Mike Atkins is an Executive Coach and Organizational Development Consultant whose work interests currently serve the Canadian Department of Defence. He helps leaders prepare for the future challenges that the world of tomorrow will demand of them. Atkins believes that in today’s VUCA (Volatile, Unpredictable, Complex, and Ambiguous) world, the speed an organization learns must be faster than the speed of change.

Mike brings forward 20 years of experience as a military leader, where he gained an applied understanding of what is required to develop high-performance teams capable of thriving in VUCA environments. As a Consultant, he has led many successful engagements to enable higher performance levels and meaningful change. As a coach, he works with senior leaders and leadership teams. His clients range from c-suite executives of multi-million-dollar companies to senior military officers.

Mike’s Doctoral research interest aims to investigate how coaching might develop trustworthiness in leadership to improve organizational performance. Research has consistently shown that higher trust levels lead to greater performance, followership and profitability. With that said, much work has been placed into measuring trust; however, currently, there is not much data to support practices associated with the development of trust. Mike believes that this research would provide a unique opportunity to study the evolution of trust and its effect on organizational performance.

Atkins is a Certified Executive Coach who holds a Professional Certified Coach designation through the International Coaching Federation. In addition, Mike has completed Graduate Certificates in Executive Coaching (2016) and Change Management (2018), and a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University (2015). He enjoys martial arts, reading, and spending time outdoors with his family in his free time.