Strategic leadership for the next phase of work


helm. partners with organizations that want to work better — not by pushing people harder, but by strengthening how leadership operates inside real systems.

When capable people are misaligned, collaboration slows, decisions stall, and change becomes harder than it needs to be. This is where helm. works: clarifying how leadership shows up, how people work together, and how responsibility is held — so organizations can move forward with coherence and confidence.

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How helm. works


helm. operates at the intersection of leadership, people, and organizational systems. The work is bespoke, grounded, and shaped by context — not programs or playbooks.

Engagements typically focus on helping leaders align around how they work together, strengthening leadership capability through change, and creating conditions where people can collaborate, adapt, and perform without unnecessary friction.

This might look like facilitating leadership conversations that surface assumptions and agreements, partnering as a fractional advisor, or designing mentoring and leadership capability that extends beyond individuals and holds at scale.

The outcome is not just smoother execution — it’s leadership that feels clearer, more resilient, and more human as organizations navigate what comes next.

Where helm. makes a difference

Alignment that holds

Leadership teams work from shared agreements — reducing friction, increasing trust, and improving how people collaborate day to day.

Capability through change

Leaders are better equipped to navigate uncertainty, support people through change, and lead without relying on rigid plans.

Work that works

People work more effectively — with greater clarity, resilience, and momentum — and experience the work as more human in the process.

Formal mentoring capability


helm. supports organizations looking to build structured mentoring and internal coaching capability — beyond informal arrangements or ad hoc matching.

The work focuses on intentional, ethical mentoring with clear purpose, boundaries, and accountability. This may include assessing readiness, designing mentoring frameworks, and enabling leaders to hold mentoring roles well.

The approach is informed by internationally recognised mentoring standards, including those associated with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.

For many Canadian organizations, this introduces a more considered way of extending leadership capability — and a practical complement to coaching cultures already in place.

How helm. partners

 

helm. works flexibly, shaped by context and need.

Some engagements begin with a focused leadership workshop or facilitation. Others start through coaching, mentoring, or advisory support — often in partnership with internal teams or external consultants.

When it’s useful to create shared clarity early, helm. may propose a Leadership Architecture Sprint as a way to align leadership and establish strong foundations. In other cases, the work begins directly where support is needed.

Across engagements, the approach is consistent: thoughtful design, clear scope, and work that strengthens how people lead and work together inside real organizational systems.

Leadership Architecture Sprint


A time-boxed engagement to help leadership teams clarify how they operate — together.

The sprint is most useful when the work has shifted or grown more complex, and existing ways of leading no longer quite fit. Decisions feel heavier. Collaboration takes more effort. Expectations remain implicit rather than shared.

The sprint creates focused space to surface assumptions, clarify agreements, and strengthen how leadership responsibility is held across the system.

What it creates

  • Clearer shared understanding of how leadership works in practice

  • Explicit agreements around roles, decision-making, and ways of working

  • Greater alignment and confidence moving forward

The outcome is not a framework or a report — it’s leadership that feels more coherent, more resilient, and better able to support the people doing the work.

About helm.

 

helm. is a strategic leadership advisory practice working at the intersection of people, leadership, and organizational systems.

The work is led by Kristina Mausser, a leadership advisor with experience partnering alongside senior leaders in complex environments. Her background spans leadership advisory, facilitation, and systems-informed change — bringing together strategic senior-level perspective, governance literacy, and a deep understanding of how people work inside institutions.

helm. operates as a collective, working with trusted partners internationally. Depending on the engagement, this may include complementary expertise in areas such as team dynamics, mentoring, or systems work. This model allows helm. to remain bespoke, focused, and appropriately scaled — while maintaining consistency, rigour, and care.

helm. operates alongside kristina.coach, the individual advisory practice focused on one-to-one leadership work.

Let's Talk

If this work resonates, the next step is a brief conversation to explore context, fit, and what support might be useful. There’s no pitch and no obligation — just a chance to think together about what’s needed now and whether helm. is the right partner.

Let's Talk