Executive coaching: why, when and how to choose the right executive coach?
You lead a company, a business unit or a strategic team. Every day, you make decisions that involve people, budgets and results. And yet, you are probably the least supported person in your entire organisation.
That is the paradox of leadership: the higher you climb, the bigger the stakes become, and the fewer spaces you have to step back, challenge your decisions and work on your leadership presence.
This is exactly the gap that executive coaching fills. In this article: what an executive coach actually does, what results to expect, when to seek support, and how to choose the right professional.
What is executive coaching?
Executive coaching, also called leadership coaching, is a confidential, one-to-one development partnership designed for CEOs, executive committee members and senior leaders.
Unlike consulting or training, the coach does not bring ready-made solutions. They create a demanding and structured thinking space in which the leader clarifies their vision, makes more lucid decisions and sustainably evolves their leadership behaviours.
In practice, an executive coaching journey works on three dimensions, which we summarise at BeBest with the 3P model:
- Purpose: clarifying your vision, your reason for leading and the direction you give your organisation
- People: developing an authentic leadership presence, mobilising your teams, managing high-stakes relationships
- Performance: turning that clarity and engagement into ambitious, sustainable results
Who is executive coaching for?
Executive coaching is not reserved for leaders “in trouble”. Like top athletes, it is often the highest-performing leaders who work with a coach.
It typically serves four profiles:
- CEOs and executive committee members, facing the loneliness of the decision-maker and complex transformations
- managers in transition, stepping into a role with greater responsibility and aiming to succeed in their first 100 days
- entrepreneurs and founders, who need to shift from “doing” mode to “leading” mode
- high potentials, identified for future leadership positions
What are the concrete benefits of executive coaching?
1. Renewed strategic clarity
A leader’s daily life is saturated with urgencies. Coaching restores time for perspective: separating the essential from the accessory, realigning your agenda with your true priorities, and making decisions that have been postponed for months.
2. A stronger, more authentic leadership presence
Many leaders perform “by force”, at the cost of permanent tension. Coaching helps identify automatic patterns (the need to control everything, difficulty delegating, impostor syndrome) and build a leadership style aligned with who you truly are.
3. More engaged teams
A leader who communicates a clear vision, listens better and delegates with confidence mechanically transforms their team dynamics: more autonomy, more engagement, fewer silos.
4. Better management of pressure and transitions
New role, merger, crisis, hypergrowth: pivotal moments are also the riskiest. Coaching acts as a strategic decompression chamber, allowing you to navigate these periods with composure and impact, without sacrificing your health or balance.
5. A tangible return on investment
A better strategic decision, a key talent retained, a successful transformation or a burnout avoided represent a value far greater than the cost of the engagement.
Executive coaching is an investment, not a comfort expense.
When should you hire an executive coach? The 5 signals
In our experience, these are the situations that most often trigger a coaching engagement:
- You are stepping into a high-stakes role and want to drive your transition rather than endure it
- You are alone with your decisions: nobody can play the role of a neutral, confidential sparring partner
- Your company is going through a major transformation: rapid growth, merger, reorganisation, governance change
- You feel a gap between your efforts and your results: you work more, but the impact does not follow
- The pressure is starting to cost too much: chronic fatigue, irritability, loss of enjoyment, early signs of exhaustion
If you recognise yourself in at least two of these signals, it is probably the right time to consider coaching.
How does an executive coaching engagement work?
Every journey is tailor-made, but a serious engagement generally follows four steps:
- The framing session: a first conversation to clarify your challenges, check the chemistry with the coach and define concrete, measurable objectives
- The diagnostic: depending on needs, an assessment, 360° feedback or analysis of the real situations you face
- The coaching sessions: typically 6 to 12 sessions over 4 to 9 months, in person or remotely. Between sessions, you experiment with new behaviours in real situations
- The review: measuring progress against the initial objectives and building a consolidation plan to anchor the changes for the long term
At BeBest, we enrich this framework with insights from neuroscience and deep coaching techniques, to work not only on visible behaviours, but also on the deep beliefs that drive them.
How to choose the right executive coach? 5 decisive criteria
Since the title of “coach” is not protected, the quality of coaching varies enormously. Here are the criteria that really make the difference:
- A recognised certification: choose a coach certified by a demanding international federation, such as the ICF. The PCC level (Professional Certified Coach) guarantees several hundred hours of supervised practice
- Real business experience: a coach who has been a manager or executive understands your challenges from the inside and speaks your business language
- A structured method: beware of “nice coaching” made of simple conversations. Ask the coach to explain their method, their tools and how they measure progress
- Clear ethics: absolute confidentiality, a precise contractual framework, regular supervision of the coach
- Chemistry: the relationship of trust is the number one success factor in coaching. A good coach will always offer a first conversation before any commitment
Executive coaching: frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a coach, a mentor and a consultant?
A consultant brings expertise and recommendations. A mentor shares their experience and advice. A coach helps you develop your own capacities for reflection, decision-making and leadership: the results belong to you and last beyond the engagement.
How long does an executive coaching engagement last?
Most journeys last between 4 and 9 months, with one session every two to three weeks. Some leaders then choose ongoing, ad hoc support, like a strategic sparring partner.
Does executive coaching work remotely?
Yes. Remote coaching has proven its effectiveness and makes it possible to support leaders across Europe. A hybrid format (in person for key moments, remote for follow-up) often offers the best of both worlds.
Is the coaching confidential from my company?
Absolutely. Even when the company funds the engagement, the content of the sessions remains strictly confidential. Only the objectives and the overall review, defined together in a three-way meeting, are shared.
In which languages is the coaching available?
At BeBest, coaching is available in English, French and German.
Ready to reach the next level?
Executive coaching is neither a luxury nor an admission of weakness: it is the most powerful development tool for leaders who want to combine purpose, engagement and sustainable performance.
At BeBest Coaching, we support leaders, managers and entrepreneurs with a demanding method, built on more than 15 years of corporate experience, a PCC–ICF certification and over 1,800 hours of coaching, through our BeBest for Executives programme.