Executive leadership coaching is a personalized, one-to-one development process designed to help leaders realize their full potential and drive meaningful business outcomes. A wide range of professionals, not just top executives, can benefit from executive coaching.

Executive coaching provides a structured yet flexible approach to developing essential leadership capabilities, including emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and effective decision-making, while offering a safe and confidential space for reflection and growth.

Unlike traditional training programs that pull leaders away from their responsibilities, executive coaching happens in the flow of work, making it both practical and impactful. It’s a highly individualized process that helps leaders tackle real-time challenges, offering clarity, accountability, and immediate application.

Through focused dialogue and external perspective, coaching enhances self-awareness and addresses blind spots that may be limiting performance. Additionally, coaching supports the development of critical thinking, enabling leaders to analyze complex situations and make informed decisions.

This just-in-time development approach accelerates growth, develops sustainable leadership habits, and yields measurable business outcomes, including stronger team engagement, improved strategic execution, and more resilient, confident leadership. It’s not just about personal transformation; it’s about delivering value that ripples across the organization.

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1. Who Comes to Executive Coaching

Executive coaching is most often sought by senior leaders, including directors, vice presidents, C-level executives, and high-potential individuals preparing for the next level of leadership. Business leaders, including CEOs and senior executives, seek coaching to enhance their decision-making and leadership skills. These individuals may already possess a strong foundation of technical expertise and functional success, but they seek deeper development in interpersonal influence, leadership presence, and navigating ambiguity. Life coaches, in contrast, take a holistic approach, focusing on personal growth, relationships, and overall well-being.

However, coaching is not limited to top executives. Emerging leaders, founders, and team managers also benefit, especially during periods of transition, rapid growth, or increased responsibility. Whether it’s a high-achiever looking to avoid burnout or a new individual leader navigating a steep learning curve, executive coaching supports a wide range of professionals across industries. Executive coaching services are tailored to meet the unique needs of different sectors, including healthcare, education, technology startups, and government agencies, reflecting the expanding demand for such coaching. This growing interest highlights the importance of fostering a coaching culture within organizations.

2. Why Someone Comes to Executive Coaching

Leaders turn to executive coaching for a variety of reasons. Some common triggers include:

• A new leadership role or expanded responsibilities
• Difficulty influencing across the organization
• Managing complex team dynamics or low engagement
• Burnout or decision fatigue
• Desire to improve emotional intelligence and executive presence
• Preparation for succession or a career pivot
• Poor work-life balance 

Often, leaders are aware that something isn’t working, but they’re not quite sure what. Coaching provides them with an opportunity to step back, think strategically, and explore challenges in a judgment-free, psychologically safe environment. It’s not about fixing what’s broken, but enhancing what’s already working and uncovering untapped potential through a strong coaching relationship.

3. Benefits for the Organization or the Business

When a leader evolves, the ripple effects are felt across the entire organization. Leaders from diverse backgrounds bring varied insights and expertise, enriching the executive coaching experience. Understanding company culture is crucial in leadership development. Executive coaching leads to:

Improved Leadership Skills:

Executive coaching enhances strategic thinking, decision-making, and emotional intelligence, enabling leaders to inspire and motivate their teams more effectively.

Enhanced Team Performance:

Effective leadership enhances team communication, collaboration, and productivity, ultimately leading to improved performance and cohesion.

Increased Employee Engagement:

Coached leaders create more supportive environments, boosting employee motivation, satisfaction, and retention.

Better Decision Making:

Coaching sharpens critical thinking, helping leaders weigh options and make smarter, more informed decisions.

Improved Culture:

Leaders foster openness and trust through coaching, shaping a culture that supports innovation and growth.

Revenue and Profitability:

Coaching enables leaders to execute their strategies effectively and identify opportunities that drive business results.

Succession Planning:

Coaching builds a pipeline of capable leaders, reducing risk during transitions and ensuring long-term stability.

4. The Executive Coaching Engagement Process

This coaching engagement is structured into three core phases, designed to develop targeted leadership capabilities and ensure sustained growth aligned with organizational objectives.

1. Discovery and Goal Setting 

The engagement begins with a discovery phase to surface leadership strengths, development needs, and business priorities.

