What's the difference between executive coaching and therapy?

Coaching is future-focused — moving toward specific professional goals with structured conversations, accountability, and skill-building. Therapy addresses mental health, past trauma, and emotional processing under clinical supervision. A coach who explores childhood trauma is outside their lane.

How much does executive coaching cost?

$250–$750/session. 6-month engagements: $6,000–$20,000. Premier coaches and CEO-level work exceeds $50,000. Employer-sponsored programs may cover all or part of the cost.

How do I know if coaching is working?

Effective coaching produces behavioral change visible to colleagues — not just private insight. Define 2–4 specific observable behavioral goals at the outset. Mid-engagement 360 check-ins measure progress. If you can't articulate what's changed after 3 months, the engagement isn't delivering.

Is coaching confidential?

Individual sessions are confidential between coach and client — even in employer-sponsored programs. Tri-party contracting at the start makes explicit what the sponsor organization receives vs. what remains confidential.

Executive Coaching — Find Trusted Professional Coaching Professionals

What Is Executive Coaching?

Executive coaching accelerates leader effectiveness — developing strategic thinking, communication, team leadership, and stakeholder influence for senior professionals.

What Executive Coaching Addresses

Leadership presence and influence, stakeholder navigation, building high-performance teams, managing up to boards and investors, decision-making under uncertainty, and sustaining performance under pressure. The most impactful engagements begin with a structured 360-degree assessment gathering candid input from direct reports, peers, and superiors.

The Engagement Structure

Chemistry conversation, formal contracting (goals, confidentiality, tri-party if employer-sponsored), assessment (360 interviews, psychometric tools like Hogan or DiSC), goal-setting, regular coaching sessions (biweekly or monthly, 45–90 minutes), mid-engagement review, and close with forward planning.

ROI of Executive Coaching

Multiple studies report 6x–10x ROI from well-structured executive coaching. Mechanisms: accelerated decision quality, faster team performance, reduced leadership derailment risk, and improved retention of coached leaders and their direct reports. Employer-sponsored programs often exceed $25,000 for a 6-month engagement.

Choosing an Executive Coach

Relevant credentials: ICF PCC or MCC, business school certifications (Georgetown, Columbia, HBS coaching programs), or deep domain experience in your sector. Red flags: technique-focused coaching without business outcome orientation, no corporate leadership experience, inability to articulate a clear methodology, or resistance to outcome measurement.

What to Look for in a Coaching Provider

ICF (International Coaching Federation) credential: ACC, PCC, or MCC — the industry's recognized standard
Relevant domain experience: executive coaches should have worked in corporate environments they coach
A structured methodology — not just 'conversation and accountability'
Clear confidentiality policies, especially for corporate engagements
Chemistry fit: you need to trust and be challenged by this person — use the free discovery call
Measurable outcomes: coaches should help you define what success looks like before you start

Professional Executive Coaching