What Makes Executive Coaching Work?

Evidence-Based Insights and Reflections from the Field Executive coaching can be transformative - for individuals, teams, and organisations. But its success isn’t guaranteed. So what makes the difference between a coaching engagement that unlocks real change, and one that fizzles out?

Drawing on leading research and over a decade of my own coaching experience with leaders and managers, here are the elements that consistently underpin powerful coaching outcomes.

1. Clear, Specific Goals

The most effective coaching begins with clear, agreed goals. Whether the focus is improving stakeholder relationships, building presence, or making better decisions under pressure, specific objectives provide the anchor.

Meta-analyses such as Theeboom et al. (2014) and Albizu et al. (2019) confirm that goal clarity is a powerful driver of impact. Without it, progress is hard to measure, and change may be short-lived. 2. A Trust-Based Relationship

At the heart of coaching is the relationship. Trust, psychological safety, and mutual respect form the foundation. When a coachee feels safe, they can think more deeply, speak more openly, and explore what really matters.

This relational bond isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ - it’s one of the strongest predictors of success across multiple studies (Ely et al., 2010; Albizu et al., 2019). 3. Reflection and Feedback

One of coaching’s unique powers lies in its mirror effect. When clients are given space to reflect, paired with well-timed feedback, they often see themselves more clearly—and gain insight into patterns of behaviour that may have gone unnoticed.

Albizu et al. found that feedback loops strongly enhance self-awareness and learning, especially when the coach helps the client ‘see themselves in the mirror’ and consider new possibilities. 4. Structured Yet Flexible Process

Structure matters. A well-formed coaching engagement typically includes:

• Goal alignment and contracting

• Use of diagnostics or stakeholder input

• Regular sessions, ideally spaced to allow integration

• Midpoint reviews and re-alignment

• Final reflections and future focus

Grant (2014) showed that coaching with structure—particularly when it includes agreed milestones and review points—leads to stronger, more measurable outcomes. But flexibility is key: a skilled coach adapts structure to the client’s evolving needs while maintaining focus.

5. Session Frequency and Duration

More coaching sessions generally lead to better results—up to a point. Albizu et al. (2019) and Thach (2002) both found that frequency matters. Short engagements may not be enough to embed change; overly long ones can lose momentum.

The sweet spot? Enough time to build trust, work deeply, and create behavioural shifts—without dragging on unnecessarily.

Insights from My Own Practice

Alongside these research-backed factors, I’ve seen a few additional ingredients emerge consistently in my own work. After coaching hundreds of managers and leaders across sectors—and refining my approach over many years - these three elements have proven especially powerful.

6. The Power of Challenge

Some of the most meaningful breakthroughs come when a coach is willing to gently, but clearly, challenge a coachee’s assumptions, narratives, or default ways of thinking. Not to be difficult, but to provoke deeper inquiry.

Skilful challenge opens up new ways of seeing and gives clients the confidence to let go of limiting patterns and try something new.

7. Working with Emotion in the Moment

Coaching isn’t just about clear thinking - it’s also about emotional awareness and regulation. Supporting clients to notice and work with their emotional experience in the moment helps them better understand what drives their reactions and how to shift their responses under pressure.

This work can be subtle, but it’s often where the deepest change happens.

8. Creativity Opens the Mind

Finally, I’ve found that creative techniques can unlock insight in ways that conventional dialogue can’t. Visualisation, metaphor, movement, or simply changing the setting—coaching outdoors, for example, can help clients access fresh thinking and unexpected clarity.

Creativity bypasses the overthinking mind and opens space for intuition, imagination, and new possibilities.

Coaching is often misunderstood as simply a good conversation. In reality, it’s a highly skilled, research-informed process that blends structure, relationship, insight, and adaptability.

When rooted in evidence and refined through experience, coaching becomes a powerful catalyst for growth. not just for individual leaders, but for teams and organisations as a whole.