Executive Coaching

Leadership Development

Executive Coaching

Our Coaches

Dr Ananth Gopal is a deeply curious coach with a PhD in Human Geography and a background in theatre. He has completed the Institute of Executive Coaching & Leadership (IECL) Organisational Coaching Level 1 accreditation, and brings that credential into his one-on-one coaching practice. Ananth blends adaptive-leadership frameworks (inspired by Marty Linsky and Ron Heifetz) and systemic thinking with insight-driven conversations, using curiosity, creativity and empathy to help individuals and teams unlock new possibilities.

Tom Henderson is an accredited coach and facilitator with a rich background in journalism, politics and community development. He has completed advanced coach training (including IECL-certified organisational coaching) and holds a Graduate Diploma in Psychology (Advanced) alongside facilitation credentials. His style is warm, people-centred and inquisitive – he believes that “the wisdom is in the room” and uses coaching as a way to stimulate insight, connection and meaningful action in individuals and groups.

Chyonne Kreltszheim is a seasoned coach, facilitator and former lawyer who founded Being: the Change, bringing over 16 years of experience working across Australasia. Her credentials include a Certificate IV in Coaching and a Graduate Diploma in Ontological Coaching. She draws on negotiation training from the Harvard Negotiation Institute and applies an ontological, whole-person lens to her coaching, helping people explore how their way of being shapes their results. Her sessions are engaging, artful and deeply practical – perfect for leaders ready to step into more clarity and influence.

What is coaching?

Coaching is a collaborative, thought-provoking process designed to help people grow through reflection, insight and action. It’s not about advice-giving or performance management – it’s about creating the conditions for meaningful learning. At its heart, coaching is a conversation that expands awareness and choice.

At Polykala, we see coaching as a partnership between equals: one person brings lived experience, the other brings curiosity, structure and perspective. Together, we explore goals, assumptions, values and patterns to generate new ways of thinking and acting. The process draws on the Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership (IECL) approach – grounded in adult development theory, systemic awareness and a belief that people already hold the resources they need to change.

Coaching helps clarify what matters most, surface strengths and shift what’s stuck. It’s both reflective and practical, helping people turn insight into meaningful, sustainable action. Whether working with individuals or teams, coaching offers a space to pause, think differently and move forward with greater clarity, confidence and purpose.

Featured project

Australasian College of Paramedicine

Adaptive leadership for frontline paramedic leaders

A yearlong program helped paramedics - some of the most skilled and most stressed professionals in the country - build the leadership and communication capability that clinical training doesn't cover. Deep in the midst of Covid-affected virtual delivery, Ananth and…

Our Approach

Coaching at Polykala is a creative and collaborative process. It’s a space to pause, make sense of challenges and experiment with new ways of thinking and acting. We don’t offer prescriptions or quick fixes. Instead, we partner with people to generate insight, test assumptions and build the courage to try something different.

Our approach is grounded in the Adaptive Leadership framework, which invites people to distinguish between technical and adaptive challenges – the kind that require learning, experimentation and fresh perspective. We use Case in Point methods to bring real situations into focus, helping clients work with what’s happening in the moment. We also draw on Immunity to Change processes to uncover the mindsets and habits that can unconsciously hold people back, translating awareness into deliberate, lasting shifts.

Every coaching conversation is relational, dynamic and practical. We hold our clients with care and curiosity, balancing accountability with empathy. Our goal is to cultivate insight that sticks – insight that translates into wiser decisions, stronger relationships and more adaptive leadership.

At its best, coaching with Polykala is energising and sustaining. It helps people reconnect with what matters most, make sense of complexity and build the confidence to lead with creativity, clarity and integrity.