Coaching Isn’t a Perk—It’s the Thread That Ties Leadership Development Together

We’ve all seen it: a leadership program that engages participants—but struggles to create meaningful shifts in behavior or performance. The sessions are engaging, the content is solid, and leaders leave with big intentions. But six months later? The momentum fades, and day-to-day demands take over.

That’s where coaching makes all the difference.

Coaching isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s what turns leadership development from a one-time learning event into lasting professional growth. It personalizes the learning, giving leaders space to reflect, wrestle with real challenges, and apply new ideas in ways that actually work. Done well, coaching becomes the thread that ties everything together.

From Learning to Coaching: A Shift That Delivered Results

I began my career designing and leading learning programs—onboarding, new manager cohorts, and leadership development. The goal was always to foster meaningful growth for every participant. But when we integrated coaching into those programs, something shifted. The development became more personal, more practical—and most importantly, more effective. Leaders weren’t just learning; they were applying new behaviors in ways that moved the needle for their teams and the organization.

Now, as a talent development consultant and ICF-certified coach, I work directly with leaders navigating complexity, change, and growth. Coaching provides the depth and tailored support that traditional programs often lack. It’s the difference between a session that feels inspiring in the moment and one that translates into stronger performance, better decisions, and lasting individual and organizational results.

Why Coaching Works

At its core, coaching is a process of sense-making. Leaders aren’t just learning new skills—they’re figuring out how to apply them in their own context. Coaching gives them an opportunity to:

• Explore what the content means for their team, role, and unique challenges.

• Reflect on resistance, blind spots, and what might be getting in the way.

• Practice new approaches in a supportive environment.

• Get unstuck and move forward with greater clarity and confidence.

Without this kind of coaching support, even the best programs can feel disconnected from the messy, high-pressure reality of daily leadership.

And the impact goes beyond the individual. According to 2023 research from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the Human Capital Institute (HCI), organizations with strong coaching cultures report enhanced leadership development (73 percent), increased employee engagement (69 percent), and higher levels of commitment (66 percent). Coaching isn’t just good for leaders—it’s good for the business.

Traditional training raises awareness, but that doesn’t always lead to behavior change. As Harvard Business Review notes, “Training gives leaders awareness of concepts, but coaching helps them apply those concepts in real situations.” Coaching builds the bridge between knowing and doing—a critical link for leadership effectiveness.

What It Looks Like in Practice

Here are two examples of how coaching can bring leadership development to life:

Example 1: Coaching to Drive Engagement and Culture Change

At one organization where I led talent development initiatives, we used coaching to support a company-wide shift in employee engagement. After launching an organization-wide survey, we didn’t stop at results—we launched an engagement champion program that paired leaders with direct coaching support.

Through the program, we trained and supported a network of more than 30 internal coaches, who met one-on-one with more than 190 leaders. These champions helped them interpret results, plan conversations with their teams, and create realistic, meaningful action plans.

The result? Within a year, the number of high-performing teams grew from 102 to 120, representing a 15 percent increase in teams reaching the top quartile of Gallup’s engagement database. Coaching made the difference between reading a report and leading real change.

Example 2: Embedding Coaching in a New Manager Cohort Program

In a recent new manager onboarding experience, we paired monthly learning sessions with group coaching. These sessions gave new managers a consistent space to ask questions, reflect on their progress, and troubleshoot real-time challenges—all while staying aligned with organizational goals.

By the end of the program, participants weren’t just more confident in their roles—they were more connected to the values and expectations of the organization. Group coaching helped build not just individual capability, but collective leadership strength.

Practical Ways to Weave in Coaching

Whether you have a robust internal coaching bench or are just getting started, there are simple ways to make coaching a central part of your leadership development strategy:

• Pair Coaching With Key Milestones: Schedule coaching before and after major learning events—like workshops, capstone presentations, or 360 assessments. Pre-session coaching clarifies intentions; post-session coaching helps leaders act on what they’ve learned.

• Use Peer or Group Coaching: When one-on-one coaching isn’t possible, peer or group coaching can be incredibly effective. With structure and clear ground rules, leaders can support each other through real-life scenarios while developing critical skills.

• Support Culture Alignment for New or Promoted Leaders: Running a new manager program? Use group coaching to help leaders integrate organizational values, clarify expectations, and stay grounded in your leadership culture. Everyone gets the same message—and a space to make it their own.

• Align Coaching to Business Outcomes: Coaching is most powerful when it’s tied to what matters. For example, in a project rollout at a credit union, we paired managers with peer coaches to help them lead their teams through the change. As a result, adoption was smoother, resistance dropped, and the initiative hit its targets at launch.

• Support Merger and Culture Transitions: Mergers create uncertainty—and coaching helps leaders navigate it. During a large credit union merger, we paired managers from both organizations with peer coaches to support cultural integration. These relationships created space to unpack concerns, explore differences, and lead with empathy. Coaching helped managers feel more supported and better equipped to guide their teams through change. A similar approach could be used to support any significant transition of workplace culture.

Final Thought

In all, coaching is more than a perk. It’s a practical, empowering way to help leaders turn insight into action. When we build time for reflection and connection, we unlock the kind of learning that sticks. Add coaching to your development program as the thread that pulls it all together.

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