Purposeful leadership, grounded in experience
When direction blurs and good intentions do not deliver, you need more than advice. You need action. Axis of Action was founded to partner with professionals, leaders, teams, and organisations ready to make change hold. We bring the clarity of purpose, courage to act, and operational wisdom required to navigate complexity and deliver lasting results.
A different kind of consultancy
We bring together deep expertise, genuine partnership and a commitment to results that last well beyond the engagement.
Purpose before process
We start with what matters most to you, your purpose, your people, and your context. From there, we align strategy, governance, and execution so everything moves in the same direction.
Partnership over prescription
We draw on a broad range of proven practices, processes, and frameworks, tailoring the right mix to suit your business. Working alongside your team, we build capability and ownership that lasts.
Insight into action
We combine evidence, data, and lived experience to cut through complexity. The focus is on turning insight into clear decisions and meaningful progress.
Built for complexity
Organisations are human systems, not neat corporate diagrams. We design with that in mind, balancing strategy, culture, behaviour, and delivery so ideas work in practice.
How we work
We bring curiosity, humanity, and systemic insight to every engagement to help people and organisations move from intention to lasting impact.
Human centred
Sustainable change begins with people. We bring warmth, empathy, and deep care to every engagement, honouring both the personal and professional dimensions of growth.
Systemically aware
We look beyond the immediate challenge to understand the broader patterns, dynamics, and interdependencies at play across people, systems, and organisations.
Action oriented
Grounded in the Axis of Action framework, we help professionals and businesses find the exact point where understanding meets movement, turning strategy into direct execution.
The person behind the practice
Poly Barratt is a seasoned executive coach, strategist, and systems thinker with over 20 years of experience across organizational transformation, governance, and advisory. Having held leadership roles in both enterprise environments and independent consultancy, she operates at the critical intersection of high-level strategy and practical delivery.
As founder of Axis of Action, she leads a coaching and business transformation practice dedicated to enabling purposeful growth and change. Her work is grounded in the belief that meaningful, sustainable change begins with people: their values, their growth, and their ability to lead with authenticity.
Depending on the needs of each engagement, Poly collaborates with a small network of trusted associates. This enables Axis of Action to bring in additional expertise where needed, while maintaining a personalised and cohesive approach.
Expertise you can trust
A foundation of rigorous training, professional accreditation and real-world experience. Built through leadership roles across the public sector and advisory settings, working at the intersection of strategy and delivery.
Qualifications
- Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration
- Graduate Certificate in SME and Leadership Coaching
- Certificate in Abundance Coaching
- Certificate in Agile Project Management
- Certificate in Agile Product Ownership
- Certificate in Breakthrough Life Coach
- Certificate in Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt)
- Certificate in Prince2 Project Management
Courses
- Excellence in Professional Regulation: Regulatory Craft and Practice by Malcolm Sparrow
- Governance Frameworks from Institute of Directors
- Human Factors
- Project, Programme and Portfolio Governance (P3G)
- Positive Psychology
- Systems Thinking
Memberships & Affiliations
- Australia New Zealand Coaching Alliance
- Human Resources New Zealand
- Institute of Directors, NZ
- NeuroLeadership Institute, Australia
What our clients say
Trusted by leaders who value integrity, depth and impact.
Poly's insights and guidance has prompted me to think differently, particularly around leadership and empowering my team.
Karen
Recruitment Manager, Government Department, Wellington
Ready to move forward?
Whether you are scaling your business, stepping into an executive role, or aligning your leadership team, Axis of Action provides the strategic space and structure to recalibrate and execute with purpose.