Smile Be Curious

Welcome to Smile Be Curious

My name is Chris Paterson and my purpose in life is to grow resilient leaders and teams.

I believe that in this ever changing and increasingly high pressure world, there is value in pausing and slowing down to get clear on what we really want.

I work with individuals and teams to promote growth through personal learning. My work is not just thought-provoking, it’s action-provoking as a means to deliver lasting sustainable change and improved business performance.

About Me Accredited Master Executive Coach & Master Coach Supervisor, FCA (LinkedIn profile)

I am a senior leader with experience of developing and leading high performing teams in different countries and across different functions to deliver business results.

I have always been passionate about learning, spotting potential in others and supporting them in their growth and career development

I guess I have always been a coach - I only started to fully appreciate it once I had some formal coach training. By going on my journey of self-discovery, what I’ve come to realise is that learning, development and growth are some of my most fundamental and core values.

Calm presence

Smile Be Curious represents how I want to show up as a coach and facilitator. The feedback I receive is that I have a calm presence and am approachable and this allows me to challenge my clients to be the best version of themselves.

I believe that purpose comes when we contribute to something larger than ourselves. I am the founder of a charity, GivingTime, a charity that facilitates coaching for young people in exchange for community volunteering.

Coaching

I coach leaders to become more resilient and access their authentic leadership. By supporting them to reach their goals and bring about sustainable change, business performance is improved. In particular I coach:

Senior Leaders: Empowering executives to thrive in complex, high-pressure environments by developing emotional intelligence and strategic insight.

Cross-Cultural Teams: Enhancing collaboration, communication, creativity and inclusivity across diverse, global teams for high performance.

Sustainable Leadership: Guiding leaders to build resilience, make conscious choices, and foster a growth mindset for long-term success.

Finance Professionals: Supporting the transition from technical expert to forward looking, strategic business partnering.

Testimonies

"Working with Chris enabled me to navigate the most challenging periods of my career. He helped me unlock the ability to understand how important my time is—I no longer see saying 'no' as selfish, but as a way to add most value." Senior Leader, Listed Company

"Chris always fostered an environment where honest and open dialogue could take place. Further, I was always left the sessions feeling motivated and empowered to take necessary actions to implement change and essentially have the courage to ‘do things differently’. Chris helped to bring clarity and perspective to my current role and my perception of how and when this may change." Finance Director, Medical Technology Company

"Chris’ structured coaching approach, questioning and challenge helped me identify underlying behaviours I had been unaware of and through the setting of clear goals I have seen tangible benefits for my stakeholder relationships and business. Coaching has started me on a journey to an improved self-awareness and enhanced transferable skills." Chief Operating Officer, Financial Services & NED

"Chris is a very experienced coach, and I got a huge amount of value from our six sessions. During the period I changed roles twice, with Chris coaching me through that change and I honestly think instrumental in the final move being a promotion and permanent role." Commercial Director, Financial Services

Growing Resilient Leaders and Teams

e. chris@smilebecurious.co.uk

t. +44 (0)7788 387 382

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