Introducing Lottie Skuthe-Cook: Leadership Coach, Facilitator, and Trainer
Lottie Skuthe-Cook is a highly experienced leadership coach, facilitator, and trainer, with a passion for helping senior leaders and their teams to grow and thrive. Through her bespoke training and coaching programmes, she empowers clients to build stronger connections, foster vulnerability-based trust, and achieve higher performance.
Before stepping into coaching, Lottie held director-level positions overseeing quality and standards, business development, and operations. These roles gave her firsthand insight into the challenges leaders and teams face, shaping her ability to address complex organisational dynamics while supporting individuals to unlock their potential.
With over 20 years of experience, Lottie holds the designation of PCC (Professional Certified Coach) with the ICF, is an NLP Master Practitioner, and is an active member of the ICF, AC, and EMCC. But beyond her credentials, Lottie describes herself as someone who lives and breathes her values of trust, honesty, and respect—principles that guide her work at Grey Panther Management, where she creates transformative experiences for leaders and their teams.
Coaching the Whole Human: A Holistic Approach to Leadership
Lottie’s coaching philosophy stems from her belief in addressing the whole human. “We can’t truly compartmentalise work and home; our subconscious is always processing,” she explains. Whether coaching executives one-to-one or guiding teams, Lottie emphasises that our personal and professional selves are interconnected.
Her holistic perspective encourages leaders to bring authenticity into the workplace. “It’s not about bringing your private life to work, but about recognising that everything lives within you,” she says. By addressing the interplay between personal values, behaviours, and professional goals, Lottie helps leaders and teams achieve sustainable growth.
Team Coaching: Unlocking the Power of Vulnerability-Based Trust
One of Lottie’s specialisms is team coaching, where she helps teams work more effectively together and with others to create meaningful change while achieving their shared goals and potential, and becoming a high performing team. “Team coaching isn’t about me providing the answers—it’s about guiding the team to find their own path,” she shares.
Central to her approach is fostering vulnerability-based trust, a concept drawn from Patrick Lencioni’s Five Behaviours of a Cohesive Team. Lottie explains, “Most teams have reliability-based trust—knowing someone will complete a task. But vulnerability-based trust goes deeper, allowing team members to share who they really are, what drives them, and what frustrates them.”
By layering this trust with healthy conflict, Lottie enables teams to have open, constructive discussions that lead to improved collaboration and problem-solving. “When teams achieve this, they create psychologically safe environments where innovation and accountability thrive,” she notes.
The Role of Neurodiversity in Coaching
Lottie’s passion for inclusion is reflected in her work with neurodiverse clients and teams. Having recently completed the Neurodiversity in Coaching programme with Animas, she describes the experience as transformational. “I thought I understood neurodiversity, particularly ADHD, autism, and dyslexia, but the course completely opened my eyes,” she shares.
During the programme, Lottie had a profound personal realisation, which she describes as life-changing. “Understanding that I have ADHD lifted a weight off my shoulders. It gave me permission to fully embrace who I am and let go of my imposter syndrome,” she reflects. This newfound understanding has deepened her ability to support clients with neurodiverse needs, helping them to navigate challenges and unlock their own unique strengths.
Grey Panther Management: A Legacy of Growth
Founded in 2005, Grey Panther began as a consultancy led by Lottie’s late husband, which she later took over and evolved into a platform for leadership development. Over nearly two decades, Lottie has witnessed significant shifts in the coaching profession, particularly the rise of team coaching.
“When I first started, coaching was still fairly unknown and often associated with sports. Today, it is widely recognized as a powerful tool for driving growth, fostering leadership, and transforming businesses.” she explains. Despite these changes, Lottie’s approach remains rooted in her belief in the power of reflection, collaboration, and authenticity.
Harnessing the Power of NLP in Coaching
As an NLP Master Practitioner, Lottie incorporates the principles of Neuro-Linguistic Programming into her coaching to enhance communication, deepen understanding, and foster meaningful connections. “NLP is about the excellence of communication on all levels,” she explains, emphasising its value in helping leaders navigate interpersonal dynamics with clarity and empathy.
For Lottie, NLP isn’t just a tool but a mindset that enables her to listen deeply and respond with presence. “It’s about understanding the layers of communication, both verbal and non-verbal,” she shares. By applying these principles, she helps clients build greater self-awareness, refine their communication styles, and strengthen relationships. This approach has proven particularly impactful in team coaching, where effective communication is key to fostering trust and cohesion.
Coaching Through Connection: The Power of Presence
For Lottie, one of the most transformative aspects of coaching is the power of holding space. Whether working with teams or individuals, she creates an environment where clients feel heard and understood. “Sometimes, it’s about simply allowing someone the time to process, reflect, and arrive at their own answers,” she says.
This philosophy extends to her team coaching, where she encourages equal participation. Lottie often uses innovative tools like LEGO® Serious Play® to foster engagement and creativity. “Using LEGO allows everyone to contribute equally and think in metaphor, which often leads to deeper insights,” she explains.
Future Focus: Elevating Leadership Through Coaching
Looking ahead, Lottie remains committed to driving meaningful change for her clients. Through Grey Panther, she plans to continue integrating coaching with facilitation and training to support leaders and teams in navigating complexity and achieving high performance.
Her message to leaders is clear: “What if your team, already high-performing, could reach even greater heights? What if work wasn’t just something you liked, but something you truly loved?” By helping leaders explore these questions, Lottie empowers them to create environments where people thrive both professionally and personally.
Final Thoughts
Lottie Skuthe-Cook’s journey as a leadership coach and facilitator is a testament to the transformative power of authenticity, trust, and inclusion. Through her work, she has redefined what it means to lead—championing vulnerability-based trust, embracing neurodiversity, and leveraging innovative tools to inspire deeper connections and collaboration.
As she looks to the future, Lottie remains committed to driving meaningful change, helping leaders and their teams thrive in increasingly complex environments. Her approach is a reminder that leadership isn’t about striving for perfection—it’s about presence, self-awareness, and the courage to lead authentically.
If you’d like to connect with Lottie, you can find her on LinkedIn or through her website at www.greypanther.co.uk. As she says, “I’m always up for a coffee chat!”
