Executive and leadership coaching

1. Introduction

Version followed: engagement structure from The Executive Coaching Forum, The Executive Coaching Handbook, 6th ed. (Ennis & Otto, eds., 2015; now distributed by the Institute of Coaching, McLean/Harvard Medical School); in-session conduct from the ICF Core Competency Model (updated 2019); stakeholder method from Marshall Goldsmith's published leadership coaching process (Stakeholder Centered Coaching); conversation structure from the GROW model as Performance Consultants (Whitmore) present it; Kegan & Lahey's Immunity to Change map; scope and referral rules from the ICF guide Referring a Client to Therapy and the EMCC/AC Global Code of Ethics (V4, December 2025). An ICF 2025 competency update exists; its details are [uncertain].

What it is. Executive and leadership coaching is a field of practice, not a single therapy or a single trademarked model. The Executive Coaching Forum (TECF) defines it as a one-to-one, individualised process that builds a leader's capacity for current and future leadership, with goals set jointly by the leader and the organisation, using coaching methods and feedback data. It is always an organisational intervention: a three-way partnership of executive, coach and organisation (sponsor/manager, HR). This guide gives the concrete procedures the named sources publish; a therapist who adopts them is working under a coaching contract, not a treatment contract. [source: TECF Handbook 2015; ICF Core Competencies 2019]

How change happens (as the sources describe it). Change comes from (a) valid feedback data about how others experience the leader, (b) a small number of agreed, observable target behaviours, (c) the leader owning the plan and practising between sessions, and (d) stakeholders noticing and reinforcing change over months, verified by follow-up measurement [source: Goldsmith, Steps in the leadership coaching process; TECF Handbook]. ICF frames the coach's contribution as evoking awareness and turning it into action while protecting the client's autonomy [source: ICF Core Competencies 2019]. Kegan and Lahey add that failure to change often reflects a hidden protective system (competing commitments and big assumptions) rather than lack of will [source: Minds at Work, Immunity to Change]. TECF names three levels of learning: tactical problem solving, generalisable leadership capability, and learning how to learn, the last guarding against dependence on the coach [source: TECF Handbook].

2. Framework

TECF describes six phases, with relationship-building running throughout. Its ideal sequence is: pre-coaching needs analysis, contracting, data gathering, goal setting and coaching plan, implementation, measuring and reporting results, transition to long-term development. [source: TECF Handbook 2015]

[source: TECF Handbook 2015]

Session count and format. TECF does not specify duration or frequency. Goldsmith's process runs 12–18 months, with a short stakeholder mini-survey within about six months and the cycle repeated to sustain progress [source: Goldsmith]. EMCC requires the length of the engagement to fit the agreed goals and support the client's growing independence [source: EMCC Global Code of Ethics V4]. Common practice of sessions every two to four weeks over six to twelve months, 60–90 minutes, in person or video, plus two or three three-way meetings (start, midpoint, end) is not specified in the sources [synthesis] [uncertain].

Within each session ICF requires agreeing the session outcome, what must be addressed to reach it, and how success will be measured, then closing collaboratively with learning summarised and next steps set [source: ICF Core Competencies 3.6–3.10, 8.6–8.8]. GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Will) is a common in-session sequence, used flexibly [source: Performance Consultants].

Criteria for moving between phases (summary). Contract and confidentiality agreed before any data is gathered (TECF). Data fed back before goals are set (TECF). Goals and measures written and agreed with the manager before implementation (TECF; Goldsmith step 4). Ending begins as the contract nears its end or when stakeholders report sustained improvement on the targets (Goldsmith steps 8–9; TECF). Pause or end if the client would be better served by another form of help (EMCC; ICF referral guide).

