Business Psychology

Leadership and Career Coaching

Team Coaching

Business Psychology

Leadership and Career Coaching

Team Coaching

Start with why

Peopleup is me, Rich Littledale - I’m a business psychologist, coach and leadership and career specialist. I started my business for two reasons:

To work with amazing people doing incredible things - I work with leaders taking on important problems and game changing opportunities, and creating amazing workplaces and cultures while they do it
To be a resource and source of support for those leaders - leadership can be lonely, and some of the hardest - and most emotionally draining - challenges are around people and relationships

If the challenges below feel familiar, or you are curious about the work I do, get in touch.

GET IN TOUCH

What I do

Clients

Entrepreneurs, including startup and scaleup founders, leaders, leadership teams and heads of people
Leaders and people teams of more established market leading businesses

Straddling two worlds in this way gives me in an insight in the culture of agility and experimentation - and the use of cutting edge technology - that established clients are working towards, and the stability, structure and organisational maturity that startups and scaleups need to develop as they grow.

Challenges

These are the challenges I'm most often asked to help with:

You're operating at a level that stretches you. The problems are more ambiguous, the feedback is thinner, and the skills that got you here aren't always the ones you need now.
You want to know how your colleagues really see you. Not a spreadsheet of ratings, but specific, honest feedback from the people who see you work.
You're at a crossroads. A venture has ended, a role has changed, or you're facing a decision about what comes next and you don't have a good framework for making it.
You believe your team can be stronger. You're prepared to look honestly at what's getting in the way.

Approaches

I look to use the best available evidence - from research and from context - to suggest an approach that meets my clients’ needs. However the tools I use most often are:

Leadership and Career Coaching Genuine warmth with unflinching challenge. Grounded in psychology, sharpened by AI-assisted reflection.
Facilitated 360 Conversations not questionnaires. AI-augmented analysis. 360 feedback that separates signal from noise.
Transition Coaching Structured coaching for founders — or any leader at a crossroads — on what comes next.
Team Coaching Systemic team coaching. A relationship built over time. Helping teams address what they've been avoiding.

Clients, colleagues and collaborators

Harry Franks - Co-founder - Zego

“Rich has a wealth of experience to draw on, can see the big picture, but also has a very personal and human approach which was exactly as I required during such a turbulent time. I would highly recommend Rich to work with.”

Sally Baines - Group Head of People Development and Learning - OVO Energy

“Rich strikes the rare balance of challenge, support and curiosity which has meant he's been my go-to contact when wanting to think about progressive ways of working. He's also a brilliant coach and many of our leaders have benefited from his considered and insightful approach.”

Ian Bartholomew - Co-founder and Chief Scientist - FloodFlash

“Rich is a thoughtful coach, and working together has given me the insights to become a better leader and person (genuinely!). I really value his blend of practical experience and deep subject matter knowledge. If there is one thing I have gained it is greater awareness of my working style and how that impacts others. We have reached beneath superficial issues to uncover the real levers which are helping me be productive and valuable to my team.”

Cecile Hillary - Group Chief Financial Officer - Danske Bank

“Rich was my coach for several years and helped me transition from investment banking to a corporate role as Group treasurer of a large UK bank. He was instrumental in linking his knowledge of the industry, strategic considerations, interpersonal dynamics, and personal insights. He accompanied me and provided some valuable support and coaching and was a fantastic sparring partner as well. I could not recommend Rich more highly.”

Gaby Sethi - SVP, Global Sustainability - Assembly Global

“I worked with Rich through a job move, a promotion, and returning to work after two periods of parental leave. Rich is incredibly perceptive and intuitive; he knows exactly when to offer support and when to challenge. His thoughtful, provocative questions helped me unpick my thinking and deepen my self-awareness. What really sets Rich apart is that he makes the process enjoyable; he brings humour, lightness, and genuine warmth to every session. Through our work together, I gained clarity, confidence, and a stronger sense of contentment in both my career and personal life. Rich’s coaching was instrumental in helping me navigate complex transitions with resilience and purpose."

Joe Jones - Director of Customer Care - OVO

“I have been working with Rich for around 12 months in a coaching capacity. He has helped me work on some key personal development areas, supported me through an internal promotion with some fantastic preparatory feedback, and has offered me a cherished sounding board when I have needed independent support. Rich strikes a great balance of support and challenge - I would happily and willingly recommend Rich as a coach."