Executive Coaching: What Type of Support Does a Leader Actually Need?
Executive coaching is often talked about as though it is one thing. An executive works with a coach, develops their leadership skills and becomes a better leader.
In reality, executive coaching can look very different depending on what the leader, role and organisation need. An owner who is overwhelmed because every decision keeps coming back to them needs different support from an executive stepping into a new organisation. A leader who has been asked to change a specific behaviour needs something different again from an executive who is focused on building their own capacity and the capacity of the organisation around them.
That is why effective executive coaching should start with the situation, not a standard coaching program.
At Orchard Coaching, we see four distinct reasons an executive or owner may benefit from coaching: Transformational, Development, Targeted Performance and Transition.
1. Transformational Executive Coaching
Transformational coaching is for the executive or owner who has reached a point where the way they have been leading is no longer working for the organisation they are building.
- They may be overwhelmed.
- They may be making too many decisions themselves.
- Their team may be capable, but problems and opportunities still keep coming back to them.
- They may feel like they are constantly solving issues rather than leading the business.
This is often a sign that the organisation has outgrown their current leadership approach.
Transformational executive coaching looks beyond individual tasks and focuses on changing how the leader operates. That might mean developing greater clarity around roles and decision-making, creating stronger ownership within the leadership team or changing patterns that keep the executive at the centre of every decision.
The goal isn’t simply to help the executive manage a bigger workload. It is to help them lead in a way that creates greater capacity throughout the organisation.
2. Development Executive Coaching
Development coaching is for owners and executives who want to build their leadership capacity as the organisation grows.
The leader may already be successful. There may not be a major performance issue or immediate problem. Instead, the question is: What does this leader need to develop to lead the next phase for the organisation?
As businesses grow, the leadership requirements change. What worked when the organisation was smaller may not be enough when there are more people, more complexity and more decisions being made across the business.
Development coaching can help executives identify where they need to grow, strengthen their leadership capability and become more intentional about developing the people around them.
This is also where leadership development becomes important. Building a strong organisation isn’t just about developing one senior leader. It is about creating leadership capability throughout the business so that more people can take ownership and contribute effectively.
3. Targeted Performance Executive Coaching
Not every coaching situation requires a complete leadership transformation.
Sometimes there is a specific behaviour that needs to change.
- A leader may have received feedback about how they communicate.
- They may struggle to delegate, avoid difficult conversations, become overly involved in detail or have difficulty creating accountability within their team.
In these situations, targeted performance coaching provides a focused approach.
The starting point is clear:
- What behaviour needs to change?
- What impact is it currently having
- What will be the cost to the business if the behaviour isn’t addressed?
From there, coaching can help the leader understand the behaviour, recognise what is driving it and develop different ways of responding. The focus is practical and specific, with attention on applying the change in the real situations the leader is facing.
This type of executive coaching can be particularly valuable when an organisation knows that a leader has the capability to perform at a higher level but needs support changing a particular behaviour that is getting in the way.
4. Transition Executive Coaching
Leadership transitions create a different set of challenges.
An executive:
- Moving into a new role
- Joining a new organisation
- Taking on significantly greater responsibility has to navigate more than a new job description.
Expectations change. Relationships change. The decisions they make can have a different level of impact.
Transition coaching provides space to think through these changes and establish an effective approach early.
It can help an executive understand what the new role requires, identify where they need to adapt and build confidence in their new leadership responsibilities.
Rather than waiting until challenges emerge, coaching can help an executive be more deliberate about how they enter the role and establish themselves.
The right coaching depends on what needs to change
The value of executive coaching isn’t simply having someone to talk to about leadership.
It comes from having the right conversations about the right challenges at the right time.
Sometimes the focus needs to be transformational. Sometimes it is about developing capacity for the next stage of growth. Sometimes there is one specific behaviour that needs attention. And sometimes the leader needs support navigating a significant transition.
In every situation, the starting point should be understanding what is happening now, what needs to be different and what will create the greatest impact for both the leader and the organisation.
This is where Clarity, Courage and Cadence can provide a useful leadership framework. Leaders need clarity about what matters and what is expected. They need the courage to address difficult issues and change behaviours. And they need the cadence to consistently apply what they have learned through conversations, decisions, accountability and action.
Executive coaching should create impact beyond the individual
The strongest executive coaching doesn’t stop with the individual leader.
When an executive changes how they lead, it can change how decisions are made, how teams work together and how accountability operates throughout the organisation.
That is why executive coaching can be an important part of broader leadership development. The goal isn’t simply to create a better executive. It is to create stronger leadership capability that benefits the organisation as a whole.
If you’re unsure what type of executive coaching would be most relevant to your current situation, talk to Charlie. A 10-minute conversation can be a useful starting point to understand what is happening and whether the Leadership System Diagnostic or executive coaching is the right next step.