• Intake questionnaire and orientation session to establish context and expectations
• Assessments, such as emotional intelligence (EQ) and personality assessments, 360 feedback and stakeholder interviews, tailored to the leader’s role and goals
• Assessment debrief sessions to highlight key insights and areas of opportunity
• Executive Development Plan (EDP) creation through structured goal-setting sessions
• Alignment meeting to finalize the EDP with the leader, sponsor (manager), and, where applicable, HR Business Partner (HRBP)

2. Implementation

The focus shifts to applying insights, building habits, and reinforcing new leadership behaviors.

• Regular coaching sessions, typically twice per month, with flexibility to match the leader’s cadence
• Experiential practices between sessions to apply learning in real-world contexts
• Mid-point feedback collection from the sponsor and relevant stakeholders
• Mid-point review to assess progress and recalibrate as needed, including input from the sponsor and optional HRBP

3. Wrap-Up 

The final phase captures progress and lays the groundwork for long-term success.

• Final progress review with the leader, sponsor, and optional HRBP
• A sustainability plan to help the leader maintain momentum and continue growth after coaching concludes

Throughout the engagement, light-touch support is available to reinforce learning, including:

• Brief email or text check-ins
  Relevant article, book, and resource recommendations
  One-off calls to support before a high-stakes meeting or event
• Progress tracking and accountability support

What Happens Inside A Typical Coaching Session 

A common myth about coaching is that it involves giving advice. While the coach may offer advice, an International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach facilitates the client’s learning through thought-provoking questions, real-time observation, and feedback. Such a process helps the client find their answers that are relevant and sustainable for their unique personality and the context. Read more:  What an Executive Coach Really Does.

Duration and Investment 

Executive coaching engagements typically range from 6 to 12 months, depending on the goals, role complexity, and organizational context.

The going market rate for a typical six-month executive coaching program typically ranges from $18,000 to $25,000 USD, based on the leader’s level. The renowned coaching organizations Sharmin is affiliated with charge such an amount from their clients. 

Since Sharmin Banu directly handles the process without any overhead, she offers the same service at a much affordable rate and on flexible terms. Please contact her directly for a proposal.

5. Sharmin’s Message on Executive Coaching

Sharmin Banu, Executive Coach

Growth doesn’t have to come at the cost of what matters most to you. Sustainable growth is about embracing who you truly are, aligning with your core values, and living them out in your everyday decisions and actions. You already have the raw materials- the big rocks. Now it’s time to polish them, moving from good to great, and great to exceptional.

I help leaders and their teams grow with purpose and joy, toward what I call Sustainable Success. No fluffy pep talks. Just real, grounded, fun, and sometimes vulnerable work. Together, we co-create the outcomes that truly matter to you through structured coaching sessions, typically spaced weeks apart.

In an era defined by AI, our greatest competitive edge is our humanity. I’m honored to create a space where clients feel seen, heard, and empowered to access their inner potential and grow into the leaders they aspire to be.

Many leaders I work with come into coaching a bit apprehensive, expecting another version of the same pressure they feel from their bosses or corporate culture. But by the end of our first session, I often witness a shift: smiles, tears, a sense of relief. They say, “Wow, I never expected this to feel so meaningful and refreshing.”

This was a seasoned senior tech leader, known for his blunt remarks that often pushed people away. His leaders recommended coaching after realizing his behavior was demoralizing the team. Within three months, we uncovered the root cause. He later said, “I’ve heard this feedback for 15 years-this is the first time I actually know what to do with it.”

Too often, organizations give corrective feedback without offering real support. I call that weaponizing feedback– it demoralizes without providing any help. I’m passionate about helping clients identify and address the root causes of their negative behavior. When they can pinpoint that, change starts from the inside out. They not only become more effective leaders with stronger business impact – they also become more fulfilled in their lives.

I see myself as a National Geographic photographer, still, present, and patient in the wilderness. I wait for those rare, authentic moments to emerge with my client. And when they do, I help them see it clearly so that they can make powerful, conscious choices. It’s those moments that change everything, for the better!

Whether you are a senior leader, vice president, or key executive, executive coaching can help you maximize your potential, achieve your professional excellence and personal fulfillment so that you can thrive in today’s VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world with purpose and joy. 

6. Next Steps

Here are a few options for you:

• Schedule a complimentary, no-obligation 1:1 coaching call.
• Send me a note with questions.
• Check out my client testimonials.

Get started on your journey of growth, purpose, and joy! There is no magic – you and I co-create the process for you. It is that simple!