Helping ambitious professionals at the crossroads reconnect with clarity, confidence & calm courage.
From the beginning, Chitra set out to be a different kind of coach. One that not only celebrated achievement, but also leadership with integrity, courage and fulfilment.
After more than three decades in the NHS and leadership roles, she saw a pattern emerging.
Brilliant, hard-working professionals who looked successful on the outside, yet quietly felt stuck, disconnected or uncertain about what came next.
Because sometimes the biggest challenge is not failure – it is succeeding in a life or career that no longer feels fully aligned.
Today, Chitra helps ambitious professionals and leaders at the crossroads reconnect with themselves, rediscover their direction, and confidently step into their next chapter with clarity and calm courage.
In Her Own Words…
While you are contemplating your future and seeing yourself at the helm of your big, beautiful sailing yacht, let me tell you a bit about myself:
I was born and brought up in a charming coastal town called Tuticorin in South India.
Growing up, we were not rich, but I was lucky, I never lacked for necessities. Nourished in a supportive environment by my mother’s selfless love and inspired by my dad’s strong sense of integrity and duty and my brother’s adoration, we were also lucky enough to have a large
extended family in our town, and we met religiously every week on Saturdays in my grandfather’s house.
I remember well: the great fun, fighting and playing around with my cousins, and the many good role models we had within our family too.
Looking back, I think it is this support and inspiration in my early years that shaped how I lead and coach today. Because no one navigates challenge, growth or reinvention alone. We all need people who can see what we are capable of, especially when we temporarily lose sight of it ourselves.
High-achievers often carry everything quietly. I believe having the right support, challenge and
encouragement can change the trajectory of a life and career.
I am also a Dreamer
Whilst most people see me as a sensible, practical person, secretly, I live in my own world of delicious dreams.
I started dreaming of becoming a doctor when I was only eight years old, inspired by my uncles, and the ability it would give me to help people. I was hooked on this enticing vision.
I also remember sitting focused and enthralled in an English lesson when I was 14 years old… It was about life in London and it profoundly affected me.
My English teacher had a soft, soothing voice and as she spoke of the River Thames, roasted chestnuts, and all that London has to offer, she brought them into that classroom with me. In that moment, moving to London became another dream and today when I walk along the Thames Path, taking in the smell and sights, my thoughts saunter back to the wooden benches in that classroom and the sound of her voice that brought me here.
In fact, reflecting now, I realise that ‘visualisations’ and ‘affirmations’, have kept my dreams alive and helped me plot a clear path towards them. Today, I use these processes with my clients to help them also navigate their way towards passion and purpose. I truly believe, with the right support, we all have innate potential to reach the destination of our choice.
So back to India…
I did become a medical doctor in India, and I fell in love with Obstetrics and Gynaecology and did two years of post-graduate study in that subject too.
Then, staying true to my dream, I came to the UK in 1994 and joined the NHS.
However, I quickly learnt that I must significantly upskill myself to flourish in the NHS. There was not much equality and diversity in the 1990’s, and life was difficult for International Medical Graduates.
However, I had learnt the skill of commitment to my dreams and attained my coveted MRCOG in May 1997 and had my beautiful baby son in June 1997, and both were joyous, proud moments of my life.
After eight years as a hospital doctor in O&G, I realised that I valued my autonomy more than I loved O&G.
It hurt initially, and I felt like a failure for a while, however, I decided to switch my career and started training to become a General Practitioner.
Boy-oh-Boy! How wrong I was! I thought I had failed, missed a star and grabbed a fistful of clouds, but becoming a general practitioner was one of the best decisions I took in my life. It opened so many avenues for me, and I thrived in general practice. I grew in so many dimensions – clinically,
personally, and professionally.
Looking back, I now realise this was one of my first major crossroads.
I thought changing direction meant failure. In reality, it was growth.
So many ambitious professionals stay stuck because they believe success means holding on, even when something no longer fits. But sometimes leadership means having the courage to let go of an old identity and trust yourself enough to build a new chapter.
Shush! I am going to let you in on a secret here!
Have you ever come across someone who took 25 interviews before becoming a GP Partner? Yours truly! Yes, it is easier to say it light-heartedly now, but it wasn’t easy then! Did it hurt? It hurt like hell! I threw temper tantrums, cried every time, I got a rejection letter or phone call.
That is when I learnt the importance of having ‘anchors’. My husband and my family rallied around me and kept me going towards my goal, and in 2011, I got there.
