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What Is Leadership Coaching - and do I need it?
What is leadership coaching – and is it worth it?
If you’re a leader or manager wondering what leadership coaching actually involves or whether it’s the right investment for you or your team, this practical guide breaks it down clearly.
Discover how coaching works, who it helps, and the results you can expect.
A practical guide to understand the value of coaching and whether it’s right for you.
Leadership isn’t only about strategy, action and results. It’s about people, the relationships you build, the culture you create, and how you show up under pressure.
But this is often the part we find hardest.
If you’re a founder of a fast-growing or scale-up business, or a senior leader in an established company, you might feel stuck in the day-to-day, with no time to look ahead at your personal or business growth. You know you need space to see the big picture, but can’t find the time.
Coaching creates that space. A pause. A reset. A practical, human way to reflect, refocus and re-energise.
What Is Leadership Coaching?
Leadership coaching is a one-to-one partnership that helps you lead more confidently and intentionally. It gives you time to work on yourself: your mindset, your energy and your growth. It’s not training. It’s not therapy. It’s not someone telling you what to do. It is a:
A safe and focused place to think clearly and gain perspective.
A confidential space to discuss the things you find difficult, challenges, changes or people issues
A support system to encourage you to overcome the things that may be holding you back.
A partnership that holds you accountable for taking action, following through, and staying aligned with what matters most
Leadership Coaching versus Executive Coaching
Both terms are used interchangeably, but here’s a helpful distinction:
Leadership Coaching supports anyone in a leadership role, from new team leaders to department heads.
Executive Coaching is typically for senior leaders, founders, directors and C-suite with strategic responsibilities.
At Growth Space, I offer both, tailored to your goals, role and organisational context.
Coaching vs Mentoring vs Consulting: What’s the Difference?
Coaching, mentoring, and consulting all offer guidance and support, but they differ in their approach and focus. Coaching helps you develop skills and achieve goals through a structured process, while a mentor is a trusted advisor who shares experience and expertise. Consulting provides expert advice to solve specific problems or challenges. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right kind of support.
I focus primarily on coaching, but where it’s useful and invited, I may step briefly into mentoring to offer insight or examples. This tailored blend is often what creates the biggest breakthroughs.
Coaching versus Mentoring or Consulting.
Who Is Coaching For?
Leadership coaching can help if you are:
A new manager stepping into leadership for the first time
A founder or senior leader navigating change, growth or team dynamics
A manager feeling stuck, stretched or unsure how to lead confidently
An experienced leader wanting to reflect, realign or sharpen their impact
When is Coaching useful
It’s especially powerful during:
Role transitions, promotions or restructures
Culture change
Strategic growth
Leadership challenges
During conflict or when you are finding work relationships difficult.
At times of extreme pressure, stress or burnout
What Happens in a Leadership Coaching Session?
Coaching is designed around you. You bring the topic, the coach brings the structure, challenge and support. It might include:
Reflecting on real-time challenges
Exploring patterns of thought or behaviour
Reframing stuck narratives
Building emotional intelligence
Practising a difficult conversation
Setting boundaries or direction with clarity
What Results Can You Expect?
Coachees I work with often say:
“I’m more confident.”
“I finally tackled that difficult conversation.”
“I feel more comfortable giving feedback.”
“I understand myself better – and others too.”
“I feel calmer, clearer and more in control.”
Tangible outcomes might include:
Increased leadership confidence
Stronger communication and feedback skills
Improved relationships with peers and team members
Greater clarity around values, direction and purpose
Practical strategies to lead through pressure and change
Is Coaching Worth the Investment?
According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF), coaching delivers:
70% improved work performance
80% improved self-confidence
73% improved relationships
Do I Need a Coach? 10 Quick Questions to Ask Yourself
Am I feeling stuck or uncertain about what to do next?
Do I lack confidence, feel self-doubt, or experience imposter syndrome?
Do I need to improve relationships and communication with the people I work with?
I don’t know why I find some people more difficult to work with than others?
Am I avoiding difficult conversations or decisions?
Do I want to feel more in control and less reactive?
Have I recently moved into a new role or do I feel out of my depth?
Do I want to lead more intentionally, not just get through the day?
Is stress, self-doubt or overthinking holding me back?
Would time to reflect help me move forward faster?
If you said yes to even just one of these questions, coaching could be exactly what you need.
Ready to try coaching?
If you’re still unsure whether coaching is for you, I offer a complimentary 30-minute coaching session (via Teams or Zoom, your choice). This initial session is an opportunity to explore how coaching could help you, find out more about me, my approach to coaching and explore whether there is a good fit and rapport for us to work together.
Polly Robinson - Leadership Coach
My role is to create a safe, constructive space where you can explore challenges, reflect on your leadership, and achieve personal and professional growth. Through thought-provoking coaching conversations, we’ll build a strong, trusting relationship that balances support and challenge. I’ll encourage you to reflect on your purpose and direction, helping you clarify your goals and overcome obstacles. Together, we’ll ensure that every decision you make is purposeful and impactful.
