Deborah Johnston: A Transformational Coach Helping Women Lead With Clarity & Confidence

With leadership transformation and emotional intelligence being more crucial than ever before, the services of a transformational coach are no longer a luxury but a need. Navigating human behaviour and workplace dynamics in their sophisticated play mandates more than theoretical knowledge, it necessitates real-world wisdom and experience.

Few capture these traits as genuinely as Deborah Johnston, founder of Deborah Johnston Consulting, whose three-decade long career spans across psychology, leadership coaching and organisational consulting.

Deborah's journey began in the highly emotional realm of child protection, where she learned early to rely on her intuition and make consequential decisions. This was the groundwork for what would follow in the Australian federal government, where she led systemic change and introduced coaching and mentoring programs for women leaders.

Her move into business enabled her to integrate these lessons into a compelling practice which was centered around transformational change, especially for women.

Her human-focused methodology integrates psy­chology, neuroscience, experiential methods as well as profiling instruments to bring people, teams and lead­ers to actual, sustainable change. From boardrooms to bus terminals, her interventions have touched profes­sionals at every level, equipping them with self-aware­ness and empowered action.

Take us through your formative years. Which experiences/influences shaped your journey?

I grew up in a rural area, a natural environment that sparked my curiosity about people, life, and the world around me. It was an idyllic start, but that changed with the untimely death of my father when I was seven.

That event was a major disruption and led me to question how the world works. It ultimately sparked my interest in understanding things more deeply and led me to study psychology.

Pursuing higher education meant leaving home, and I was the first in my family to attend university. My mother, who never had the opportunity to pursue higher education despite being bright, strongly supported me.

At the University of Queensland, I found mentors who encouraged open thinking, inquiry, and a drive to improve things.

In your three-decade career, what have been the key turning points?

I began my career in child protection, transitioning quickly from theory to the realities of distressed families, legal systems, and limited resources.

I later moved into a federal regulatory agency, where my frontline experience deepened my understanding of workplace challenges. Shifting focus to corporate health, I worked to enhance individual and organizational performance.

At the time, gender disparities in leadership, then framed as “women in management”, were becoming visible. Despite many women in public service, leadership remained male-dominated. Our agency initially with just one woman in senior ranks went onto play a pivotal role in pioneering training, mentoring etc.

Starting my own practice expanded my reach across Australia. My work now centres on transformational change for women, addressing internal barriers rooted in belief and identity. As Dr Claire Zammit says, while external glass ceilings are breaking, internal ones per­sist. I call this the “inner glass bubble”, which are sub­tle, self-imposed limits that shape behaviour and hinder growth.

I believe empowering women uplifts the entire planet and creates a fairer, more inclusive world.

What are your core areas of expertise as a consultant, psychologist and coach?

I bring over 30 years of experience in leadership development across public and private sectors, working with everyone from frontline staff to CEOs and board members. I value the diversity of people and workplaces I've engaged with and excel in recognising the humanness at the core of work—how individual circumstances, workplace culture, and the human condition intersect.

I design tailored interventions that focus on resilience, wellbeing, and performance. Recently, I’ve focused on women-centred coaching and transformational change, challenging both cultural and personal barriers, through my studying with Dr Claire Zammit.

Tell us about Deborah Johnston Consulting and your approach with clients.

In Deborah Johnston Consulting, I collaborate with colleagues on larger projects while most of my work is independent. My approach is human-centered, with a strong emphasis on understanding broader systems and dynamics.

My tools and methodologies are shaped by my background as a psychologist, drawing on a range of modalities and a deep interest in Moreno’s psychodrama and action methods, using experiential techniques to facilitate deeper learning. Women-Centred Coaching leading to transformational change is also key.

A core part of my practice involves evidence-based approaches, including tools like the Team Management Profile to build individual self-awareness and help teams understand and leverage their diverse strengths for optimal performance.

Neuroscience also plays a significant role in shaping how I coach and deliver outcomes.

What are the toughest challenges you face when working with clients as a life coach?

One of the key human challenges is that growth or change often feels uncomfortable. Saying “I want something different” is easy, but it means confronting deep fears, habits, and beliefs.

For women leaders, inherited and invisible patterns add complexity. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean it should continue. Confronting internal narratives is powerful, yet difficult. Structural inequalities still exist. Acknowledging what's beyond our control isn’t defeat, it’s realism that fuels progress.

Another challenge is shifting the belief that power lies outside us. Embracing internal agency defies conditioning and disrupts ingrained behavior. Insight alone isn’t enough, change demands vision, honest self-assessment, and action.

Transformation is rare and difficult, but when women commit, they do so deeply. Insight starts it, effort sustains it, and the outcome is worth it.

What core values have guided your journey? What’s your vision for the future?

My view is always: how can we do things better? I'm inspired by those who came before us and believe it's our duty to build on their legacy and make the world better for others.

I focus on bringing compassion, clarity, and courage into the world while honouring our history, values, and shared future. I believe in a kinder, fairer world, and how we treat each other, in life and in organisations, truly matters.

Looking ahead, I see a need to shift from a masculine-centric idea of success to one that also values feminine strengths, which include connection, care, and commitment to future generations.

Deborah Johnston, Life Coach, Deborah Johnston Consulting

Deborah Johnston is a transformational psychologist and coach with more than 30 years of leadership development and organisational consultancy experience. As founder of Deborah Johnston Consulting, she inspires women to overcome inner barriers and lead authentically. Her neuroscience, psychodrama, and practical-wisdom-informed, human-centred style ignites deep and lasting change.