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Executive Coaching: Cost, How It Works, Types, and What to Expect

Executive Coaching: Cost, How It Works, Types, and What to Expect
Executive Coaching: Cost, How It Works, Types, and What to Expect

 

 

 

Quick answer

Executive coaching gives senior leaders a structured, confidential way to improve decisions, communication, and performance in real situations. A good engagement sets clear outcomes, runs a repeatable session cadence, and tracks progress with a short set of measures. Use the templates below to lock goals, scope, and stakeholder expectations in the first week.

Related pages (internal)

Executive coaching is not legal, medical, or mental health treatment. If a leader is dealing with clinical anxiety, depression, trauma, or similar issues, involve appropriate licensed care.

Templates and checklists

Executive coaching one-page (copy/paste)

Leader:
Role:
Sponsor (if any):
Coach:
Start date:
End date:
Session cadence (example: biweekly 60 minutes):
Confidentiality and boundaries:
- What is confidential?
- What can be shared with sponsor and in what format?

Outcomes (pick 2 to 4):
1)
2)
3)
4)

Measures (how progress will be checked):
- Self rating (1 to 5) on each outcome
- Stakeholder pulse (optional)
- Business signal (example: retention, quality, cycle time) where relevant

Stakeholders (optional, for input):
- Names:
- What input is requested:
- When input happens:

Session structure:
- Current situation
- Options and tradeoffs
- Decision
- Actions before next session

Risks:
- Top risks:
- Mitigations and owners:

Stakeholder input checklist (copy/paste)

[ ] Get leader consent on who is contacted
[ ] Explain confidentiality boundaries in one paragraph
[ ] Ask 3 questions only:
    1) What should this leader keep doing?
    2) What should this leader start doing?
    3) What should this leader stop doing?
[ ] Ask for one example per answer
[ ] Summarize themes (no attribution unless agreed)
[ ] Turn themes into 2 to 4 outcomes and actions

Decision and actions log (copy/paste)

Date | Situation | Decision | Action | Owner | Due date | Evidence of progress

Sources: [S1], [S2], External:
ICF,
ICF Core Competencies

How to run it weekly (20 minutes)

Even if sessions are biweekly, a weekly self-review keeps momentum. Use this simple cadence:

Weekly self-review (copy/paste)

1) One win (what worked and why):
2) One miss (what did not work and why):
3) One pattern (what repeated this week):
4) One decision (what I will do differently next week):
5) One action (specific, time-bound):
6) One person (who I will align with and how):

If you are running executive coaching services as a program (multiple leaders), add a monthly sponsor review that looks at participation, themes, and measurable outcomes, without exposing confidential details.

What is executive coaching and how does it work?

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Executive coaching applies that idea to senior roles, where decisions affect people, performance, and risk.

A typical engagement:

  • Sets goals and confidentiality terms
  • Collects input from stakeholders if needed
  • Runs a repeatable session cadence with actions between sessions
  • Checks progress against a small set of outcomes

Sources: [S1], [S5], External:
ICF,
Harvard Business Review

What are the different types of executive coaching?

Common types of executive coaching include:

  • Performance coaching (focus on leadership behaviors tied to outcomes)
  • Transition or onboarding coaching (new role, new scope, post-merger changes)
  • Communication coaching (exec presence, difficult conversations, board communication)
  • Decision coaching (tradeoffs, prioritization, delegation, operating rhythm)
  • Team effectiveness coaching (leader plus direct reports, working agreements)
  • Specialized coaching (for example: attention and productivity coaching, sometimes searched as executive coaching ADHD)
Searches like “executive coaching Reddit” can be useful for seeing buyer expectations, but choose based on fit, outcomes, confidentiality, and a clear operating cadence, not on testimonials alone.

What is the 70/30 rule in coaching?

The 70/30 rule is a common heuristic, not a formal standard. A practical interpretation is:
spend about 70% of the session on the leader’s thinking (questions, reflection, options) and about 30% on decisions and actions. Another interpretation is 70% listening and 30% talking.

The point is simple: coaching works best when the leader does the work of thinking, then leaves with a small action set.

What are the four elements of executive coaching?

