The role that managers play in driving business performance can’t be overstated. Managers largely shape the employee experience, and poor management can negatively impact employee engagement, retention, satisfaction and more.

In fact, Gallup’s 2024 “State of the Global Workplace” report found that managers account for 70% of the variance in team employee engagement, and LinkedIn market research found that 7 in 10 U.S. workers said they would leave a job if they had a bad manager.

However, being a manager isn’t easy — especially in today’s complex business environment. Today’s leaders are faced with numerous challenges, from leading remote and hybrid teams to remaining strategic and agile in the face of uncertainty. Organizations expect leaders to help them navigate these challenges and stay competitive in the future. Thus, it’s safe to say that leaders have a lot on their plates: The Gallup report even found that managers today are more likely to be stressed, angry, sad and lonely than non-managers.

Executive coaching is one way that organizations can invest in their leaders to ensure they’re equipped to navigate the challenges of today’s workplace — and tomorrow’s.

Let’s explore how executive coaching can help bridge skills gaps and develop future-ready leaders.

What Is Executive Coaching?

The Center for Leadership Studies (CLS) defines executive coaching as providing an individualized leadership response to drive transformational behavior change. This approach leverages the foundational competencies of the LinkedIn market research and integrates macro-level awareness with a “situational” mindset.

Joe Diab, an executive coach and senior consultant with over 20 years of experience, says, “Executive coaching is a professional partnership between a trained coach and a leader.” The partnership is aimed at strengthening leaders’ skills to help them advance and achieve their goals.

It’s worth noting that executive coaching isn’t evaluative or prescriptive. Rather, “It draws answers from the client,” Diab says. The coach does not provide specific solutions, mentoring or technical guidance, but is instead focused on “drawing out the client’s wisdom through questioning and listening.” In this way, it differs from consulting, another common business engagement.

The ultimate goal of an executive coaching engagement is to “build stronger leaders and create better business outcomes for the organization,” Diab says.

Developing Human Skills in a Psychologically Safe Environment

To lead high-performing teams in an evolving workplace, it’s not enough to rely on technical or business-specific skills alone. Leaders need strong human skills (e.g., emotional intelligence, active listening, empathy and communication, among others) to help their team members perform at their best — even during times of change or uncertainty. After all, leaders “are dealing with humans, not just resources,” says Sharon Andrews, vice president of strategic solutions at CLS.

However, the reality is that many leaders’ human skills are lagging: According to Gartner, 71% of employees believe that their leaders don’t exhibit human skills.

Executive coaching can help by pairing leaders with a skilled coach who can guide them in assessing and developing their human skills in a psychologically safe environment.

“When you think about what leaders are facing in the world, the state of the workforce, and how important and critical these skills are that they don’t necessarily have the time to develop, this is where executive coaching can really be key,” Andrews says.

Here are some tips for helping leaders develop human skills through executive coaching:

• Work to identify and address blind spots: A key benefit of working with an executive coach is the opportunity to receive honest, constructive feedback. An executive coach can help leaders identify their blind spots — areas where they may lack self-awareness or have skills gaps that affect their behavior. Regularly reflecting on this feedback can lead to a clearer picture of how their behavior impacts others, helping leaders become more self-aware and empathetic.
• Leverage a psychologically safe space to experiment and learn: Coaching offers a psychologically safe environment in which leaders can develop human skills without fear of judgement. Working with an executive coach, they can test out new approaches to conflict resolution, practice active listening, and experiment with strategies for giving and receiving feedback. Practicing these skills with an executive coach allows leaders to build confidence and adapt their style, helping them become more agile in real-world interactions with team members.
• Set goals and stay accountable: Leaders can work with their executive coach to establish clear, measurable goals for developing human skills (and other core leadership skills). The executive coach can help break these goals down into actionable steps and hold leaders accountable through regular check-ins.

Executive Coaching Is a Strength

Executive coaching is a valuable tool for identifying and bridging leaders’ skills gaps and providing them with one-on-one support.

However, because of their high-level positions in their organization, many executives may be afraid to ask for the help or support they need. In fact, Andrews says, “I know I’ve personally had conversations with leaders who are reluctant to say that they have a coach.” However, “The truth is, having a coach is a sign of strength, not of weakness.” After all, even the most elite athletes and musicians have coaches, so why wouldn’t leaders have a coach?

Ultimately, leaders are critical in helping organizations thrive during times of change, and executive coaching is a way for organizations to invest back in their development. Doing so will ensure that leaders have the skills they need to drive the business forward — no matter what challenges lie ahead.