What do you do when you have a learning objective or development goal that no training program curriculum matches up with? What if you have a leader with a history of concerning leadership behaviors that need to be addressed on a one-to-one level?
The answer is leadership development coaching.
What is this type of coaching, you might ask. In the following article, we’ll review the definition of leadership development coaching, its purpose, common topics covered, the average cost of coaching packages for leaders, and finally, what to expect when working with a professional coach.
As the name suggests, leadership development coaching is a type of coaching provided by a certified professional coach to support an individual’s leadership development goals and needs. What this means is a leader, and a hired coach will meet on a regular basis over a set amount of time to work one-on-one on the learning goals outlined in a person’s leadership development plan. The overarching goal of leadership development coaching is to accelerate a leader’s development in a given area by developing their skills, equipping them with new tools/techniques, providing feedback, and offering guidance.
Individuals and organizations tend to find this type of coaching most useful in cases where an individual’s development needs and goals go beyond the pre-defined curriculum of a training program and require a more nuanced, personalized approach. For example, for those who’ve been promoted to leadership and have no previous experience, a training program, such as Niagara Institute’s Leadership Fundamentals, is the ideal option. In contrast, a leader with difficulty regulating their emotions and controlling their temper has much more specific needs that are ideally suited for leadership development coaching.
Given the personalized nature of leadership development coaching, there are countless examples of topics that can be covered. Frequently though, professional coaches will administer assessments, such as a 360 assessment, to help narrow down the areas you should focus on over the limited time you have together. Here are a few examples of common leadership development coaching topics:
The cost of any leadership development coaching package will depend on two major factors: seniority and duration. For example, here at Niagara Institute, a three-month coaching package for emerging leaders will cost at least $1,800, while a nine-month coaching package for executives will cost at least $11,250. While this should give you an idea of the price of one-on-one coaching packages, you should always have a conversation with a potential provider to get an accurate quote based on your unique needs and specifications.
One-on-one leadership coaching is about your development and your development alone. Your defined goals, needs, and concerns are the only things that matter to your coach; as such, they’re at the heart of your coaching experience. This also means that every coaching experience can look a little different. However, to give you an idea of what to expect from a leadership coach, here is what a typical coaching experience might look like:
Why do you want to work with a coach? What are you looking to work on or get from the experience? These are the types of questions you should ask yourself as you research and identify potential coaches. Keep in mind that a good leadership coach will have worked in your industry, coached others with similar titles/roles to you, been appropriately qualified/certified, and is willing to provide past client testimonials.
Once you have narrowed down your choices, a chemistry call is the next step. If the provider or coach doesn’t offer this, insist on it before you sign on the dotted line. Chemistry calls are your chance to get a real sense of the coach’s style, personality, and approach. If they put you at ease and make it easy to talk to them, then you’ll know you’ve found a coach worth hiring.
After the chemistry call is complete and you have purchased a coaching package, your coach may want to meet with any stakeholders who were involved in the buying process, such as your boss or HR. This is a chance for your coach to set expectations about what they believe is possible to achieve over the course of the coaching engagement. Moreover, your boss/HR team will be able to share additional insights with your coach to round out their understanding of your development needs.
It is common for leadership coaches to use assessments, such as a 360 assessment, to get a better sense of where you are and where you want to go. If you and your leadership coach decide to complete any assessments, you would typically do so before your first meeting.
When you meet with your leadership coach, you will have the opportunity to ask questions, seek guidance, practice new techniques, and, overall, work towards your defined development objectives. During these coaching sessions, your coach isn’t just a teacher; they’re a sounding board, a cheerleader, a source of wisdom, and an accountability partner. Depending on the coaching package you purchased, these sessions can take place weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly and be an hour in length or more. You will arrange this during your initial meetings.
When your coaching package comes to an end, your coach will want to have one final meeting with you and, if necessary, the stakeholders they met with at the beginning, such as your boss/HR team. Together, you will recap the experience, review what you can learn, and define any action items you need to work on independently going forward.
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