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Leadership coaching means different things to different people. What some would consider “leadership coaching,” others might call “life coaching” or “executive coaching.” However, at a)plan, our perspective is all about leadership coaching for results. Whatever name you give the approach, for us, tangible results are ultimately what matter most.
That’s why our leadership coaching engagements revolve around goal setting and multiple action plans. This approach, at its core, prioritizes outcomes. We focus hard on fostering the required behaviors to successfully achieve a transformation from Point A to Point B.
As leaders in our field, we see a handful of trends impacting the coaching industry that will make results-driven coaching more accessible in 2025 and beyond. Let’s take a look at them!
5 Trends Driving Leadership Coaching for Results
Traditional leadership coaching is overdue for an evolution. While it was effective in the past, the coaching industry has been primed for the adoption of better methods, pricing structures, and technology.
Below are five ways in which leadership coaching for results builds upon and significantly improves past norms.
1. Frequency of Engagement: Daily, Not Monthly
Traditionally, coaching sessions occurred infrequently, often once a month, in-person “deep dives.” This limited approach created high-stakes environments, where the coach and coachee had to make the most of their limited time for professional development together.
Modern leadership coaching programs take a different approach, emphasizing consistency and accessibility. Platforms like a)plan enable daily interaction between coaches and clients through tools like an app, where clients can log progress, ask questions, or refine their action plans. Continuous, real-time interaction fosters meaningful behavioral change and accelerates progress toward business goals.
2. Diversified Coaching Mediums: Text, Audio, and Video
While traditional coaching relied heavily on in-person mentoring sessions, this is no longer the case. The new wave of leadership coaching can support a high-frequency leadership training model largely thanks to a diversified coaching toolkit.
Through the a)plan coaching app, users have the freedom to interact with their coaches via text, audio, and video mediums. In fact, virtual coaching has become one of the go-to tools for organizations hoping to achieve cultural transformations and improved employee morale.
By infusing technology into the coaching experience, coaching itself becomes as accessible as the device in your pocket. This powerful concept is helping leadership coaching not only grow in popularity, but it also creates a richer overall experience for the end user.
3. Accessibility: Lower Overhead, Better Pricing, Wider Reach
The logistics involved in the traditional leadership coaching approach are partially to blame for the high price tag ($250 – $1,000+ per hour) to which many have become accustomed. Getting an executive leadership coach (or a team of coaches) to your company’s office takes a lot of coordination, work, and resources.
By embracing an online life coaching format, modern coaching platforms can reduce overhead and pass the savings on to their clients. Lowering the price of coaching will be yet another reason why the industry will continue to grow in 2025 and beyond. Leadership coaching for results is no longer reserved just for C-suite executives, business co-founders, and top-level leaders of an organization. Instead, it’s becoming more accessible from both a cost and usability standpoint for many different levels of leadership.
4. Scalability: Consistent Methods and Tools
Until recently, the leadership coaching industry has always had a problem with scalability. Sole proprietor coaches all have their methods, tools, and processes, which limit the impact one coach can have on a wide range of people. Like many sole proprietor businesses, your reach is tied to your time. One can only reach a certain number of people in a day’s work.
The missing piece is a standardized coaching method. At a)plan, we built our entire company around the application of a consistent methodology, with the idea of scalability top of mind. All 60+ of our coaches use the same approach, which means we can consistently coach an entire organization, from top to bottom.
This consistent coaching method is essential to what we do because it has a profound impact on the coaching itself. With shared language and real-world tools applied equally across teams, organizations can achieve a coaching culture in which everyone participates and understands.
5. Supplementary Content: No Longer an Isolated Service
Leadership coaching as a standalone service is a thing of the past. The next generation of coaching empowers the coachee to continue making progress, even between sessions.
We touched on this in the above sections on frequency and mediums. With more frequent coach interactions leveraging various mediums, users enjoy a more comprehensive experience than ever before. But we go a step further.
At a)plan, all our clients gain access to a vast and ever-growing library of articles, books, vlogs, podcasts, and content. Curated by our coaches, this library covers topics ranging from human capital to habit formation to the wellness economy. For those users who want to take advantage of supplementary coaching content on their own time, there’s no shortage of new skills available to learn.
Why Hire a Leadership Coach?
Leadership coaching is better and more accessible than ever, but you might still wonder: why should I hire a leadership coach in the first place?
The answer depends entirely on the leader and what you’re hoping to achieve. Many a)plan engagements revolve around coaching for new managers who are looking to develop new leadership skills. Others hire a leadership coach because they want to take what’s already working to the next level. Others may seek the thought leadership of an independent third party as they pursue their own personal and professional goals.
No matter the reason, one thing almost always remains true: we’re all limited in our abilities to see ourselves as others do. Leaders need to understand the tone they set through their behaviors and actions, and coaching is one of the best ways to gain perspective on your strengths and weaknesses and receive consistent, actionable feedback on how to improve.
Final Thoughts on Leadership Coaching for Results
Advances in accessibility, scalability, and methodology are making coaching services more effective and inclusive than ever. Leadership coaching is evolving rapidly, transforming from a luxury for the few to an affordable and critical asset for organizations that want to thrive.
For CEOs, entrepreneurs, and leaders aiming to build impactful leadership styles, the time to invest in coaching is now. Whether you want to improve your competencies, foster greater self-awareness, or drive impactful initiatives, coaching provides you with a roadmap to success.
FAQs About Leadership Coaching
What Is Leadership Development Coaching?
Leadership development coaching is designed to empower individuals through tailored strategies that help develop critical leadership skills, such as self-awareness, collaboration, and talent management. It involves one-on-one coaching and team engagements built around measurable outcomes.
What Are the Key Benefits of Executive Coaching?
Executive coaching helps senior leaders enhance decision-making, foster better team dynamics, and align personal growth with organizational objectives. It also provides leaders with a sounding board to address challenges, gain clarity, and unlock higher levels of performance.
What Does the Coaching Process Look Like?
The coaching process typically begins with goal-setting and the use of assessment tools, such as 360-degree reviews. Coaches and clients collaborate on action plans and meet regularly to track progress and refine strategies. Tools like the a)plan app ensure continuity and personalization throughout the coaching engagement.
How Can Leadership Coaching Improve Team Performance?
Leadership coaching directly impacts team performance by improving a leader’s ability to connect with team members, adjust their leadership style, and effectively tackle organizational change. It cascades benefits throughout the organization, from improving morale to boosting retention.
Who Is Leadership Coaching For?
Leadership coaching is suited for new managers navigating their first leadership roles, seasoned leaders seeking career development, and organizations aiming to implement effective leadership development programs. It’s also ideal for high-potential individuals looking to identify blind spots, enhance their emotional intelligence, achieve a growth mindset, and gain greater success.