The Imaginal Coach — Book by Dr Mark Dunwoody
A book by Dr Mark Dunwoody
How Leaders Unlock Human Potential One Conversation at a Time
Change begins with a different kind of conversation.
For leaders, coaches and anyone helping people navigate uncertainty, The Imaginal Coach offers a hopeful and practical approach to creating space for clarity, courage, imagination and meaningful change.
Available in paperback and other editions through book retailers.
What if the next breakthrough begins not with an answer, but with a conversation?
When the world keeps changing, it is tempting to reach for another technique, a quicker fix or a more confident plan. Yet the people we lead often need something more human: room to think, someone who will listen well, and the courage to imagine what might be possible.
The Imaginal Coach explores a different posture of leadership. Drawing on coaching practice, adaptive change, spiritual formation, emotional resilience and real-world stories, it invites us to notice what is happening beneath the surface and help people discover the leader they are becoming.
At the centre of the book is the idea of an imaginal space — the often unseen season in which new possibilities take shape before change becomes visible. The book brings together reflective questions and practical approaches for making space for that kind of transformation.
Three movements through change
01 · Unlearning
Notice the stories, assumptions and exhausted patterns that may no longer serve you. Explore presence, silence, the inner life and the value of healthier rhythms.
02 · Reimagining
Recover your curiosity and courage. Learn to hold steady in uncertainty, ask better questions and move from insight towards thoughtful action.
03 · Becoming
Imagine what could emerge next. Consider coaching cultures, changing approaches to leadership and the human dimension of coaching in the age of AI.
Who is this book for?
For executive leaders navigating complex change. For professional coaches and mentors. For founders and team leaders seeking healthier cultures. For pastors, educators and parents who want to help others grow. You do not need to call yourself a coach to benefit from a more thoughtful way of having conversations.
What readers and leaders are saying
“Mark has distilled a lifetime of experience into practices and frameworks of concrete value to coaches and leaders.”
Jeremy Bentham
Co-Chair, World Energy Council; former Head of Shell Scenarios; contributor of the book’s foreword
“For leaders longing to create a coaching environment that truly transforms people and culture, this book is the answer.”
Dr Bryan D. Sims
“This is a book that can genuinely change the way you lead. Take the first step and begin.”
Dawn Weddell
Get your copy
Choose a retailer that works for you. Formats and availability vary by country.
Amazon
Bookshop.org (US)
Booktopia (Australia)
Book details: The Imaginal Coach: How Leaders Unlock Human Potential One Conversation at a Time · Dr Mark Dunwoody · Published 15 June 2026 · Paperback ISBN 9781066683208 · Hardback ISBN 9781066683284 · Publisher: Healthy Rhythms Press.
Want to try an idea from the book?
The Leadership Reset is a free, guided 20-minute reflection inspired by The Imaginal Coach and Healthy Rhythms for Leaders. It helps you step back, reframe a challenge, discover fresh possibilities and consider the healthier rhythms that will sustain your leadership.
About the author
Dr Mark Dunwoody is an international leadership coach, author and educator based in Northern Ireland. Founder of Healthy Rhythms Coaching, he helps leaders navigate complexity, cultivate imagination and develop healthier ways of leading. His coaching and coach-development work has reached people across more than 30 countries; he also teaches and supervises at postgraduate and doctoral level.
Read Mark’s professional profile · Explore leadership coaching
Explore the ideas further
Listen to the Healthy Rhythms Podcast for more conversations about coaching, leadership, resilience and change. Or browse Mark’s weekly reflections for short essays on leading with hope, imagination and purpose.
Questions about The Imaginal Coach
Is it only for professional coaches?
No. It is for anyone who leads, mentors, teaches or develops people and wants to have conversations that help others think more clearly and grow.
What does “imaginal” mean?
It points to the often hidden period when a new possibility is taking form. In the book, imaginal coaching is about creating a thoughtful space between what is and what could be.
Does the book include practical tools?
Yes. Alongside stories and reflections, it explores coaching conversations, the disciplines of healthy rhythms, decision-making, adaptive leadership and ways to develop a coaching culture.
How can I work with Mark?
Mark works with senior leaders, organisations and coaches internationally. You can explore coaching services or arrange an introductory conversation.
Perhaps a conversation is the place to begin.
Whether you are leading change, developing other leaders or wondering what needs to emerge next, a good conversation can open up fresh possibilities.