Meet our Coach-in-Residence

Posted by Bedrock on 1st September 2025

We are thrilled to introduce our new coach-in-residence, Sarah Thorpe Scott. As an experienced executive coach and the founder of Thorpe Scott Coaching & Advisory, Sarah helps leaders and organisations cut through complexity, focus on what matters most, and elevate performance for lasting impact. Her insights will be invaluable to both our team and the families we support, empowering them to thrive in an ever-changing business landscape.

In this Meet the Team feature, Sarah shares insights into her journey, her distinctive approach to coaching, and her perspective on what it takes to thrive as a leader in today’s complex world, along with examples of how she has helped executives, teams, and families succeed.

From Leader to Coach

Q: Tell us about your journey into executive coaching and what drew you to this field?

My journey into coaching grew out of being a leader myself. I was extremely results-driven and fortunate to have success early in my career, but the more senior I became, the more clear it became how much leadership capability actually rests on leadership and interpersonal and communication skills, rather than just an ability to make smart strategic or technical choices. At the senior leadership level, I saw how often highly competent, well-meaning executives struggled to work – and lead – effectively together. The result was unnecessary underperformance and dysfunction. That realisation became a bit of an obsession for me: helping leaders and teams unlock the clarity, alignment, and trust needed to achieve the results of which they’re capable of.

A Coaching Style That Goes Beyond Quick Fixes

Q: How would you describe your coaching style, and how do you approach working with leaders at all levels?

My coaching is highly practical and results-driven, grounded in a real appreciation of the pressures leaders face. At the same time, I bring a deep and considered approach. Rather than skim the surface, by just teaching frameworks or tools that change the picture for a month and then fade away, I also push my clients to reflect on what’s driving their behaviors, beliefs, and ways of working so they can reframe them for the long term. The combination of pragmatism and depth means clients not only get better results, but they grow into leaders who can sustain those results well beyond our work together. It’s this same deep approach, diligence, and care that Bedrock brings to the families they work with that drew me to partner with them.

Rethinking Leadership in a Changing World

Q: What do you believe is the most important mindset shift leaders need to make to navigate today’s business challenges?

The most important shift is moving from thinking only about “what do I need to do?” to also considering “how do I need to be?” Many leaders are clear on their goals and execution plans. They know the actions they and their teams need to take. But they spend far less time considering how their own presence, mindset, and behavior set the tone. If you want your team to collaborate, innovate, or take ownership, you have to model those behaviors yourself, and create an environment where they’re recognised and rewarded. Leadership today is less about having the answers and more about shaping the conditions where others can succeed.

Tackling the Toughest Leadership Challenges

Q: What’s one of the most common leadership challenges you encounter, and how do you help leaders address it?

One of the biggest challenges is avoidance. Leaders often avoid the conversations that matter most. Whether it’s giving feedback that would actually help someone thrive, or addressing tensions within the team, avoidance erodes trust and performance. Another blind spot is overlooking the rising leaders who represent the next layer of potential in the business. Too often executives haven’t created the space for open, intellectually honest dialogue with them. My role is to help leaders build the confidence and skills to engage in those conversations so their teams feel both challenged and supported, and the organisation is optimised for success and equipped for the future.

Tailored Coaching for Every Leader, Team, and Family

Q: How do you tailor your coaching to meet the unique needs of different clients, whether individuals or teams?

Every client and system has its own dynamics, so the first step is always deeply listening – and often gathering data – to understand what’s really going on beneath the surface. With individual leaders, I may use tools like 360 feedback or developmental assessments to get a clear picture of their strengths, blind spots, and opportunities. With teams and organisations, I often conduct structured interviews across the group to uncover patterns and themes that aren’t always visible in day-to-day interactions. That process gives the group a shared mirror – a clear, objective view of what’s happening – and becomes a powerful jumping-off point for real progress. It’s not realistic for a team of busy executives to untangle systemic issues in live conversation alone, so these structured assessments create the clarity and focus needed for trust, alignment, and meaningful change. I also carry these out within family enterprise systems, where those dynamics are often deeply personal, and longstanding – sometimes spanning over hundreds of years – which makes the work more sensitive and also even more powerful. My approach adapts to the context, but the goal is always the same: clarity, alignment, and progress that lasts.

