Didi Hopkins, Mobius Communications Specialist, focuses on 1:1 or small group coaching for executives who want to flex, adapt and evolve their leadership style to suit different audiences. With a background in theatre and performance as actor and director, Didi uses techniques from an actors toolkit to explore leadership and communication in a safe environment, that of the rehearsal room. Didi has deep functional and industry expertise and brings that knowledge and experience to all her clients.
In theatre, presence, impact, visibility, passion, vision, resilience, authenticity, creativity and courage are crucial components of performance. An actor has choices in all of these areas, and makes them consciously, giving them control over their intention – the message, or story they want to bring to life – and the impact they want to make on an audience. This experiential lens offers people the time and space to discover how to live and breathe confident, bold, influential and articulate communication, so when they step into the spotlight, they can be themselves with more skill.
As a senior member of the National Theatre’s Theatre Works team, Didi has been instrumental in designing, developing and delivering training to link needs of the business environment with the currency of theatre, working with leading global organizations across the private, public and social sectors. She has recently created three ongoing training programmes for an NT client, Accenture: Sales as Storytelling, The Language of Leadership, and Presence in Presentations. For the NT client, a premier strategy firm, Didi runs a coaching clinic in their London office, as well as programs in other countries.
Through Theatre4Business she is Visiting Faculty at Cranfield’s Executive Development Centre, Praxis, and contributes to the MBA and other leadership programmes. Didi created an element of Professor Susan Vinnicombe’s Women as Leaders programme, running at Cranfield and in-house for companies. She is a regular contributor to programmes at Said, HEC, Insead (on behalf of a global consulting) business schools, and at IMD is part of a team who run presentation and negotiation modules on open and company courses. As one of a team, Didi currently leads training on Cisco’s global leadership programme for women and an international programme for Adecco.
Skirting The Boards has a client base with which Didi works globally on in-house leadership programs, and 1:1 coaching. Skirting The Boards was started as a direct response to the Davies Report about Women at Board Level. This tenant is what Didi offers to all clients, men and women alike: There is room at top. Didi believes passionately that women should be able to play as equals, centrestage in the workplace.
Didi still works in theatre and her profile as leading UK expert on commedia dell’arte, led to being consultant to Richard Bean on the National Theatre’s West End and Broadway success award winning show, One Man Two Guvnors, and the National Theatre commissioned 5 films about her theatre practice – you can view these at NTdiscover theatre/commedia.
