Here’s the thing—I’ve worked with incredible leaders, and no matter how experienced they are, they all have blind spots. We all do. That’s where executive coaching comes in. It’s not about being told what to do; it’s a partnership. If you’ve ever felt stuck, isolated, or unsure how to move forward, you’re not alone. Coaching offers a chance to step back, see things from a fresh perspective, and create a plan that feels right for you.
How Does Executive Coaching Work?
Executive coaching is such an incredible way for leaders to develop new skills. I think of it like a strategic partnership, a collaboration between the coach and the coaches, so there’s no hierarchy. That’s what makes it different from mentorship or consulting.
In a coaching engagement, I’m not the expert telling someone how to do things. I’m an objective partner helping to shine a light on blind spots. So it really creates a space for leaders to reflect on their leadership style, come to new, fresh insights, and most importantly, create an actionable plan for what to do next.
How Is it Different from Counseling?
Sometimes people also confuse coaching with the idea of therapy, which is not the case. Therapy is often about looking backwards in order to uncover a diagnosis, and in some ways, coaching is similar. During our time together, we acknowledge that we all bring our past experiences with us to our leadership. Whichever skills we have or don’t have—that’s how we show up at work. But the bigger focus is really: How am I going to get from here to my ideal outcome? What tangible things am I going to do? That’s at the core of it.
Another crucial thing we acknowledge is that leadership can be really lonely. You’re in this interesting role of holding so much for your team. You need to remain the solid one, so places to vent or admit struggle can be limited. There’s often an element of isolation.
This becomes especially true when a leader isn’t comfortable, for whatever reason, having hard, vulnerable conversations with their peers or their superior because they don’t want to be seen as incompetent or to have their reputation take a hit.
But coaching gives you a totally confidential, safe space to lay it all out there, take a look from a different perspective, and figure out a new way to move forward. It can be absolutely life-changing, and it’s incredible to see the transformation people make.
How Do You Know If You Need a Leadership Coach?
Among the clients I’ve worked with, some leaders have just raised their hand. They reached out because they knew coaching would help them attain their next level. But I’ve also had a few who have had their leader tap them on the shoulder and say: “Hey, here’s a great way for you to take the next step in your development.”
Sometimes those clients who are tapped on the shoulder initially feel like it’s punitive. But what’s really wonderful is that everyone who has come to me has realized pretty quickly it’s not. Instead, it becomes an extremely supportive way for them to lean into their growth edge.
It’s also helpful to understand that even though it’s called executive coaching, you don’t have to be at the executive level to pursue this. I’ve coached people who were aiming to get into management roles all the way through the leadership hierarchy, up to C-suite. It’s really about individual development, and you don’t need to have “executive” in your title for it to change the course of your career.
If any of this resonates with you—whether you’re feeling a little stuck, looking for new ways to grow, or just craving a space to work through challenges—let’s talk. Coaching is all about having a trusted thought partner to help you see things from a new perspective and move forward with clarity.