The Future of Leadership

Q: Looking ahead, what do you think will be the most important leadership skills for leaders to develop in the next few years?

Leaders will need to strengthen their capacity to stay grounded and effective amid volatility and constant change. That means being able to regulate their own stress, manage conflict productively, and keep perspective even when pressures are high. It also means developing the ability to engage across differences – to align diverse viewpoints, manage systemic tensions, and bring people with them. In a world where disruption is the norm, leaders who can hold complexity, balance steadiness with adaptability, and decisiveness with empathy, will be the ones who succeed.

Life Outside of Coaching

Q: Outside of your coaching work, what practices or philosophies do you follow to continue growing as a coach and as a leader?

I think about growth in two ways: the discipline of daily practices, and the joy of exploration, inspiration, and connection. Most of my “daily-ish” practices are somatic – in other words, engaging the body in ways that help us slow down, regulate stress, and reconnect with ourselves. And these practices aren’t just about feeling calm; they also create the conditions for insight and better problem-solving. We’ve all had that experience of a lightbulb moment in the shower, or clarity arriving while on a walk, not when we were pushing at the problem, but when we gave our minds space to work differently. For me, that looks like walking, meditation (even just five minutes per day), exercise, gardening, intentionally spending time outdoors, and writing “morning pages” – small rituals that keep me steady, reflective, and able to see things more clearly.

Cultivating joy feels especially important at the intersection of our prime professional and family years. This period, while rewarding, comes with endless logistics, a massive mental load, and a relentless busyness that can push out the very things that bring us alive: joy, learning, and a sense of meaning. I find deep nourishment in friendships, in learning, in making time for myself, and in being present with my family and our 16-month-old son. I also draw inspiration from creativity and community through my role as Chair of the Development Board at the Young Vic Theatre in London. Over time, I’ve noticed that for me, joy most often comes from connection, inspiration, and exploration. These rhythms, practices, and relationships remind me that growth and leadership are not only about achievement, but about meaning and purpose: ensuring that our hard work translates into fulfilling lives and creates an intentional, positive impact on future generations, our wider communities, and society.

Coaching in Action: Sarah’s Success Stories

Q: Can you share a success story where your coaching made a significant impact on an individual or organisation?

Helping a single family office unlock alignment: I worked with a large family office spanning several generations and branches of the family. Although the structures were in place, progress had stalled because conversations about money, investment philosophy, and priorities weren’t happening across the whole system. Families often value harmony and weren’t always sure how to address differences constructively, and this was no exception. Through a series of confidential interviews, we uncovered the key themes and gave the group a clearer, shared understanding of what was really going on. That became the starting point for a more constructive conversation, allowing the family to move forward with greater clarity and confidence. 

Unlocking potential through deeper connection: I was brought in by the C-suite to work with a high-performing sales team at a fast-growing tech company in California. The team was talented and already delivering results, but leadership wanted to prepare them for a period of accelerated growth and the next level of performance. As part of a structured assessment, I conducted interviews across the group to uncover what was really happening beneath the surface. The themes painted a mixed picture: pride in the product and strong motivation, alongside constant pressure, unclear priorities, and the strain of distributed work that left people feeling disconnected. They also voiced a desire for more clarity and stronger collaboration. Reflecting these themes back gave the team a shared mirror and a clear view of what was really happening. That became the foundation for an offsite where they reconnected, celebrated wins, and aligned on strategy. They left more energised, confident, and equipped to perform at a high level together.

In both cases, the breakthrough wasn’t about changing the strategy; it was about unlocking alignment and trust so execution could really take off.

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If you are interested in finding out more about Sarah’s work and how she could help you create meaningful, lasting impact, please reach out to info@bedrockgroup.ch for more information.