The global health, development, and leadership communities have reason to celebrate as Phyllis Owusu-Achau, a respected leader in program management, partnerships, and strategy, takes a bold and inspiring step in her professional journey: joining the Strathmore University Business School (SBS) coaching bench.
This new chapter is both a personal milestone and a full-circle moment of transformation. It traces back to Phyllis’s participation in the Leadership, Management, and Governance (LMG) Program, implemented by the Institute of Healthcare Management at SBS, under the ELEMMINATE Project. Phyllis acknowledges that “The LMG Program didn’t just equip me with leadership skills—it gave me the clarity and confidence to explore who I was as a person and a leader. It planted the seed that coaching could be more than just a skill—it could serve a deeper purpose in unearthing personal and professional excellence.”
Phyllis’s introduction to coaching came in 2022 in Accra, Ghana, when she was selected to join the inaugural cohort of the Ghana LMG Program. At the time, she saw it as a high-impact leadership training opportunity for her and her team—a way to refine effectiveness and strengthen team cohesion.
But the program would come to mean much more.
Through a deeply reflective group coaching experience, Phyllis and her colleagues explored their temperaments, leadership styles, and interpersonal dynamics. For the first time, team members openly shared values, identified strengths, and built psychological safety within the group. This transformed how they worked together and how they viewed leadership altogether. Introspectively, Phyllis mentions, “We began to understand each other more. We started making space for each other’s perspectives and strengths. You could see the shift in our interactions with each other — It was authentic and profoundly impacted on our work.
Phyllis found herself undergoing a profound transformation. She began to uncover why she made certain decisions, how she led under pressure, and what values guided her professional life. Importantly, the LMG experience revealed gaps she needed to work on to unlock her full leadership potential.
Following the group coaching, Phyllis was paired with an individual coach who walked her through reflection, clarity, and planning moments. For her, this relationship was a catalyst. “I felt deeply understood, supported, and challenged in the best ways. That coaching experience made me realize how powerful it could be to create that kind of space for someone else.” The relationship further helped her integrate her personal growth with professional goals and awakened a new sense of purpose—the desire to coach others through similar life-shaping journeys.
With encouragement from her group coach and mentor, Mr. Thomas Mundia, Phyllis pursued formal training through the Awaken Coach Institute’s All-in-One Coach Program. There, she gained a deep understanding of International Coaching Federation (ICF) competencies, ethics, best practices, and the transformative art of partnering with clients to reveal insights and steer toward meaningful change.
Today, Phyllis is a certified coach, and her purpose is clear: to empower international development professionals—especially those navigating complex systems—to pursue clarity, lead with purpose, and align their careers with their core values.
Her coaching style is empathetic yet focused, reflective yet strategic. She creates safe and affirming spaces for clients to process, recalibrate, and take bold action. Phyllis mentions, “I coach from the belief that clarity is power. When we understand who we are and how we lead, we can make more intentional choices that ripple out in powerful ways.” With experience in high-stakes leadership and cross-cultural program management, she connects with clients intellectually and relationally.
Joining the SBS coaching bench is more than a professional title for Phyllis. It’s a deeply personal affirmation of how far she’s come—and how she now gets to give back to the same institution that helped shape her journey.
As a coach with SBS, Phyllis will support participants of the LMG Program and other leadership initiatives at the Institute of Healthcare Management. She will guide leaders through reflective practice, growth planning, and mindset shifts—just as she has experienced. Her coaching will be especially relevant for healthcare professionals grappling with governance challenges, leadership development, and organizational change.
“It’s an honour to be part of a coaching team that is shaping Africa’s next generation of leaders. I carry with me the lessons of the LMG Program, the voice of my own coach, and the belief that transformation begins with awareness.”
In addition to her coaching, Phyllis continues to serve as a strategist and advisor in the global health and development space. She has worked with governments, NGOs, and bilateral agencies to design, implement, and evaluate African programs. Her focus areas include program management and coordination, public-private partnerships, and capacity building.
She has thrived working on multi-country initiatives focused on malaria control, strengthening health systems, and various socio-economic development projects. She is uniquely positioned to mentor others working in complex systems.
As she embarks on this exciting new chapter, Phyllis remains committed to coaching with intentionality and humility. She hopes to amplify often overlooked voices, support mid-career professionals facing crossroads, and help emerging leaders’ step into their potential with boldness.
The Strathmore Business School community, the ELEMMINATE Project team, and the LMG Program faculty are proud to welcome her to the coaching bench. Her story is a powerful reminder of what happens when leadership development is not just about tools but transformation.
“Coaching has profoundly impacted my life —and now I get to offer that same gift to others. I am deeply grateful to NMEP Ghana, SBS, the LMG Program, and everyone who has walked this journey with me.”
Article by Judith Adhiambo Amolo
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