Building Values-Driven Leadership with Lyndal Larkin

mgraziano45
Aug 26
4 min read

In this episode of Adventures in Business, Amani and Mandi chat with Lyndal Larkin, Executive Coach, Speaker, Strategic Offsite Facilitator, and Founder of Larkin Leadership. A longtime friend of Amani’s, Lyndal has been coaching before coaching was a buzzword, helping leaders align their words, actions, and rewards to create lasting transformation. Today, Lyndal shares her journey, her approach to leadership development, and the mindset shifts that make the biggest difference for executives and teams.

Meet Lyndal Larkin

Lyndal Larkin is an Executive Coach, Speaker, Strategic Offsite Facilitator, and Founder of Larkin Leadership. She helps committed, growth-minded leaders produce intentional results by aligning what they say, do, and reward. Known for her high energy and collaborative approach, Lyndal partners with dynamic executives – particularly Founder/CEOs and C-Suite teams – to transform their impact and create people-centric cultures that deliver exceptional outcomes.

From Hospitality to Coaching

Lyndal completed her first coach training in 2002 but held off launching her business right away. “I realized there was so much more I needed to experience first, both in leadership and in life,” she says. Her background in hospitality and learning & development gave her hands-on experience leading teams and understanding the human side of business before she stepped fully into coaching.

That patience paid off. Today, she works with high-performing leaders who want to keep getting better – not because something is “wrong” but because they’re committed to excellence.

Coaching Then vs. Now

The perception of coaching has shifted dramatically over the last two decades. Once seen as a remedial measure, coaching is now embraced as a proactive investment – like an elite athlete hiring a trainer to fine-tune their performance.

“The pandemic accelerated the focus on leadership and self-development,” Lyndal notes. “Leaders are more open to being vulnerable, acknowledging what they don’t know, and embracing a growth mindset.”

What’s Holding Leaders Back

Despite this progress, many executives still get stuck. Lyndal says the biggest things holding leaders back today is a fixed mindset, the “I’ll do it myself” mentality, and reactive development.

That’s where coaching steps in to create true, lasting change for people. As Lyndal puts it, “AI can deliver knowledge, but it can’t deliver transformation. Coaching is about transformation.”

Selling the Service, Not Yourself

When Lyndal finally embraced business development, she reframed it: “It’s not about convincing someone I’m amazing – it’s about sharing the power and results of coaching. I might be the right coach for someone, I might not. The chemistry has to be right.”

That abundance mindset – trusting there’s enough opportunity for everyone – has been key to her success.

Traits of the Most Coachable Leaders

According to Lyndal, the leaders who see the biggest breakthroughs share three things:

A growth mindset: Believing they can always improve
Humility: Willingness to hear and act on constructive feedback
Self-awareness and reflection time: Space to absorb insights and practice new skills

The Sales-to-Leadership Trap

It’s a common story: a company’s top salesperson is promoted to a leadership position. On paper, it makes sense – they’ve mastered the technical side of the job and consistently bring in impressive numbers. But Lyndal points out a flaw in this approach: “Great salespeople aren’t always great leaders, and great leaders aren’t always great salespeople.”

The shift from individual contributor to leader is more than just delegating tasks. It’s about holding people accountable, developing talent, and collaborating effectively across teams. Without the right support and mindset shift, these high-performing individuals can burn out quickly.

When Performance Excuses Bad Behavior

One of the most damaging patterns Lyndal sees across industries is overlooking toxic behavior in high performers. “We forgive bad behavior because of top performance,” she says. “And that’s a bad way to grow an organization and culture.”

The solution? Start with leadership at the top. If senior leaders aren’t aligned with the company’s values – and willing to hire, promote, and even fire based on them – those values become meaningless. It’s not enough to have them framed on the wall. They must show up in every decision, from hiring and performance reviews to promotions and terminations.

Integrating Core Values Into Behavior

Lyndal challenges executive teams to get crystal clear on unacceptable behavior. “It’s easy to make exceptions when someone is bringing in results,” she says, “but once you start excusing poor behavior, you erode trust and culture.”

She helps leadership teams set non-negotiables, align on accountability, and stick to agreed-upon standards – even when it’s uncomfortable. This clarity prevents “gray area” decision-making and ensures the company’s culture supports long-term success.

Lyndal Larkin Coaches Amani

We had a quick coaching session in this interview that showed Lyndal’s expertise. In just one week, four people reached out to Amani for advice on writing and launching a book. Lyndal and Mandi help him think through the opportunity – from clarifying his ideal client avatar to structuring group sessions that maximize impact and protect his time.

For Lyndal, it’s about finding the balance between generosity and business boundaries. She recommends defining pro bono time, creating a clear process for new inquiries, and designing offers that align with your schedule and goals.

Advice to Her Younger Self

If Lyndal Larkinl could go back, she’d tell herself three things:

Get clear on your values early and ensure your work aligns with them
Ask for help sooner and deliberately curate a personal “board of directors” for guidance
Lead with abundance – celebrate others’ wins without feeling threatened, and focus on how you can be of service