.
