Why Leadership Coaching Is the Chosen Resource of Top Executives
Whether you’re a seasoned executive or just starting to climb the corporate ladder, there’s no better investment than self-improvement. Leveling-up yourself and your skillset empowers you to lead with confidence and make a significant impact in your organization.
Working with a leadership coach is one of the best ways to start. In this article, we’ll cover some of the most important info about this resource, including leadership coaching topics you can expect to take center stage in your work with a coach.
What Is a Leadership Coach?
A leadership coach is a trained professional who works with business leaders and executives on a wide range of goals and challenges. Leadership coaching often focuses on developing relevant skills such as strategic thinking, decision-making, team management, and communication. It's tailored to the individual's role within an organization and is designed to unlock their full potential to lead effectively.
Leadership coaching has emerged as one of the most popular niches in the coaching world. The growing demand for this type of professional support highlights the value of high-performing, empathic leaders within companies. Individuals who participate in leadership coaching not only improve their own performance, but also boost the performance of those around them at work.
Note that leadership coaching and executive coaching are often used interchangeably because they have overlapping focuses. The main difference is that leadership coaches don’t only work with executives. Anyone who wants to become a better leader can benefit from this type of coaching. The core objective is empowering individuals to achieve peak performance and drive their organization forward.
Why Coaching Is a Common Choice for Top Leaders
Bill Gates famously said that “everyone needs a coach.” And he’s not the only high-profile leader to take that stance. Gates' advocacy for coaching is shared by other notable figures such as Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, who once mentioned in an interview that the best advice he ever got was to get a coach. Similarly, Steve Jobs, the legendary co-founder of Apple, discovered the value of coaching early on in his career.
The idea is simple: We are all limited in our abilities to grow as leaders without external feedback and support. And too often, executives don’t have that go-to figure at the leadership level. This absence of a sounding board can limit their growth and, by extension, the potential of their teams and organizations.
Coaching fills this gap. Through regular sessions, leaders are challenged to reflect on their actions, understand their impact on others, and identify areas for improvement. This process accelerates personal growth and contributes to cultivating a more dynamic and responsive leadership style, benefitting the entire organization.
Coaching also provides a safe space for leaders to explore new ideas and confront their limitations to build resilience against the pressures of their roles. This aspect of coaching can be highly valuable for leaders in volatile roles or industries where they must continuously adapt and evolve to stay ahead.
The Mutual Benefit of Leadership Coaching
It’s not just leaders themselves who benefit from coaching. Organizations see ROI as well when their leaders show up at peak performance. It's a win-win: the leader grows, and the company does too.
That's why a growing number of companies offer coaching as a paid-for benefit to their leaders. They see it as investing in their own success. This trend is evidenced by an increasingly crowded market of B2B coaching platforms occupied by the likes of BetterUp, Torch, The Grand, and more. Better leaders lead to stronger companies, and as many are discovering, coaching can be the ultimate catalyst to this chain reaction.
Who Is Leadership Coaching For?
It might seem obvious… Leadership coaching is for leaders. But not so fast. At CoachRanks, we see this resource as an effective tool for both active and aspiring leaders. Those who may not be in leadership positions at this very moment shouldn't be discouraged.
Yes, this type of coaching is used by leaders all around the world. But just as commonly, it’s used by those with aspirations to reach new heights. Many of us are leaders in our own right—even the new manager on day one of the job.
4 Popular Leadership Coaching Topics
Leadership coaching is designed to meet clients wherever they are in their personal or professional journeys. However, some common focuses tend to show up for those using this resource. To that end, if any of the following topics resonate with you, it may be worthwhile to look into hiring a coach for yourself.
Effective Communication
Communication is the backbone of effective leadership. It's not just about conveying information; it's about connecting with others and inspiring action. Effective communication leads to improved team collaboration and more efficient problem-solving. For those who resonate with this focus in particular, communication coaching shares some overlap and may provide for a more targeted experience.
Strategic Thinking & Decision Making
Leaders constantly make decisions that can have far-reaching impacts on their organizations. Because of this, strategic thinking and decision-making are key skills for any leader. Coaching provides a unique opportunity to work on this area of your leadership toolkit in a supportive environment. Your leadership coach is a sounding board with no agenda other than your success. They can offer insights and feedback to help you see things from different perspectives and make better decisions.
