Gill Smith, former chair of the Association for Coaching (AC) UK, died on 24 October 2019.
Below are some reflections from friends and from Gill herself
I first met Gill in 2012 in her beloved Edinburgh, as she directed one of the successful Association for Coaching (AC) conferences she organised in her long tenure as an AC volunteer. Her rather quiet, composed persona belied the force of nature I came to know.
I worked closely with Gill on the AC UK Council when she was vice chair and later chair. She challenged us all, as she challenged herself, to give of our best, as she worked tirelessly for the benefit of AC members and the profession. With a fierce intellect, honest and tenacious, Gill was 100% dedicated to the cause. She was honoured with Life Fellowship of the AC and a Coaching at Work Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to Coaching.
Following her diagnosis in 2016, Gill applied her talents and energy to new projects.
Hers was not a battle against cancer; she embraced her illness and chose to live life to the full. She directed her drive and passion to improving the lot of cancer sufferers. She joined the fight to make the drug Kadcyla available on the NHS, employing her ability to get to the heart of matters and present incisive arguments in confident TV appearances. She wrote a candid book, sharing her experiences of living with cancer. And she also did all she could to spend more time with the people she loved and doing things that brought her joy.
Behind the strong-minded, straight talking and hard-working professional at the helm of the AC UK, was a kind, caring and thoughtful person, loyal to her friends and family. She was devoted to her ‘soulmate’ husband and their two daughters. Gill will be greatly missed by her family, colleagues, the coaching community and those, like me, who were fortunate enough to be her friends. As Victoria Derbyshire [BBC TV journalist] declared: ‘What a woman’.”
- Lynne Cooper is the founder of Change Perspectives, and author of The Five-Minute Coach
We often use the word ‘inspirational’ too easily. But here it’s so well-deserved. Gill was someone who gave everything to what she was passionate about, perhaps to the detriment of her own wellbeing.
She took up the reins of AC UK and threw herself into the work, spending many hours in pursuit of coaching being the best and most professional it could be, such as the excellent conference she helped organise in September 2016, Gill was honest, witty, had clarity and logic, told things as she saw them and was such fun. One of the last times I saw her, a couple of months before she died, we had a lovely meal in a posh restaurant near Brighton, and then, on the way back, she really fancied something from McDonalds – so we stopped at a drive-through!e often use the word ‘inspirational’ too easily. But here it’s so well-deserved. Gill was someone who gave everything to what she was passionate about, perhaps to the detriment of her own wellbeing.
It felt hugely cruel that Gill was only diagnosed with breast cancer when it was stage 4, and it finally metastasized to her brain. But Gill didn’t spend her time bemoaning her fate. As she wrote in Because You Can, we should each focus on what we can do until we can’t, and not waste time being anxious. Typical of Gill, rather than have a celebration of her life after she died, she had a wonderful and uplifting celebration of her life in 2018, while she could still enjoy it. I will always remember Gill and be thankful for her friendship and for her contribution to our profession.”
- Eve Turner, coach and coach supervisor
- Gill’s own words from her ‘final fling’
I feel that I’ve been very fortunate. My parents were both alcoholics, but that didn’t get in the way of my brother and me having a very secure, loving childhood. They were both good role models in different ways. I went to good schools and was… at Oxford at a time when women were in short supply, so I had a good social time!
I’ve had three careers. The first was in advertising during the ’80s when ads were often an art form with brilliant creative people and first-class film directors. We were revered for our strategic advice and money was plentiful. I remember one extravagant piece of client entertainment when we took Toshiba clients to Le Touquet by helicopter for lunch! Advertising was hard work, but fun and interesting.feel that I’ve been very fortunate. My parents were both alcoholics, but that didn’t get in the way of my brother and me having a very secure, loving childhood. They were both good role models in different ways. I went to good schools and was… at Oxford at a time when women were in short supply, so I had a good social time!
Just when I was getting a bit bored with life I got sucked into coaching… I was lucky that a lot of my listening, empathising and analytical skills from my work to date were easily transferable. I learnt a lot about positive psychology, resilience and perspective, which stands me in good stead now. And I was able to coach people to understand and be at peace with themselves better so they could be happier and more successful. I articulated my Life Purpose – the thing that I have been doing my whole life in different contexts and can use to help myself and others. My Purpose is to get to the heart of any issue and uncover the powerful truths which can release positive potential. This didn’t always make me popular, but I’ve never been afraid to speak truth to power.
But doesn’t Life have a way of delivering lessons you need to learn? Repeatedly, until we learn them and stop repeating the same mistakes? … A lot of this cancer experience feels like karma. Universe says “So, you think you can help people to live better lives, and that yours is fine?” WHAM – how does stage 4 cancer change your view? And then a year later, “Now you think you are managing to live around this and maybe return to setting up a business called The Brain at Work – DOUBLE WHAM – have some brain metastases and see how difficult life is with a brain that doesn’t function properly.”
I hope I’ve taken these learning opportunities…and reprioritised my life. Giving much more time, love and attention to my family and myself… . Re-establishing contact with old friends and colleagues.
Further information
- Read our profile of Gill: http://bit.ly/382HHCs
- Gill’s book review: http://bit.ly/2OKDkEt
- You can buy Gill’s book here: http://bit.ly/36023KG