Research Paper By Kimberly Denise Dennis
(Life Coach, UNITED STATES)
Once seen as the last step for an executive about to fall off the ladder, leadership coaches now help smooth a promotion, teach outsiders about their new culture, and tune up talent.- CNN Money[1]
Leadership coaches work with leaders, managers, and executives on self-awareness and self-management, communication, and leader impact. Leadership coaching focuses on “soft skills.” This differs from business coaching which more often focuses on hard skills, strategy, tactics, and operations.
Although leadership (executive) coaching is a growing concentration within the coaching profession, there is no one widely accepted definition. In addition, the terms “leadership coach” and “executive coach” are often used interchangeably, although executive coaching often refers to higher level managers while the term leadership coaching also encompasses lower, supervisory level managers.
Let’s explore just a few of the definitions of the term “executive coaching.” Kilburg defines executive coaching as follows:
a helping relationship formed between a client who has managerial authority and responsibility in an organization and a consultant who uses a wide variety of behavioural techniques and methods to help the client achieve a mutually identified set of goals to improve his or her professional performance and personal satisfaction and, consequently, to improve the effectiveness of the client’s organization within a formally defined coaching agreement[2]
In this definition, the coach’s role is viewed as more of a consultant and the two parties develop goals together.