Team Leadership & Development
At the heart of every successful leader is the ability to build and nurture a strong, cohesive team. Working with a leadership coach is a great way to develop people management skills, which in turn helps cultivate strong team dynamics. Through coaching, leaders learn how to delegate efficiently, resolve conflicts, and create an environment that promotes growth and productivity.
Executive Presence
How you carry yourself, how you communicate, and how you influence others matters. That’s why developing a strong executive presence can be a game-changer for your career trajectory. It can open doors to new opportunities and leadership roles. Leadership coaching provides a space to work on projecting confidence and staying composed under pressure. It centers around developing your executive presence to portray a credible persona and lead with integrity.
Keep in mind that these leadership coaching topics are not exhaustive, and every coaching engagement is different. Great coaching is designed to be customizable to fit any leader’s needs.
Leadership Coaching FAQs
In this section, we’re answering some of the top questions we hear about leadership coaching to help you decide whether it's the right path for your career advancement.
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For some, first-hand experience from their coach, either actively or in the past, may be a bonus. However, there are some excellent leadership coaches who do not have high-ranking executive experience. The ability to help someone cultivate skills like communication and executive presence is not necessarily contingent upon direct leadership experience—although some may disagree and adjust their search accordingly!
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It depends. Many organizations have made progress in understanding the ROI of coaching for their leaders, so they often see it as a worthwhile investment. However, whether a company pays for coaching depends on its budget and how much it values employee growth. In many cases, individuals choose to invest in coaching independently to advance their career objectives.
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Of all the coaching niches, leadership coaching may be the one with the most cost variance. On one end of the spectrum, you have heavy-hitting former executives-turned-coaches who may charge upwards of $1k per hour. On the other end, pricing can be much more accessible with coaches who are newer to the field or simply don’t feel the need to charge as much—think somewhere in the $100-300 per hour range.
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Both aim to level up your leadership skills; however, coaching is generally much more bespoke, personal, and interactive. Whereas management training often takes a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching general principles, a leadership coach tailors the guidance to fit the individual's unique goals. This personalized approach helps identify specific areas for growth and develops targeted strategies to address them. The interactive nature of coaching also allows for real-time feedback and adjustments, making it more effective in many cases.
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Success is generally measured against the goals established at the beginning of the engagement, allowing for personalized benchmarks of progress and achievement. For example, if a client wants to increase their team's productivity, success could be measured by a noticeable improvement in team output and efficiency. If the goal is to enhance leadership presence, success might be observed through increased engagement and morale among team members or more positive feedback from colleagues.
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Top coaching certifications generally give coaches a boost of credibility and trust that they are to be taken seriously. However, certification does not guarantee quality coaching (and a lack of verification does not guarantee poor quality either). The key is to look for a coach whose experience, approach, and proven track record align with your specific needs and aspirations.
Finding Great Leadership Coaches
There’s no shortage of leadership coaches on the market, and half the battle to getting started is finding the right one. Choosing the right coach is a process of working backward from your needs as a client. For example, ask yourself:
Is a coaching certification important to you? If so, prioritize candidates who have been accredited by reputable coaching institutions.
Do you want a coach with direct leadership experience? If so, look for someone who has a proven track record in leadership roles within your industry or a related field.
Does your organization partner with any coaching providers? If so, exploring these options could offer both convenience and alignment with organizational goals… plus cost savings for you :)
Do you have preferences for your coach’s gender, age, background, etc.? If so, consider how these factors might influence your comfort and the coaching dynamic, ensuring a good fit for productive sessions.
These questions may help shape the beginning of your search. From there, it’s a matter of filtering or tracking down some qualified candidates to interview. Many leadership coaches have online profiles or websites where you can learn more about their qualifications, experience, and coaching style. Don't hesitate to reach out to them with questions or to request a preliminary meeting to gauge your compatibility.
Investing in your leadership is a worthwhile endeavor that pays dividends personally and professionally. It cultivates resilience, innovation, personal development, and more. Remember, there’s no better investment than one you make in yourself. We wish you luck and success on your leadership coaching journey!
Our Pick: Giannina Hall
A certified coach with 10 years of experience, Giannina has coached leaders at the world’s most distinguished organizations, including Wells Fargo, Neuralink, and UC Berkeley.
Learn more about Giannina →