Expect honest, open, and sometimes challenging discussions that will push you toward deeper self-awareness and professional growth. I’m based in Bristol, in the UK, and coach people across the UK and Europe.
Get in touch:
Call: 07966 475195
Email: polly@pollyrobinson.co.uk
Learn more about Growth Space Leadership Coaching >
Do I need an Executive Coach?
Do I need an Executive Coach?
Have you ever thought about working with an Executive Coach, but not sure if it’s right for you?
Do I need an Executive Coach?
Have you ever thought about working with an Executive Coach, but not sure if it’s right for you?
Coaching is for anyone who wants to unlock their full potential.
A coach will help you explore your business and personal development goals and ambitions and achieve them. They can support you to build self-awareness, emotional intelligence, confidence, leadership and relationships with others.
An Executive Coach will act like a sounding board to help you think through, clarify your thoughts, shift perspective, resolve challenges and achieve your goals. Coaching is forward-looking and action-oriented.
A Coach is always on your side, they’re not there to tell you what to do, but as your guide. They will help you create a plan, help you celebrate what you have achieved and hold you accountable for achieving more.
Coaching will help you to:
Build self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
Make clear decisions and get stuff done
Enhance your leadership and management skills
Improve your relationships with others
Sharpen your communications skills
Be more confident and resilient.
What is Coaching
1. SPACE FOR YOU
When business and life are so busy, it’s often impossible to step back and see things with perspective. Time with a coach encourages you to stop, step back, and gain perspective. It encourages you to make time to ’work on’ the business or yourself. Your time with a coach is space for you alone - it’s entirely non-judgemental, private, and confidential.
2. YOU SET THE AGENDA
The focus of the coaching is down to you. Working with a coach usually begins with an exploratory chat to identify the topics or themes you want to work on over a number of sessions.
The coach will guide you through a series of conversations to dig deep into those topics. The coach’s role is to make the discussions as constructive as possible.
3. FEEL HEARD
Leadership is lonely. When was the last time you felt someone was entirely focussed on listening to you and had the time and space to focus on you? A coach is there to listen and support. Coaches are experienced in deep listening. You are free to talk about anything you need including things, that you feel you can’t talk about with your manager, your colleagues, your family or friends. A coach won’t judge or criticise.
4. FIND CLARITY, SHIFT YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND OVERCOME OBSTACLES
Unlike counselling or therapy which tends to unpack the past, coaching is about the future. It’s about growth and development. Although it may sometimes involve exploring self-sabotaging thoughts or blocks that have held you back in the past, so you can move around them.
5. MAKE BETTER DECISIONS
Making big decisions can be stressful - sometimes we get lost in all the what-ifs. A coach will help you to evaluate the options and possible outcomes. Giving you perspective to make decisions more easily and confidently and reduce stress.
6. FOCUS ON THE FUTURE
A coach will help you to identify and achieve goals. A business coach may work with you to identify business objectives, while an executive or leadership coach help you to develop such as boosting confidence, improving time management, building better relationships or becoming a better leader.
7. MOTIVATION AND STIMULATION
Finally, coaching can be fun and rewarding. A coach should inspire and motivate you. It will stimulate you to explore new options and motivate you to move forward. Importantly a good coach will provide a relaxed, empathetic environment where you feel safe and can smile.
How to choose a coach
If you are thinking about working with a coach it is important to find one that you like and can connect with and build rapport. You can get a good sense of a coach from their website but you should request an initial chat to find out more about them and establish if there is a good fit.
How does coaching work in practice?
Executive coaching takes place across a number of sessions over a period of time, typically 9–12 sessions across 6–9 months. The space in between sessions is important so the leader can test out new approaches and behaviours they have committed to in their previous session, then debrief and build on it in the next session. Executive coaching sessions can be delivered either face-to-face or virtually. A mixture of both can be used over time.
Work with me - Polly Robinson Executive Coach / Leadership Coach
I am a qualified Executive Coach and Mentor (ILM Level 7) working with business leaders and senior managers in all sectors. I will become a supportive friend, a listening ear, and a shoulder to lean on.
I’m based in Bristol and coaching people across the South West, London, Wales and all over the UK. I work with coachees face-to-face or online via Zoom or other video platforms.
We will build a strong and trusting relationship, where I will support and challenge you to focus on your values and what is important for your business and your life to inform your decisions and choices. You will identify objectives and remove the barriers that may be getting in the way of continued growth and success.
We will create space for a series of constructive conversations where you are able to be open and honest and sometimes tackle difficult topics. I will support and sometimes challenge your perspective - helping you to understand yourself better.
Free trial coaching session
If you’d like to find out more about whether coaching is right for you, and take advantage of a free 30min coaching session, contact me.