Sarah Jane Williamson

A portfolio career based on rich experience, deep purpose and organisational wisdom

My work is situated where leadership and vocational life intersect with soul and meaning.

Through my company Shaping Wisdom Ltd, I bring together my insight and professional experience from decades in the charity sector, NHS and as an educator specialising in spirituality.

Educator

Alongside our professional skills and knowledge, we need greater presence, inner capacity and grounded embodiment. Spiritual practices can help us develop these qualities.

I am the Lead Tutor for the Spiritual Companions Trust Diploma in Spiritual Coaching and Caregiving, an Ofqual registered vocational course I helped develop over a decade ago. It equips people of all faiths, and none, to integrate spiritual care into their professional and personal lives in practical and grounded ways and is based on the academic evidence for the health benefits of spiritual practices along with person-centred spiritual development. Spiritual Companions Trust Diploma.

With over 35 years’ experience as a qualified educator specialising in spirituality, my advanced courses and one to one mentoring have helped coaches, therapists, counsellors, OD specialists, charity leaders and escapees from corporates to find the Inner Sacred in their work, and to trust the steps they’re taking on their own path. I am known for giving attention to what needs to be done to keep people grounded in their spiritual development.

Systemic practitioner

In my systemic practice I help leaders to reconnect with the evolving purpose of their organisations, to see and understand any unusual or stuck patterns that have arisen, and to know how to act to restore the flow of leadership and strength through the organisation.

Exploring systemic intelligence through organisational constellations also helps when finding options for development and change, enabling the most purpose-aligned action. This is especially important when resources are limited and ‘trial and error’ needs to be minimised.

I also help individuals identify their vocational purpose and principles and support them to embody these practically for greater fulfilment in their work.

I trained in systemic leadership coaching with organisational constellations to advanced level with Whole Partnership. I have regular systemic supervision, undertake CPD and am a member of EMCC UK. My rates reflect my experience of the charity sector and are accessible for individuals who work in charities and social enterprises.

Charity Leadership

Whether you are seeking consolidation or facing challenges and change for your organisation, I collaborate with you to find a stabilising and strengthening way forward.

I bring highly senior strategic and operational capacity on an interim, fractional, or permanent basis.

This might be to bridge a gap or test a new role in the senior team before it is put out for permanent recruitment, or by working alongside the senior team to deliver change or innovative approaches, or to stabilise an organisation that has been through an existential threat.

Some of the roles I’ve had in the charity sector include chief executive, executive director of operational change and associate director of strategy and delivery. I’m an experienced charity trustee and have been a non-executive director of a membership social enterprise.

I am an experienced programme and project manager, gaining MSP and PRINCE2 practitioner qualifications earlier in my career. I understand how change and transformation get messy and divergent, and how to bring the focus back to emergent cohesion and delivery.

I have a specialist interest in management and leadership development and have a post-graduate leadership qualification.

The charity sector’s breadth has enabled me to take my executive and trustee experience into charities working in mental health, equine welfare and sanctuary, heritage, arts and education, learning much from each of these organisations.

My LinkedIn profile here shows the extent of my experience, recent assignments and projects.

How you can work with me

If something’s resonating, please get in touch here hello@shapingwisdom.com for an exploratory conversation, all in confidence.

Sarah Jane Williamson

Educator, Systemic Practitioner, Charity Leadership

Shaping Wisdom Ltd

LinkedIn

Substack

Testimonials

Sarah Jane led and ran an important programme to embed a different way of working across our charity. We needed to make significant savings but in a way that brought teams together to face into what could be achieved through consistent and collaborative working. Sarah Jane embedded a project management and business case approach including some sensitive cross team working. Sarah Jane adapted her style and approach for varied levels of post, working styles and learning styles. She developed the confidence of some very capable managers and supported others who needed direction and persistence.

The charity is far stronger from Sarah Jane taking on this work than the senior leadership team in place could even try to achieve alone. In a very busy working environment Sarah Jane’s approach kept our goals on track, helped by reporting up to the CEO and Board, and supported internal communications to embed this much needed way of working.

Chief Executive, National Charity

Sarah Jane Williamson is a uniquely skilled educator, mentor and coach in the field of contemporary spirituality and personal development.

Her remarkably wide background includes project management in Whitehall, holding chief executive and national leadership roles within the UK charity sector, and a profound training in the indigenous spirituality of the Romany tradition.

She was a key figure in developing the UK’s only Ofqual registered qualification in spiritual coaching and her graduates range from professors of psychiatry through to hands-on care assistants.

Her intellect and wisdom are balanced by powerful intuitive skills and a profoundly compassionate heart. She is a jewel and unique asset in the field of contemporary spirituality.

William Bloom PhD – Founder and Director of The Spiritual Companions Trust, Educator, Author

I am grateful to have had another opportunity to work with Sarah Jane on her course that deepens spiritual practice.

Delivering this beautifully structured and presented course online, Sarah Jane skilfully blended teaching and facilitation to support my learning and help me to apply it to my everyday life and work.

I have gained a renewed strength in my own spiritual practice and self-care, a clearer way forward for my ongoing development and, in particular, it has helped me to develop my own capacity to hold space and create meaningful spaces for others.

Counsellor, Supervisor and Expressive Arts Facilitator

I worked with Sarah Jane for over ten years on individual and team leadership development, in support of her goals of uplifts in organisational performance and culture at different charities.

It was very clear that Sarah Jane is deeply committed to driving performance through people development. These aren’t just words to her; she walks her talk.

This, combined with her integrity and ability to really see what is going on, make her a highly effective leader. She is able to make difficult decisions while keeping focus, engagement, and momentum.

Her approach was key in enabling the increase of revenues and professionalisation of all aspects of charity operations.

It was a pleasure to work with her.

Executive leadership coach and organisational consultant

I needed some space to review options and find the best way forward to address a sensitive governance matter before taking it to the Board for consideration. Your subtle insight, intuition and connection to deeper ways of knowing as a systemic practitioner really helped me to reflect.

Chair of Trustees, Independent School

Credit for use of artwork image

Many thanks to Kate Bird for permission to use her original artwork Into the Light. Kate specialises in art that reflects the movement of energy.