The Outspire

The Outspire, led by Simon Hawtrey-Woore, provides outdoor leadership coaching that helps leaders step back from the noise, regain perspective and improve the quality of their thinking. For retail leaders carrying constant trading pressure, competing priorities and decisions that won’t leave them alone, the premise is simple: you don’t need more effort, you need more perspective.

Simon is a familiar face in retail leadership development. He is the Purpose lens owner at the BRC Leaders Summer School from 2027, and in previous years held a long-standing coaching and meditation slot at the school, working directly with senior retail leaders.

Coaching conversations happen outdoors, in parks, along rivers, across hills and by the coast. When meeting in person isn’t possible, sessions run as walks in each person’s own location, connected by roaming audio or video. Movement and open space help leaders cut through noise, anchor decisions, reconnect with what matters and stay calm under pressure.

There are four ways to work together. Values Compass™ aligns decisions, priorities and motivation with what matters most. Personal Leadership Support gives ongoing one-to-one challenge and perspective for leaders everyone else looks to for answers. The Values Congruence Assessment measures the gap between an organisation’s stated values and what its people actually experience, a gap retailers with large, dispersed frontline teams will recognise. Team Cohesion Experiences help leadership teams build trust, accountability and performance.

Simon describes his role as a mix of coaching, mentoring and leadership advice: an independent thinking partner who is on your side but not afraid to challenge you. Work starts with an exploratory conversation, with no hard sell. One client credited him with a unique ability to inspire them towards their goals and bring a more focused, confident approach to running their business.