Mentoring Resources

User Guides & Self-Study Resources

Practical, no-fluff guides written from 20 years of real leadership experience. Designed for leaders who want to move forward with clarity and confidence - at their own pace.

Available NowUser Guide

5 Conversations Every Leader Must Have

The conversations most leaders avoid - and why avoiding them is costing you. A practical guide to the five discussions that unlock team performance, trust, and growth.

12 pagesDigital PDFAll leaders
Free
Coming soonUser Guide

Stepping into Leadership

A practical guide for new and aspiring leaders navigating their first senior role - covering mindset, stakeholder management, and building early credibility.

Digital PDFNew leadersPractical toolkit
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Coming soonUser Guide

The NED Readiness Guide

Everything you need before stepping into your first Non-Executive Director role - board dynamics, governance, and how to find and land your first appointment.

Digital PDFAspiring NEDsBoard readiness
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Sample Guide Preview

Here's a taste of what's inside

Each guide follows a structured, practical format - clear purpose, what the conversation delivers, and best practices you can use immediately.

Polaris Pathway Consultancy

5 Conversations Every
Leader Must Have

A practical leadership guide by Nichola Johnson

1

The Expectation Reset

What It Delivers

Clarity, alignment, and the elimination of assumptions that quietly derail team performance.

Best Practices

  • Have it early - do not wait for performance issues to surface
  • Ask what great looks like before defining it yourself
2

The Honest Feedback Conversation

What It Delivers

Trust, growth, and a culture where people feel safe enough to hear - and act on - difficult truths.

Best Practices

  • Be specific - I noticed X lands better than you always Y
  • Separate the conversation from performance reviews
3

The Career Ambition Check-In

What It Delivers

A practical way to understand motivation, progression needs, and the hidden friction slowing people down.

Best Practices

  • Make ambitions explicit
  • Connect aspiration to the next practical step
+ 3 more conversations inside
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These guides are currently in development. Register your interest below and you'll be the first to hear when they're available - along with an exclusive early-access offer.

  • Written from 20 years of real executive experience
  • Practical, actionable, and jargon-free
  • Early registrants receive an exclusive launch discount

Register your interest