3. Guiding principles

TECF's seven overarching principles [source: TECF Handbook 2015]:

• Systems perspective — coach the leader in the context of organisational success; help separate high-leverage from low-leverage changes.
• Results orientation — a written plan with deadlines and measures, signed off by key partners.
• Business focus — tie development goals to strategy and business initiatives; learn the business and its metrics.
• Partnership — manager, HR, peers and reports share responsibility for the outcome; involve them.
• Competence — work only within your qualifications, keep developing, refer when needed.
• Integrity — psychological safety, confidentiality and honouring agreements; a breach can seriously harm the executive.
• Judgment — reassess and adapt regularly; coaching mixes science, art and improvisation.

ICF coaching mindset and ethics [source: ICF Core Competencies 2019, competencies 1–2]:

• Client is responsible for their own choices — offer questions and observations, not decisions.
• Keep coaching distinct from consulting and psychotherapy, and refer when appropriate — name the boundary at contracting and hold it.
• Reflective practice and seeking outside help — use supervision; prepare yourself before each session.
• Cultural and contextual awareness — read the client's identity, values and context, including organisational culture.
• Honesty with clients, sponsors and stakeholders — no side-channels; every party knows what is shared.

Stakeholder-centred principles [source: Goldsmith]:

• Clear definition of the desired behaviour first — leaders cannot change without knowing what good looks like.
• Focus on one to three behaviours — keep attention on what matters most.
• The client builds the plan; the coach facilitates rather than judges — Goldsmith calls himself "much more of a facilitator than a judge."
• Measure change through stakeholders' perception — success is defined by those who work with the leader.
• No dependency — end formal coaching when results are achieved.

EMCC/AC Global Code [source: EMCC Global Code of Ethics V4]:

• Sponsor is a named party — weigh the sponsor's expectations alongside the client's, without harming either.
• State confidentiality limits in advance — illegal activity, danger to self or others.
• End or refer when the client is better served elsewhere — including by a different form of professional help.
• Use supervision — at a frequency suited to your practice.

For a psychotherapist taking up coaching [synthesis]:

• One contract, one role — do not slide into treatment inside a coaching contract; if clinical need appears, re-contract or refer (see 4.20).
• Clinical knowledge is used to recognise, not to diagnose or treat — ICF says coaches use mental-health categories only to recognise problems, not label clients [source: ICF Referring a Client to Therapy].

4. Intervention inventory

Interventions are listed in engagement order. Sources: TECF Handbook (engagement procedures), Goldsmith (stakeholder steps), ICF Core Competencies (session skills), Performance Consultants (GROW), Minds at Work and Harvard Extension (Immunity to Change), ICF Referring a Client to Therapy (referral). All example wording is illustrative unless quoted.

4.1 Pre-coaching needs analysis and chemistry meeting

• Purpose / when: before any contract; decide whether coaching (rather than training, performance management, mentoring or therapy) fits the need, and whether this coach fits this executive. [source: TECF Handbook; ICF 3.5]
• Steps: (1) Ask HR/sponsor why coaching, why now, what outcome they expect and what happens if nothing changes. (2) Ask whether the executive chose coaching or was sent, and whether the organisation sees them as high-potential or as at risk [synthesis]. (3) The executive meets several coaches (TECF). (4) In the chemistry meeting, explain what coaching is and is not and how the process runs (ICF 3.1). (5) Agree who holds the financial contract (TECF). (6) Both sides confirm fit or decline.
• Example language (illustrative): "Before we decide, it may help to hear what this will and won't be. It's a structured development process tied to your role, with your manager involved at set points. It isn't therapy and it isn't a performance review. What would make it worth your time?"
• Watch for: a sponsor who wants coaching to document a case for dismissal, or a hidden agenda; an executive who has not been told why they are being coached. Either should be resolved before contracting [synthesis]. Fit is confirmed when the executive can name a goal of their own.