One clean way to answer this question is to use the four ICF competency domains:

Element What it looks like in executive coaching
Foundation Clear ethics, contracting, goals, and accountability
Relationship Trust, confidentiality, and a working agreement that supports hard conversations
Communication High-quality questions, listening, and feedback that leads to better choices
Learning and growth Practice, new behaviors, and measurable change over time

Sources: [S2], External:
ICF Core Competencies

What is the difference between leadership coaching and executive coaching?

Leadership coaching can support many levels and is often focused on core leadership skills. Executive coaching is tailored to senior roles and often includes:

  • Higher stakes decisions, with wider organizational impact
  • More complex stakeholder input and alignment needs
  • More attention to confidentiality and boundaries
  • More focus on operating rhythm, delegation, and judgment under pressure

What skills do executive coaches need?

Strong executive coaches typically demonstrate:

  • Clear contracting and ethics (what is in scope, what is not)
  • Listening, questions, and feedback that lead to decisions
  • Ability to work with ambiguity and competing stakeholder needs
  • Practical goal setting and accountability
  • Enough business literacy to understand tradeoffs and constraints

Sources: [S2], External:
ICF Core Competencies

How much does executive coaching cost?

Executive coaching cost varies by coach experience, seniority of the leader, and engagement design (hourly, package, retainer). Many organizations buy packages because they want consistency and outcomes, not single sessions.

For a data point on market pricing, the ICF Global Coaching Study reports average fees per one-hour coaching session (with variation by region and specialization). Use that as a benchmark, then adjust for:

  • Scope (one leader vs. leader plus stakeholder input)
  • Duration (6 sessions vs. 6 months)
  • Tools (assessments, stakeholder interviews, workshops)
  • Program needs (multiple leaders, reporting cadence)
If you are comparing “executive coaching services” and “executive coaching programs,” ask for a deliverables list and a cadence. Price matters, but a weak cadence often costs more through delay and missed behavior change.

Sources: [S3], External:
ICF Global Coaching Study (PDF)

Executive coaching programs and certification

Searches like “executive coaching certification,” “executive coaching programs,” and “executive coaching jobs” usually fall into two buckets:

  • Buyers: how to select a coach or program with clear outcomes
  • Aspiring coaches: how to train, build hours, and establish credibility

If you are evaluating certification, start by checking what standards a program aligns to and how it measures coach skill.

Sources: [S2], External:
ICF Core Competencies

Executive coaching, therapy, and ADHD

“Executive coaching, therapy” is a common search because the boundaries can be confusing. Coaching is generally oriented toward goals, actions, and performance in present-day situations, while psychotherapy is a clinical service.

“Executive coaching ADHD” is also common. Some leaders use specialized coaching to improve focus, planning, and follow-through. If a leader has a diagnosis or significant mental health concerns, coaching should be coordinated with appropriate licensed care.

Sources: [S4], [S6], External:
APA paper (PDF),
PubMed Central

FAQs

What is the 70/30 rule in coaching?

It is a heuristic, not a standard. A practical version is 70% on thinking and options, 30% on decisions and actions. Another version is 70% listening and 30% talking.

What are the four elements of executive coaching?

A practical four-part view is: goals and ethics, relationship and trust, effective communication and feedback, and learning and growth that turns into measurable behavior change.

What is the difference between leadership coaching and executive coaching?

Leadership coaching can support many levels. Executive coaching is tailored to senior roles and often includes stakeholder input, higher stakes decisions, and tighter confidentiality.

What skills do executive coaches need?

Contracting and ethics, listening and questions, feedback skill, accountability, and enough business literacy to understand the leader’s constraints and tradeoffs.

How much does executive coaching cost?

It varies by experience, scope, and format. Many firms sell packages or retainers. Use credible market benchmarks, then compare deliverables and cadence.

How does executive coaching work?

It starts with goals and boundaries, then runs a consistent cadence of sessions with actions between sessions, and checks progress against a small outcome set.

What are the different types of executive coaching?

Common types include performance, transition, communication, decision, and team effectiveness coaching. Specialized coaching may focus on attention and productivity.

Is executive coaching therapy?

No. Coaching is generally goal and action oriented. Therapy is a clinical service. If mental health concerns are present, involve appropriate licensed care.

If you want an executive coaching plan with clear outcomes and a repeatable cadence:
contact NMS Consulting.

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