Leadership coaching vs executive coaching

When it comes to developing leaders within your business, coaching can be one of the most effective tools available. But not all coaching is created equal. Depending on the size and structure of your organisation, different approaches are required to nurture talent and prepare individuals for their next step. Two commonly used approaches are executive coaching and leadership coaching and while they share similar goals, they serve distinct purposes.

Executive coaching

This is specific to corporates i.e. large established companies with defined organisational structures and pre-set career paths. Executive coaching focuses on developing the skills and confidence to climb the corporate ladder and to take on higher roles with that company. It is usually purchased to support a recently promoted individual to assist them becoming confident in their new role or it is purchased to develop potential leaders as a way of fast-tracking them to higher roles in the future

The main focus for executive coaching is to equip the leader with the specific skills and mindset required to thrive at the next level within the corporate structure

Leadership coaching

This is the SME equivalent of executive coaching in that it is an investment in the future development of high potential individuals. It can be delivered one to one, in small groups or normally in a combination of both so that it is focused on developing leadership capability but also in creating a strong aligned leadership team. The main outcome for a leadership coaching programme is to convert high performing / high potential managers into confident & capable leaders, so that the company has enough leadership capacity to cope with the anticipated future growth.

The main focus for a leadership coaching is to convert managers with a specialism who are either leading a function or a service to become more generalist leaders who have a wider understanding of all aspects of the company and can contribute to both the strategic and tactical decision making processes. 

Summary

Both executive and leadership coaching are investments in a company’s future. Executive coaching helps corporates prepare individuals for structured advancement, while leadership coaching builds the leadership bench strength SMEs need to grow. The key difference lies in the context, delivery, and intended outcome, but both are essential for shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

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