4.2 Three-way contracting meeting and the two written contracts

• Purpose / when: start of engagement; agree goals, roles, rules and money. [source: TECF Handbook; ICF 3.2–3.4; EMCC Code §2]
• Steps: (1) Hold a meeting with executive, manager (and HR). (2) Draft the learning contract: preliminary goals, roles of each partner, process and phases, how results will be measured, meeting points with the manager. (3) Draft the business/legal/financial contract: fees, billing, expenses, cancellation, duration, termination, and the coach's professional liability insurance (TECF). (4) Name the sponsor as a party and record their expectations (EMCC). (5) State each party's responsibilities: the executive owns learning and acts between sessions; the manager gives feedback, context and time; HR handles logistics and evaluation (TECF). (6) Confirm readiness (TECF).
• Example language (illustrative): To the manager: "What would you need to see in six months to say this worked? How will you give feedback between now and then?"
• Watch for: the manager and executive describing different goals; record the difference and resolve it in assessment rather than pretending agreement [synthesis]. It is working when all three can state the goal and their own role in it.

4.3 Confidentiality agreement

• Purpose / when: before any data is gathered; protects trust and the executive. [source: TECF Handbook; EMCC Code §3]
• Steps: (1) Write down what is shared, with whom, when, how, and under what circumstances. (2) Go through TECF's eight information types and decide for each who sees it: assessment results, coaching goals, job-hunting and career aspirations, 360 feedback, performance appraisals, interpersonal conflicts, content of coaching discussions, proprietary or sensitive information. (3) Agree the anonymity level for stakeholder feedback before collecting it (none, by category, by name). (4) State the exceptions in advance: illegal or unethical conduct, threats to individuals or groups, danger to self or others (TECF; EMCC). (5) If the organisation will receive a summary (e.g. of goals or progress), agree its content and show it to the executive first (TECF). (6) Agree secure storage and destruction of notes and data (TECF; EMCC). (7) Tell the client that you use supervision (EMCC).
• Example language (illustrative): "What you tell me stays between us. Your manager will hear the goals we agree and, at the midpoint, a summary you'll see first. The exceptions are if I learn of something illegal or of a risk to you or someone else."
• Watch for: therapists may assume clinical privilege. TECF warns that coaching documents lack "the confidentiality provisions that doctors, therapists or lawyers have" [source: TECF Handbook]; keep notes minimal and factual [synthesis].

4.4 Scope statement: coaching is not therapy, and the referral clause

• Purpose / when: in the coaching agreement and the first session. [source: ICF Referring a Client to Therapy; ICF 1.6–1.7, 3.1]
• Steps: (1) Put in writing that coaching is not therapy and that you will recommend other help if needed. (2) List the circumstances in which you would break confidentiality. (3) Explain the difference in plain terms. ICF's version: coaching focuses on the present and future, performance, learning and development, with generally well-functioning people; therapy addresses psychopathology, healing and the past to understand the present, generally with people experiencing some dysfunction; a coach does not diagnose or treat. ICF compares the coach to an athletic trainer who sends an injured athlete to the team doctor. (4) If you are also a licensed therapist, state that you will not provide therapy within this contract [synthesis].
• Example language (illustrative): "I'm also trained as a therapist, but that's not what we're doing here. If something comes up that would be better served by therapy, I'll say so and help you find someone, and we'll decide together what happens to the coaching."
• Watch for: a client who hopes for covert therapy paid by the employer [synthesis].

4.5 Defining the desired leadership behaviour and choosing stakeholders

• Purpose / when: before feedback collection. [source: Goldsmith steps 1–2; TECF systems and partnership principles]
• Steps: (1) With the executive, define what effective leadership looks like in this role; the manager agrees (unless the client is the CEO). A company competency model, if one exists, can serve [synthesis]. (2) Executive and manager agree in advance who will give feedback, to avoid "wrong items or wrong raters" and gain buy-in (Goldsmith). (3) Typical set: manager, peers, direct reports, and key others [source: TECF].
• Example language (illustrative): "Whose view of your leadership matters most for this role? Who would you rather not hear from, and why?"
• Watch for: stacking the list with allies; a balanced list is part of what makes later results credible [synthesis].

