Why Hearth

Leadership today operates inside sustained complexity and friction that most existing models were never designed to hold. Under constant pressure, trust erodes, energy depletes, and capacity fragments long before capability — or intent — fails.

When these conditions break down, the cost is no longer individual burnout alone; it becomes organisational fracture across the system. Hearth works precisely at this level: the conditions leadership operates within.

We focus on the human operating system, helping leaders and organisations face reality as it is. By surfacing friction honestly, we (re)build the core conditions leadership depends on — trust, energy, and capacity.

When these conditions are strong, clarity sharpens. Decision quality improves. Leaders regain the ability to take bold, future-facing action in complex environments.

This is how leadership becomes sustainable again — steady under pressure, adaptive in change, and capable of building futures that are resilient, regenerative, and worth leading into.

The Hearth Model

An Evidence-Based, Real-World Leadership Performance System

Leadership begins with reality — what is actually happening — and the friction that surfaces where pressure, complexity, and intention collide. Friction is not something to avoid. It is a signal. It shows us where the system is under strain and where attention is required.

Hearth works directly with these signals, using friction as fuel.

We start by facing reality as it is.

Then we deliberately strengthen the core conditions leadership depends on — trust, energy, and capacity.

When trust is strong, truth can be spoken. When energy is steady, thinking remains clear. When capacity is expanded, complexity can be held without fragmentation.

From there, clarity emerges. Decision quality improves. Bold action becomes possible.

This is how leadership performs at its highest level — grounded in reality, supported by strong conditions, and able to act boldly in complex environments.

Hearth Leadership Methodology
Hearth Leadership
1
Reality
No meaningful change begins without an honest encounter with reality. How decisions are made, and where friction and pressure accumulate. This creates a shared, grounded understanding of the system as it is, without blame or distortion.
2
Trust
Rebuilding the relational fabric leadership depends on. Trust is not a value; it is an operating condition. We restore trust between leaders, teams, and systems. Without trust, leaders tend to just manage risk. With trust, they can truly lead.
3
Energy
Restoring the capacity to think, be decisive and act without fear. Leadership goes away when energy collapses, long before strategy does. Burnout is not a personal failing. It is a system signal. So we listen to what this signal is telling us.
4
Clarity
Clarity is not certainty—it is the ability to act responsibly in uncertainty. It emerges when reality is faced, trust is restored, and energy is regained. Leaders can then make cleaner decisions, set higher priorities, and move forward with coherence.
5
Action
Bold, grounded steps that the system can hold. We embolden leaders to take big leaps that can be owned, sustained and fully integrated. Action that outpaces capacity creates more friction. Action grounded in clarity changes everything.

what hearth can do for you, YOUR TEAM and your ORGANIZATION.

  • Stay oriented and effective while dealing with uncertainty, competing demands, and constant change — without going to overwhelm or chaos.

  • Move beyond short-term fixes and crisis responses, to decisions that align, endure, and increase flow.

  • Lead with conviction while protecting energy and trust — so progress sustains and morale strengthens.

  • Take bold, decisive action — grounded in reality, guided by clarity, and aligned with what matters.

  • Tina Cachules, London

    Founder, Ensemble Stories

    Michelle is deeply gifted at finding the light in the dark, the joy in the pain, and the majesty in the self. She has helped me trust myself more, discover my own wisdom, and act with brave integrity. She is a genuinely insightful creator of trust and empowerment. 

  • Dr. Michael Mannino, Florida

    NEUROSCIENTIST, PHILOSOPHER & COACH

    Clare has the perfect blend of intellect and heart, a rare combination: knowledge, and empathy. Her knowledge of the science of flourishing, human potential, positive psychology and flow science is vast, and her vision for developing a world where humans can flourish will have great impact. Among Clare’s true gifts is her singular ability to create and foster trust and psychological safety among people she works with. I have personally seen how her wealth of experience, true passion, purpose, and deep scientific expertise have helped many people.

  • Renske van Vroomhoven, The Netherlands

    Michelle is one of those rare souls who naturally brings both clarity and compassion wherever she goes. She truly sees people with a level of empathy that is both disarming and healing. 

    What sets Michelle apart is her ability to hold both the intimate and the expansive. She is able to tune in to the smallest details while also maintaining a bird’s-eye perspective. She doesn’t just listen; she realigns.

  • Dr. Sarah Sarkis, Bostin

    CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST & CHIEF OF PERFORMANCE

    Clare is one of those rare people who embodies equal parts intelligence, vulnerability, strength and humour. She coaches with her whole heart. Her depth of knowledge, her commitment to science & her deep understanding of human psychology all contribute to her unique style of coaching. My advice— hire Clare if you’re truly invested in transformation. You won’t regret it.

  • Frida Roberts, Stockholm

    LEADERSHIP CONSULTANT

    I am delighted to share my experience with Clare, a truly remarkable person, facilitator and coach. Clare's ability to create magic and sustain a safe space, individually or in group sessions, is unparalleled. She possesses a unique talent for listening beyond words, gently pushing you forward on your journey while creating clarity and momentum. Clare's approach, grounded in the latest science of human potential, is an absolute game-changer; and I can wholeheartedly recommend it here.

  • Lisa Land, Johannesburg

    Co-Founder, Iuni Sanctuary

    Michelle brings calm, grounded presence to situations, especially under pressure, modelling the clarity, integrity, and ethical discernment she guides leaders and change-makers towards. I truly trust her judgement, her deep care for people, and her ability to help others navigate complexity with steadiness and clarity.