About Leadership Coaching with Arjmund Butt MBE

My Story

I was born in Kingston upon Thames and raised in the East Midlands as one of five siblings in a working-class family.

Growing up in a predominantly white town in the 1990s, I experienced early what it meant to feel different. It wasn’t until I was 19 that I formed a close friendship with someone from a similar cultural background. Those formative years shaped my understanding of identity, belonging, and the importance of finding and using my voice.

Cultural Identity

My heritage reflects a rich intersection of cultures.

My father was born in Jinja, Uganda, and came to the UK shortly before the expulsion under Idi Amin. My mother was born in Karachi and moved to the UK in the 1970s.

Being a Muslim East African Asian woman has brought both depth and complexity, particularly in navigating cultural expectations, identity, and the freedom to make my own choices.

I experienced racism growing up, but this intensified when I chose to wear the veil. What had once been subtle became more visible and, at times, more direct.

These experiences tested my confidence and sense of safety, but they also strengthened my resilience. I learned that identity can be both visible and misunderstood and that strength comes from choosing not to shrink but to stand firm.

Career & Leadership

Over the past two decades, I have built a career centred on people, performance, and transformation. As a safeguarding specialist, I have dedicated myself to creating environments where individuals feel secure and valued.

I spent 12 years in banking across mortgages, operations, and training, before taking a wellbeing career break and joining the Civil Service in 2017. Since then, I have progressed into senior leadership, leading high-profile projects, developing people, and driving performance in complex environments.

Alongside this, I experienced workplace bullying and harassment. Rather than diminish me, it sharpened my commitment to creating psychologically safe cultures where people can perform at their best without compromising who they are. My work as a trauma-informed practitioner has been pivotal in this journey.

My efforts have been recognised through Credit Strategy’s Public Sector Team Player of the Year award, alongside various internal recognitions. I was also honoured with an MBE for services to HMRC and the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic community.

Personal Experience

I have been married for 19 years and now live in Bradford, West Yorkshire.

My personal journey has included overcoming both mental and physical health challenges, including infertility. My husband’s experience of forced marriage, and the abuse he endured in breaking free, also deeply shaped our path.

Together, we challenged cultural and community barriers to build a life on our own terms, and today, I focus on providing domestic abuse support to those in need.

These lived experiences now inform my work supporting individuals in their career progression, as well as safeguarding those affected by domestic abuse, honour-based violence, and human trafficking.

A Turning Point

A defining turning point came after the death of my father during the COVID-19 pandemic. It forced me to reassess how I was living.

Over the past five years, I have rebuilt my mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing with intention.

During this time, I also came to understand my neurodivergence including autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. This brought clarity to lifelong patterns in how I think, process, and lead, and strengthened my commitment to creating environments where difference is not just accepted but valued.

Internal Authority Framework™

Developing my Internal Authority Framework™ was not optional — it was necessary. It is now the foundation of how I live, how I lead, and how I support others.