One of the most persistent challenges in organisational effectiveness is the rise of the “accidental manager”. Individuals promoted for technical excellence suddenly have to navigate the complexities of motivating, coaching and aligning teams. Without structured behavioural guidance, many default to problem-solving on behalf of their teams, inadvertently limiting long-term capability development.
Laura Ashley-Timms has dedicated much of her professional life to addressing this leadership transition gap. Through her work at Notion Ltd., where she serves as Author, Keynote Speaker and Chief Operating Officer, she has contributed to designing methodologies that help managers integrate coaching behaviours into routine conversations. Her approach combines intellectual discipline developed at Oxford, global leadership insights, and a performance mindset shaped by representing England in table tennis.
A Performance Mindset Forged Early
Long before she began influencing corporate leadership practice, Laura was immersed in the demanding environment of elite sport. Competing internationally in table tennis during her formative years introduced her to what she describes as a “world-class” standard. For her, excellence became associated with sustained effort, rigorous preparation, and the willingness to refine performance incrementally over time.
This mindset continued to guide her when she joined Oriel College, Oxford, becoming part of the first cohort of women admitted to the institution. Her academic journey was accompanied by sporting distinction, earning her an Extraordinary Full Blue. Reflecting on her identity, she often chooses the word “dynamo,” a reflection of her enduring motivation to advance the mission she believes in — changing the way management works in practice.
Early Influences That Shaped a Leadership Philosophy
An unexpected influence on her thinking emerged in childhood through a comic book character known as “Ping-Pong Paula.” Observing that the fictional athlete worked with a coach to achieve excellence prompted Laura to request coaching support herself. The experience planted a lasting conviction that coaching serves as a powerful catalyst for unlocking human potential.
Later, her encounter with Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth deepened this perspective. Brittain’s account of resilience during turbulent times resonated strongly with Laura’s own experience as a pioneering woman at Oxford. It reinforced an awareness that progress often involves continuing journeys begun by those willing to challenge convention.
Discovering the Satisfaction of Enabling Others
While studying at university, Laura began coaching both county and university teams. The experience proved transformational. Supporting others in achieving success generated a deeper sense of fulfilment than personal victories had previously delivered.
She later observed, “While players focus on their own trophies, coaches build lasting capability.”
This realisation marked an important shift in professional direction. As she entered the corporate world, she began recognising patterns that echoed what she had seen in sport. Many organisations were populated by capable individuals who had been elevated into leadership roles without preparation for developing people. She became increasingly motivated to address this gap by creating practical approaches that would help managers become enablers through enquiry-led interactions.
Establishing Notion With an Outcomes-Driven Mission
When Notion was founded in 2000, Laura and her co-founders envisioned an organisation committed to tangible performance improvement. They sought meaningful involvement in client outcomes, focusing their efforts on changing the behaviours that generated measurable results.
Over time, they identified a structural limitation within traditional coaching interventions. Leadership development initiatives frequently reached a small segment of employees, leaving the majority without sustained capability support. This insight shaped their ambition to “Unleash the Potential of Everyone” by embedding coaching behaviours into everyday managerial conversations.
Through continued experimentation and research, the team codified the STAR® model and developed Operational Coaching® as a methodology suited to the unpredictable demands of organizational life. The company gradually evolved from a specialist consultancy into a globally recognised contributor to management improvement, working with leaders and managers in in more than forty countries.
Challenging Leadership Orthodoxy With Evidence
Introducing new management paradigms inevitably involved confronting deeply ingrained traditions. Laura recalls that early resistance stemmed both from institutional habits rooted in command-and-control thinking and from her own hesitation around making mistakes. Exposure to international business environments helped her reinterpret setbacks as learning opportunities rather than permanent barriers.
A decisive step in establishing credibility came when Notion agreed to subject its STAR® Manager programme and Operational Coaching® methodology to a large-scale randomised controlled study conducted by the London School of Economics. The resulting scientific validation strengthened client confidence and enabled broader adoption among major organisations.
Expanding Leadership Capability in a Changing Workplace
Today, Notion’s portfolio includes the widely recognised STAR® Manager programme, which equips leaders to apply the behavioural sequence of Stop, Think, Ask, Result in their daily interactions. The organisation also delivers executive coaching, academic qualifications spanning Levels 3 to 6 and leadership capability initiatives in multiple languages.
Laura’s book The Answer is a Question has further extended the reach of these ideas, gaining recognition through industry awards and global readership. Her current strategic focus centres on addressing leadership challenges within hybrid and AI-enabled environments, where enquiry skills play an increasingly significant role in maintaining engagement and accountability.
Leadership Responsibility Beyond Commercial Outcomes
As Chief Operating Officer, Laura oversees the design and implementation of global change programmes for organisations including FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies. Her work involves ensuring that leadership methodologies remain relevant within complex operational contexts.
At the same time, she has taken an active stance on issues of social mobility, advocating greater utilisation of the UK Apprenticeship Levy. She has frequently highlighted that a large proportion of available funding remains unclaimed despite its potential to expand access to leadership development across demographics. In her view, strengthening management capability contributes directly to economic resilience and inclusive growth.
Navigating Balance Through Empowerment
Balancing professional responsibilities with family life as the mother of three young adults has shaped Laura’s perspective on leadership sustainability. She describes her approach to balance as rooted in intentional flexibility supported by behavioural empowerment within her team.
By adopting an enquiry-led style, she has cultivated autonomous problem-solvers capable of progressing initiatives with reduced oversight. She refers to this dynamic as the “20% solution,” a shift that effectively returns valuable time for strategic thinking and personal priorities.
Rethinking Leadership Expectations for Women
Laura believes that one of the most significant qualities for women entrepreneurs involves embracing an enquiry-driven mindset. Societal expectations often position leaders as definitive answer providers, a perception that can create pressure to demonstrate value through constant problem resolution.
She argues that such patterns can contribute to burnout while also constraining organisational learning. With workplaces becoming increasingly multigenerational and technologically complex, she emphasises the importance of human-centred leadership models capable of fostering curiosity, autonomy and shared responsibility.
Scaling a Global Vision
Looking ahead, Laura is focused on expanding Notion’s reach through digital platforms and strategic partnerships. A key ambition involves enabling the development of one million STAR® Managers worldwide.
Her long-term objective centres on strengthening leadership capability at scale while preparing organisations to navigate the evolving interface between human judgement and artificial intelligence. Through purposeful enquiry, she believes leaders can sustain agility and inclusivity even as operational landscapes continue to shift.
Advice Rooted in Practical Leadership Experience
Reflecting on her journey, Laura offers guidance grounded in everyday managerial realities. She encourages aspiring leaders to reconsider assumptions about impact, suggesting that the most lasting influence often emerges from building capability within others.
“When someone brings you a problem, try the STAR® approach: stop, think, and ask a provocative question instead of giving the solution,” she advises.
Over time, such interactions reshape team confidence and organisational momentum. For Laura, leadership excellence is closely linked to the ability to illuminate thinking, creating environments where performance improvement becomes both sustainable and widely shared.
“When someone brings you a problem, try the STAR® approach: stop, think, and ask a provocative question instead of giving the solution.”
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