How to Build a Leadership Practice with Substance and Courage
What does it really take to build a consulting practice that lasts — one built on substance, not just visibility?
In this episode of The Jane Anderson Show, I sat down with Dr Michelle Gibbings — an award-winning leadership expert, bestselling author, and trusted advisor who has spent almost 12 years building a globally recognised advisory practice. After a distinguished corporate career spanning senior executive roles and large-scale transformation projects, Michelle made the leap to build her own business — and did it with the kind of intentionality and rigour that most consultants aspire to.
What struck me most about our conversation was Michelle's honesty about the emotional and practical realities of building a practice. From writing her first book while grappling with fear, to making deliberate choices about how and where she delivers her work, her story is full of lessons for anyone building a consulting or thought leadership business.
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An Unconventional Career Built on Curiosity and Challenge
Michelle's path to becoming a leadership expert wasn't linear — and that's exactly what makes her perspective so valuable. Before launching her own practice, she moved across very different corporate functions: company spokesperson, head of large-scale change programs, head of compliance, and chief of staff. It was a career path that unsettled some of the people around her.
"Your career terrifies me," a friend once told Michelle — a reaction to the seemingly random jumps she made between unfamiliar roles.
What tied it all together wasn't a single technical skill — it was the ability to understand a complex environment, navigate it, and influence outcomes. That thread became the foundation of the advisory work she does today.
Key takeaway for consultants: Your career history isn't just a backstory — it's the foundation of your authority. Don't skip over it. The more specific and real your experience, the more credible your expertise becomes.
Leaving Corporate and Finding Structure in Your Practice
Michelle's exit from corporate wasn't planned months in advance — it came after a difficult final role and a meditation retreat that clarified things for her. She came home and told her husband she was done, with no real plan for what came next beyond a willingness to figure it out.
"I didn't realise I needed a product," Michelle admits of her early days — she'd just assumed telling people she was running a business was enough.
That naivety, paired with curiosity, eventually led her to a structured program (Thought Leaders) that gave her a process to follow — the first real scaffolding for what became a 12-year practice, including three books, HBR chapters, and a PhD.
Key takeaway for consultants: Structure doesn't have to mean bureaucracy. Even a solo consulting practice needs systems — for client delivery, for content creation, for business development. The consultants who build sustainable practices are the ones who treat their business like a business from day one.
The Power of Support and Partnership
Building a practice can be isolating, and Michelle was refreshingly open about the role her husband Craig played in sustaining her business through the hardest stretches — including a first year in business where her income dropped to what she'd earned straight out of university.
"That place is destroying you," Craig told her before she'd fully admitted it herself — adding he'd never seen her doubt herself so much.
Beyond emotional support, Craig has been a sounding board and, in Michelle's words, someone willing to just listen when she needs to rant — as well as help problem-solve.
Key takeaway for consultants: Don't underestimate the importance of your support system. Join a community of peers (like Women With Influence), find a mentor, or simply make sure the people closest to you understand what you're building and why.
Choosing Work That Fits — and Knowing How You Work Best
COVID pushed Michelle's business online overnight, and she found executive coaching translated well to that format. But for facilitation, speaking, and development programs, she made a deliberate call to return to in-person delivery once she could.
"I find I get a different energy in the room when I'm with people," Michelle says — now turning down work that would require her to build out a strong online delivery model instead.
Her reasoning: mastering a craft means making choices, because it's genuinely difficult to be exceptional at everything at once.
Key takeaway for consultants: Saying no to work that doesn't fit is just as important as saying yes to work that does. Design your practice around your strengths, energy, and lifestyle — not the other way around.
Building Credibility Through Research, Writing, and Deep Expertise
Michelle's credentials speak for themselves — a PhD, Harvard Business Review contributions, multiple bestselling books, and over a decade of advisory work with senior leaders globally. But what's most instructive is how she thinks about the purpose of those credentials.
"I'm not just calling myself an expert. I've actually done the work," Michelle says — describing the internal congruence that matters to her as much as the external positioning.
That blend of academic rigour and lived corporate experience — the "operational rigour," as she calls it — is what she sees as her real point of difference.
Key takeaway for consultants: Invest in building genuine intellectual capital. Write the article. Do the research. Share original insights, not just recycled ideas. This is the kind of content that builds lasting authority — and it's exactly what Google rewards too.
Writing Your First Book — and the Courage It Takes
One of the most powerful parts of our conversation was Michelle's honesty about writing her first book. It wasn't easy. There was real fear tied to putting her ideas — and her name — out into the world for judgement.
"I feel like I'm going to vomit," Michelle told her publisher when asked how she felt as her first book went to print.
She got through it by recognising the fear would always be there and choosing to move through it anyway — and by the time her second book came around, that same fear had eased considerably.
Key takeaway for consultants: If you've been thinking about writing a book, stop thinking and start writing. It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be yours. The act of writing clarifies your thinking, positions your expertise, and creates an asset that works for you 24/7.
Designing a Life — Not Just a Business
Perhaps the most important theme of our conversation was the idea that building a practice is about more than revenue and clients. Michelle and Craig have kept a shared tradition every wedding anniversary for 22 years: they sit down with a spreadsheet of personal and collective goals across categories like learning, finances, and adventure, and review the year that's passed.
"Will this overly complicate our life?" — the question Michelle and Craig ask themselves before making bigger life or business decisions.
It's a small habit that's helped her stay deliberately content rather than chasing the next bigger thing by default.
Key takeaway for consultants: Define what success looks like for you — not what the market or social media tells you it should look like. Then build your practice around that definition.
About Dr Michelle Gibbings
Dr Michelle Gibbings is an award-winning leadership expert, executive coach, and the founder of a globally recognised advisory practice. She is the author of several bestselling books — including Step Up, Career Leap, and Bad Boss — a Harvard Business Review contributor, and a trusted advisor to senior leaders and organisations around the world.
🔗Michelle's website 🔗Connect on LinkedIn
Ready to Build Your Own Practice?
If Michelle's story resonated with you, here are some ways to take the next step:
Women With Influence — Join a community of B2B women consultants, coaches, and advisors building world-class practices
1:1 Coaching — Work directly with Jane on your personal brand and business growth strategy
Influence Lab — Create a year’s worth of thought leadership content and turn your expertise into strategic assets for your consulting practice.
This article is based on Episode 101 of The Jane Anderson Show. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode.
