Executive Coaching
In today’s fast-paced and competitive business environment, leaders face increasing challenges in leadership, decision-making, and personal well-being. Executive coaching services provide a valuable resource and strategic advantage, offering tailored support that enhances leadership effectiveness, decision-making, and resilience. According to PwC, research shows that executives who receive coaching, see up to a 25% increase in productivity.
Read on to explore the key aspects of executive coaching, its benefits, the coaching process, and how it can support your success.
What is Executive Coaching?
Executive coaching is a confidential and customized process that partners a leader with a professional coach to facilitate personal and professional development (co-active coaching). The coach works with the leader to identify their strengths, challenge areas, and potential and then creates a customized coaching program to help them achieve their desired outcomes. Coaching is the vessel toward meaningful discovery and sustainable change.
Executive coaching isn’t just for executives – leaders of all levels, including new leaders, can benefit significantly from executive coaching. We especially enjoy working with leaders transitioning from individual contributor to leadership roles.
My Approach
My approach is based on creating a trusting and safe environment in which you can discuss challenges and explore ideas and beliefs that can empower you to overcome obstacles and identify and achieve “what’s possible.”
As a former professional athlete and corporate executive, I understand the relentless demands that high-performing individuals face. As a result, I take a holistic approach to executive coaching that recognizes the integral role that wellness plays in every aspect of our lives.
My philosophy is that physical, mental, and emotional wellness is the foundation upon which we can build extraordinary achievements. Through the integration of proven strategies from both the athletic and corporate domains, my executive coaching process focuses on cultivating the powerful correlation between holistic wellness as the cornerstone of sustained peak performance – enabling you to bring your best self to both home and work.
According to the ICF’s 2023 Future of Coaching Snapshot, the industry has seen a rise in demand for coaching that integrates well-being strategies, with 43% of coaches identifying “wellness coaching” as a key trend for the next five years.
Strengths-focused Approach
Using a strengths-focused approach, my coaching programs are designed with the goal of connecting our coaching to the key activities of your role, so you can practice your capabilities in real-time situations, and so that these capabilities address the obstacles to your ability to perform at your very best.
“Michelle showed me what it means to embrace vulnerability and how not only to recognize but also to optimize my strengths and indications of these strengths in overdrive. She was an amazing listener and truly coached me in a way that made me tangibly better every week!”
Muhammad Shahzad, CFO
Key Benefits of Professional Coaching
According to the 2023 ICF Global Coaching Study, executive coaching is one of the fastest-growing coaching specialties, with leadership and executive coaching accounting for 51% of the global coaching industry.
By engaging in executive coaching, leaders develop self-awareness, adaptability, and high-performance behaviors that drive organizational success. With 91% of coach practitioners currently working with active clients, coaching has become an essential tool for business and leadership development.
- Enhanced self-awareness: Coaching helps executives gain a deeper understanding of their leadership style, communication patterns, and decision-making processes.
- Improved performance: By identifying and addressing areas for improvement, coaching can lead to significant enhancements in executive performance. Research shows that executives who receive coaching see up to a 25% increase in productivity.
- Increased confidence: As executives develop their skills and achieve their goals, their confidence and self-efficacy grow.
- Strengthened relationships: Coaching can help executives build stronger and more effective relationships with their colleagues, teams, and stakeholders.
- Accelerated career development: By providing targeted support and guidance, coaching can help executives accelerate their career progression. Executives who engage in coaching are 3.5 times more likely to be promoted than those who do not.
Who Can Benefit from Executive Coaching?
I coach leaders across all levels—from high-growth startups to Fortune 100 enterprises — bringing firsthand insight into the distinct challenges and dynamics that come with organizations of every size because I’ve worked in them all.
- Senior executives: CEOs, CFOs, and other senior leaders can benefit from coaching to enhance their leadership effectiveness and drive organizational success.
- High-potential leaders: Coaching can help high-potential executives develop the skills and competencies needed to advance their careers.
- Women Leaders: as a former executive who happens to be a woman, I bring a grounded perspective to coaching that focuses on authenticity, clarity, and strategic growth. Coaching supports women leaders in owning their voice, making bold decisions, and leading with purpose—on their terms.
- Leaders in transition: Coaching can support executives who are transitioning to new roles or responsibilities. For example, transitioning from an individual contributor or technical role to a leadership role
- Executives facing challenges: Coaching can provide valuable support and guidance to executives who are facing specific challenges or difficulties. This could include sustainable growth, preparing for funding rounds, IPO, merger, or acquisition, company reorganizations, terminations, and difficult conversations.
- Success planning: Coaching plays a critical role in succession planning by identifying and developing future leaders, ensuring business continuity, and preparing individuals to step confidently into more senior roles with strategic foresight and emotional intelligence.
- Technical leaders: For leaders with strong technical backgrounds, coaching helps bridge the gap between deep expertise and broader influence. It supports the development of executive presence, cross-functional communication, and the ability to lead with vision beyond their technical domain.
- Expat Leaders: As someone who has lived and led abroad and successfully repatriated, I understand the complexities of global transitions. Coaching supports expat and repatriating leaders in building cross-cultural agility, leading with clarity, and thriving through change.
The Executive Coaching Process
The executive coaching process ‘typically’ involves the following stages:
- Chemistry Meeting: Introductory meeting to determine coaching fit and synergy
- Coaching Intake: Discuss career aspirations, challenges, energizers, and values as the baseline for the coaching engagement.
- Professional Assessment: The coach and executive work together to determine the best Assessment from my toolbox based on your current situation, goals, and development needs. It is recommended to interview a selection of peers, staff, and your manager for input.
- Goal Setting: Based on the assessment results, we establish clear goals with customized action plans for the coaching engagement.
- Implementation: The leader implements the action plan with ongoing support and guidance from the coach. This could include coaching observations, short assignments/worksheets, articles, case studies, journaling, podcasts, videos, books, etc.
- Coaching Program Progress: We regularly evaluate progress and adjust the action plan as needed. Depending on the coaching engagement model, your manager and/or HR may be part of this process at midpoint and at the completion of coaching
- Coaching Transition: We put together a plan at the completion of your coaching program to ensure you have the tools, resources, and support moving forward.
