What Does an Executive Coach Do?

They say “it’s lonely at the top” for a reason. Many high-level leaders struggle to surround themselves with people they can trust for objective, unfiltered feedback. Their direct reports may be hesitant to deliver bad news. For many leaders, this is where an executive coach comes in.

Executive coaching has become a badge of honor for high performers, from Steve Jobs to Marc Benioff. But what does an executive coach actually do?

The Core Role of an Executive Coach

An executive coach is a professional who partners with leaders to facilitate personal and professional growth. Executives don’t get coaching because they feel they’re coming up short. They do it because they want a support system they’re not getting from others within the organization.

Executive coaches play three primary roles:

• The “Mirror”: High-level leaders often are buffered from the reality of their own impact on a corporation. They’re just too removed from the rank-and-file. A coach provides an objective perspective, reflecting back behaviors and blind spots that internal colleagues are too intimidated or biased to mention.
• The “Sounding Board”: Leaders carry the weight of high-stakes decisions. A coach provides a confidential, objective sounding board, allowing the executive to stress-test strategies or express doubts safely.
• The “Challenger”: A coach helps hold leaders accountable, questioning their assumptions and pushing them to try new approaches to old problems. They help them get out of their comfort zone.

Essentially, executive coaches help leaders think outside the box and beyond the confines that are often created by being the person in charge.

Key Areas of Focus In Executive Coaching

Every executive coaching relationship is different and unique. Generally, however, coaching focuses on a few key pillars of leadership:

• Leadership presence and communication: Refining how a leader communicates, carries themselves, and influences others, especially during times of crisis.
• Strategic thinking: Helping active managers move away from daily operations to focus on long-term strategy and organizational health.
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Improving the way executives relate to employees and build high-trust cultures.
• Transition management: Supporting leaders as they transition into new, more complex roles.

While these are often key areas of focus, executive coaches aim to tailor their services to a leader’s particular needs and weaknesses.

How Executive Coaching Works

Executive coaching isn’t just a casual conversation. It’s a structured methodology. While each coach has his or her own framework, a common cycle looks like this:

• Assessment phase: This discovery stage involves the coach interviewing the leader’s peers, direct reports, and managers to establish a baseline of current performance.
• Goal setting: The coach and executive develop a few specific SMART goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) that are tied to the organization’s broader goals.
• Sessions: Regular 1-on-1 sessions where the coach uses questioning and tailored strategies to help the leader navigate real-time challenges.
• Sustainable change: A final assessment to see how much progress has been made and to ensure the new habits are sustainable.

Some relationships may have a set beginning and end. Some may be ongoing for as long as the leader is in charge.

Why Organizations Invest In Executive Coaching

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) has found that 87% of organizations that invest in executive coaching agree it has a high return on investment. Executives aren’t the only ones who benefit. The same report found that 78% of senior executives and 73% of rank-and-file employees approved of the culture improvements spurred by coaching. One study by Metrix Global has quantified the ROI as high as 788%.