Aude Bohu is the Managing Director of Talentis, now part of TELUS Health, and she specializes in leadership coaching. Aude is a passionate advocate for improving the health of organizations by helping develop stronger leaders.
I have been an executive coach for the last 18 years. Before transitioning to coaching, I had a corporate career for almost 20 years in the FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) business. I was inspired to transition from corporate management to executive coaching because, as a manager, I was very interested in developing people and helping them unlock their potential. I have always been naturally focused on nurturing talent. This intrinsic motivation to develop others made me shift careers to coaching.
My expertise now centers on designing leadership programs and helping leaders and senior executives create the conditions for their teams and themselves to thrive. I focus on helping them take up new positions, reinforce the quality of interactions, improve communication and strengthen their leadership identity.
I joined Talentis in 2008 and now serve as the Managing Director. Talentis was acquired by TELUS Health at the end of 2024, and we’re excited to join forces and bring our expertise in leadership development and executive coaching and leadership programs, including those tailored for women.
The main focus of my role is to design leadership programs that address contemporary workplace challenges. Some of my core areas of focus are:
Leaders create the conditions for their team members to evolve in a safe environment. The behaviours of leaders strongly impact the way people act, how safe they feel and ultimately their overall wellbeing. For example, research from the TELUS Mental Health Index shows that globally, employees that rate their managers as highly compassionate are happier at work – and they have higher mental health scores.
Poor leadership directly contributes to isolation and anxiety which affects motivation, engagement and productivity – and ultimately the bottom line of a business.
Without leadership coaching organizations face: lower employee mental health scores, decreased productivity, poor retention and engagement and systemic dysfunction that cascades through the organization.
With leadership coaching, organizations gain: Psychologically safe environments, motivated and engaged employees, clear communication and priorities and sustainable business performance.
Leadership coaching isn't a luxury, it’s a fundamental business necessity that can directly impact both the human and financial health of organizations.
We are witnessing a fundamental transformation in leadership development, including a shift to focus even more on ‘soft skills’. It’s essential that leaders excel at communication, empathy and compassion. There is a shift from tactical leadership skills to impact and purpose.
Psychological safety is one of the foundations of future leadership. It ensures people feel safe at work and that teams are working in conditions where they can thrive.
What was considered revolutionary 10 years ago (energy management, emotional intelligence) became essential. The future of leadership coaching is about developing whole human beings who can create conditions for others to thrive - not just developing managers who can hit business targets. This will be even more important in the context of the AI, which can have a massive impact on organizations and ways of working.
When leaders are coached to support employee development, team members often display increased motivation and reduced uncertainty. When leaders are coached to create conditions for employees to thrive, individuals are equipped to evolve in a safe environment where they feel free to express their ideas or concerns, even if different and contribute authentically.
Employees spend a lot of their weekly hours at work and the time spent in this environment can affect time ‘at home’ - and vice versa. It's essential that we coach leaders on how to help cultivate workplaces that support and promote employee wellbeing.
We need to stop treating leadership development and employee well-being as separate initiatives. When you coach leaders to create psychological safety, manage their energy, communicate effectively and develop their people, you don't just improve business results—you create sustainable and healthy organizations.
Investing in executive coaching today means investing in the future. It’s the way to build a company that can attract, retain and develop talent – and creates a responsible, sustainable and serene work environment that experiences increased productivity.