If you’ve been thinking about working with a leadership coach, you probably have some version of the same question running through your head: will this actually help, or is it just expensive advice I could get from a book?
It’s a fair question. The coaching industry has grown rapidly in recent years. Between 2019 and 2022 alone, the number of leadership coaches grew by 54%, and annual industry revenue reached nearly $4.56 billion, according to the International Coaching Federation. With that growth comes a wide range of quality, and it can be hard to know what you’re actually signing up for.
I’ve been coaching leaders since 2001. I’ve worked with more than 300 executives and managers across healthcare, finance, manufacturing, education, and nonprofits. Here’s what I can tell you: when coaching is done well, with the right fit and a real commitment from both sides, the results are significant. When it’s done poorly, or when the leader isn’t ready, it’s a waste of time and money.
So let me break down what executive leadership coaching actually is, what makes it work, and how to know if it’s the right move for you.
What Executive Leadership Coaching Actually Looks Like
Coaching is not consulting. A consultant comes in, assesses your situation, and tells you what to do. Coaching is different. A good coach helps you develop the self-awareness, communication skills, and emotional intelligence to figure out what to do yourself, and to keep doing it long after the coaching ends.
In my practice, coaching is a structured, personalized engagement. My signature program, the Stress-Free Leadership Accelerator, is a 12-session experience where we work on the specific challenges you’re facing in real time. We’re not talking about hypothetical scenarios from a textbook. We’re talking about the conversation you need to have with your direct report on Thursday, the team dynamic that’s been draining your energy for months, or the decision you’ve been going back and forth on.
Every engagement is grounded in the CARE Leadership Model™, a framework I developed over two decades of coaching that focuses on Communication, Appreciation, Respect, and Empathy. These four principles give leaders a practical system for building trust, reducing friction, and leading people well, even in high-pressure environments.
Coaching also provides something most leaders don’t have: a confidential space to think out loud. You can be honest about what you’re struggling with without worrying about how it will be perceived by your team, your boss, or your board. That alone is worth more than most leaders expect.
Who Is Executive Leadership Coaching For?
The leaders I work with are smart, capable people who are good at the technical side of their jobs. Where they get stuck is the people side.
They might be dealing with:
- A recent promotion where the expectations have changed but no one showed them how to lead differently
- Team conflict that keeps surfacing no matter how many times they try to address it
- Difficulty having direct conversations without either avoiding the issue or handling it in a way that damages trust
- Feeling overwhelmed by competing priorities, with no clear sense of what to focus on first
- A desire to lead more effectively without burning out in the process
Coaching works best for leaders who are ready to invest in their own growth and committed to creating real change. If you’re feeling stuck, stressed, or struggling with team dynamics, and you’re willing to do the work, coaching can help you break through those barriers.
It’s also worth noting that coaching is increasingly common at the highest levels. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has called hiring a coach the best professional decision he ever made. Research from FMI found that 87% of organizations report a significant return on investment from executive coaching.
What Makes Coaching Work (And What Doesn’t)
I’ve seen coaching create real transformation. I’ve also seen it fall flat. The difference usually comes down to a few things.
The coach has real leadership experience. There’s a big difference between someone who has studied leadership theory and someone who has lived it. I spent nearly a decade as a Director of Nursing in behavioral healthcare, leading teams of 40+ in emotionally intense, high-stakes environments. That experience shapes how I coach. I understand what it feels like to manage people through crisis, navigate organizational politics, and hold your composure when everything around you is chaotic, because I’ve done it.
The coaching is personalized. Generic frameworks applied to every leader the same way will produce generic results. Good coaching meets you where you are and addresses your specific challenges, your team, your industry, your goals.
The leader is ready. Coaching requires honesty, self-reflection, and a willingness to look at your own patterns. If someone enters coaching just because their organization told them to, without any personal commitment to growth, the outcomes will be limited.
There’s follow-through. Coaching sessions are valuable, but the real growth happens between sessions when you apply what you’ve learned in real situations with real people. A good coach will hold you accountable to that.
What Results Can You Expect?
The leaders I coach consistently report shifts in three areas.
Clarity. They stop second-guessing every decision and start leading with a clear sense of direction. As one of my clients, a Senior Director in healthcare, shared: working with me helped her see how her own reactions were creating stress for her and her team. Learning to stay calm under pressure changed everything.
Confidence. They learn to have direct, respectful conversations and make tough decisions without agonizing over them. For example, a Director of Corporate Leadership, worked with me for five months and secured the biggest promotion of his career during that time. He described the experience as instrumental in his transformation as a leader.
Calm. They develop the emotional intelligence and composure to lead under pressure without sacrificing their well-being. An executive leader client of mine shared that coaching helped him become more in tune with his emotions and their impact on his work, and that the experience reduced stress within his entire team.
These aren’t unusual outcomes. They’re what happens when a committed leader gets the right support.
How to Know If You’re Ready
You don’t need to be in crisis to benefit from coaching. In fact, the best time to start is before small challenges become big ones.
That said, here are a few signs that coaching might be the right next step:
- You’ve been promoted but feel like you’re figuring out leadership on your own
- You’re avoiding conversations you know need to happen
- Your team has friction, and you’re not sure how to address it
- You’re working harder than ever but the results aren’t matching the effort
- You want a trusted thinking partner who gets what you’re dealing with
If any of that sounds familiar, a conversation is a good place to start.
Let’s Talk
I offer a complimentary 30-minute Leadership Clarity Call for leaders who are exploring coaching. It’s a real conversation, not a sales pitch. We’ll talk about your biggest leadership challenge, identify what’s getting in the way, and determine whether coaching is the right fit for your goals.
Schedule Your Complimentary Clarity Call
Dr. Julie Donley, EdD, PCC, is a leadership coach, keynote speaker, and award-winning author of Leading at the Speed of People. She helps mid-to-senior level leaders navigate conflict, reduce stress, and lead with clarity, confidence, and calm through the CARE Leadership Model™. Learn more at drjuliedonley.com.