Once I became a GP partner, I was on an upward spiral and learnt a significant amount of HR, management, and business skills in addition to being a clinician. I soon became a GP trainer and an appraiser which helped me to support and mentor younger GPs.
I also became an RCGP examiner and Governing Body Member in the Clinical Commissioning Group initially at borough level and later at North Central London and was involved in strategic planning of health care provision. Every post came with its own challenges and the opportunity to grow.
Everything seemed rosy, but then it all changed…
For years, I had built what many would consider a successful career. I had become a GP Partner, trainer, appraiser, examiner and held multiple leadership roles. From the outside, things looked accomplished.
But behind the scenes, the pressure was mounting. Workload increased. Leadership became harder. Difficult professional challenges emerged.
I carried the responsibility of holding everything together, showing up for my team and staying strong, even when I was struggling myself. Slowly, I stopped recognising myself. I became exhausted, cynical and disconnected from the person I used to be.
Like many high-achievers, I kept going. Until one coaching conversation changed everything.
My coach gently helped me see something I had not fully admitted to myself: I was exhausted. I was not able to maintain my values. Running on endurance rather than energy.
That moment changed the direction of my life. I realised something important.
Many brilliant, capable professionals are not failing. They are simply stuck in careers, identities or ways of working that no longer fit who they are becoming. Sometimes what looks like burnout is actually a crossroads. A quiet signal that something needs to change.
That experience led me to train in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), reconnect with my values and ultimately discover a new mission: Helping ambitious professionals reconnect with clarity, confidence and purpose, so success no longer comes at the cost of themselves.
“Through the months that I have had coaching sessions, I have moved onto a new role as an associate director for Health Education England as well as becoming a GP appraiser. In addition, I was able to reflect on what my personal priorities were and how they were impacting my views on my professional work. This has prompted me to review my work-life balance and make decisions that suited my current and future needs. I would highly recommend coaching with Dr Sankaran.”
– Dr Vaisnavi Siritharan
Associate Director Enfield and Haringey Health Education England
“Walking away from success was one of the hardest decisions of my life”.
After 19 years as a GP Partner, I made a decision many people did not expect. I left. And the truth is, from the outside, it did not make sense. I had status. Experience. Respect. Security. I was good at what I did. But quietly, something no longer felt aligned.
For a long time, I stayed because I was competent. Because this was who I had become. Because leaving something you have built over decades can feel terrifying.
What if it goes wrong?
What about the team?
What if I regret it?
These are the questions so many high-achieving professionals ask themselves when standing at a crossroads.
Looking back, I now recognise something I see often in my coaching. We can become trapped by our own competence. Successful on paper, yet quietly exhausted. Holding on because we have invested so much, even when something
inside us knows we are ready for a different chapter.
Leaving was not easy. But it gave me the space to reconnect with myself and redefine success in a way that felt energising, sustainable and ‘more me’.
And it reinforced something I deeply believe today:
You do not have to feel trapped by success or responsibility. With the right support, clarity and courage, it is possible to take back control of your career and life and shape a career and life that feels meaningful, energising and aligned with who you are.
And finally, here’s a couple of fun facts about me!
My favourite colour is bright green!
When I am not being a Coach, or mentor, I am also a mother to an adorable son, a loving wife, a daughter, sister, and a Pokemon-GO game enthusiast! You can see me on Pokemon community days, stomping around North London with my son, chasing the shiny Pokemon!
“Coaching sessions with Dr Chitra Sankaran were very helpful to identity causes of overwhelming and frustration. It helped me to get work-life balance by reflecting on my personal priorities and how they were impacting on my professional work.”
– Dr Sarada Yeturi, GP Partner
POWER HOUR SESSIONS
One powerful conversation to help you gain clarity, untangle overwhelm and map your next move with confidence.
MINI COURSE (coming soon)
A practical mini-course to help ambitious professionals regain clarity, confidence and control.
THE ALIGNED CAREER LEADER
Chitra’s signature programme uses the C.R.U.I.S.E methodology to help you reconnect with purpose and confidently step into your next level.
THE LEADERSHIP ACCELERATOR
A powerful 6-week journey for leaders who know they are meant for more, but need clarity, courage and direction for what comes next.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FIGURE THIS OUT ALONE.
Do you remember when work felt meaningful?
Do you remember feeling energised, purposeful and excited about the difference you
wanted to make?
Somewhere along the way, responsibility and life may have taken over.
If you are standing at a crossroads, feeling stuck between who you have been and who you
want to become, let’s talk. You do not have to navigate this next chapter alone.
Book a discovery call and start mapping your next move with clarity, confidence and calm
courage.
