Michael Beck

Managing Partner & Director of Learning & Development

Tell us about you

I am Dad to two fantastic boys as well as two incredible step children and all four of them keep me firmly grounded and help me learn more about myself and how to be a better human & parent every single day.

Our children are all so different and nothing makes me happier than when we are all home together for a family meal and movie night – my favourite time .

We live within a stone’s throw of the beach in a lovely village in West Sussex and you can often find Liz and I out walking along the beach with our dog , Obi .

He is a crazy Cockapoo who brings so much joy and laughter ( and lots of dirt .. ) to our household – we would not have it any other way though.

Tell us about your role and how you can help/ support 

I am the proud co-owner of Aspiring Hr along with my wife , Liz . A key part of my role is to support the team in designing and developing bespoke learning and development tools that will support our clients in helping their teams imagine what is possible , learn through trial & error and then grow through their experiences.

I am also very passionate about creating a safe place for people to continue keeping mental wellbeing and resilience at the top of everyone’s agenda especially wanting more men to be more comfortable with vulnerability.

A day in the life of a Leadership coach 

No two days are the same and I love this most about my role and my day could be an even mix of connecting with clients understanding their needs or hearing how our training has really helped their team grow or working with our amazing team building and designing the next development programme for clients.

What do you love most about your role ?

I love working with teams and individuals to help them discover the art of the possible and understanding what is getting in the way currently  and exploring what’s options we have that may help.

I am a big believer in the power of positive thinking and at the same time I am passionate about failure and how it can be embraced to fuel growth .

Failure is not the opposite of success – it’s part of success…

What’s your greatest achievement ?

There are so many things I am proud of in my career but being a parent trumps them all hands down.

My children will always be my greatest inspiration and the thing I am most proud of . They have an incredible ability to make me want to be a better version of myself and I learn so much from them every day about their courage , curiosity along side their humour ( which is often directed at me .. ) 

Who is your role model ?

My all time role model is probably the same as a lot of people with Nelson Mandela.

Having read his autobiography ‘A Long Walk to Freedom’ a number of years ago , I was struck by his humanity , humility and forgiveness after having spent 28 years imprisoned on Robben Island . How he loved ,united and did not bear grudges to his captors was incredible and his ability to influence,unite and connect rather than divide was inspirational to so many people .

He planted trees under who shade he would never sit but he did it anyway …

How do you switch off and take some time out ?

I am an avid amateur golfer and will often play with my two boys and although I often lose, I enjoy the chase to bring my handicap down to a respectable level.

I am also passionate about keeping fit and will spend far too much time on my peloton bike riding to 80’s music.

However I am at my most happiest when at home with Liz, the four children and our dog curled up on the sofa watching a family movie .