4.6 Data gathering: stakeholder interviews and 360 feedback

• Purpose / when: assessment phase. [source: TECF Handbook; Goldsmith step 3]
• Steps: (1) For CEOs and those near the top, Goldsmith interviews stakeholders personally and confidentially; at lower levels a standard 360 instrument can work. (2) Use only 360 instruments you are trained to administer and interpret (TECF). (3) Interviews: ask each stakeholder about strengths, what the leader should do more or less of, and what would make the biggest difference [synthesis: question set not specified in sources]. (4) Apply the agreed anonymity level. (5) Compile themes, not attributed quotes, unless agreed otherwise.
• Example language (illustrative): to a stakeholder: "If she changed one thing about how she leads, what would help you most?"
• Watch for: single dramatic comments that dominate; look for themes across raters [synthesis].

4.7 Psychometric instruments and observation (shadowing)

• Purpose / when: assessment phase, to add self-understanding or direct behavioural data. [source: TECF Handbook]
• Steps: (1) Choose instruments that fit the question: TECF names personality, learning, interest and leadership-style measures (e.g. MBTI, DISC, Birkman, 16PF, FIRO-B). (2) Use only instruments you are trained or certified to use; follow publishers' rules and do not reproduce items. (3) Observation: with consent of the executive and the group, watch the executive in a normal meeting and note specific behaviours. TECF lists interviews with spouse or family as an advanced practice. Team and organisational assessments require separate competence.
• Example language (illustrative): "I'd like to sit in on your Monday staff meeting and note what I see; we'll debrief right after."
• Watch for: using clinical measures inside a development contract. Using clinical diagnostic instruments in coaching is not covered by the sources; avoid it [synthesis].

4.8 Feedback debrief

• Purpose / when: after data gathering; the bridge to goals. [source: TECF Handbook (development planning: debrief results)]
• Steps: (1) Schedule ample time. (2) Ask for the executive's own prediction first [synthesis]. (3) Present strengths and themes, with examples, in the agreed anonymity form. (4) Pause after each theme and ask for reactions; acknowledge feelings (ICF 4.5, 5.4). (5) Separate "what people see" from "why" [synthesis]. (6) End by asking what stands out as most important.
• Example language (illustrative): "Before we look, what do you expect people said? … What's your reaction to that theme? … Which of these, if improved, would matter most to your goals?"
• Watch for: defensiveness, hunting for who said what, or collapse into self-criticism; slow down and normalise [synthesis]. Working when the executive moves from rejecting the data to choosing what to act on.

4.9 Choosing one to three target behaviours and writing the development plan

• Purpose / when: development planning phase. [source: Goldsmith step 4; TECF Handbook]
• Steps: (1) Pick only one to three areas for change; executive and manager agree (Goldsmith). (2) Make goals specific, measurable, achievable, challenging, time-bound and practical (TECF). (3) Write the plan with: coaching goals (behavioural, cognitive, skill, business, relationship), action steps and timetable, qualitative and quantitative measures, resources and referrals (mentoring, training, stretch assignments, courses), a named manager or stakeholder for ongoing support, and dates of progress reviews (TECF). (4) The executive writes it; the coach facilitates (Goldsmith). (5) Partners sign off (TECF).
• Example language (illustrative): "If you picked just one behaviour that would change how your team experiences you, which would it be? How would they notice?"
• Watch for: too many goals, or goals that are traits ("be more strategic") rather than observable behaviours [synthesis]. Working when each goal names who will notice and how.

4.10 Responding to stakeholders: thank, apologise, ask for help, feedforward

• Purpose / when: right after goals are agreed; enlists stakeholders as partners in change. [source: Goldsmith step 5]
• Steps: (1) The executive talks briefly with each stakeholder. (2) Thanks them for the feedback. (3) Apologises for past mistakes. (4) Names the behaviour they are working on. (5) Asks for "feedforward": suggestions for the future, not critique of the past. (6) Listens without judging or arguing the suggestions, and thanks them. (7) Keeps it positive, simple and focused. The coach rehearses the conversation with the client beforehand [synthesis].
• Example language (illustrative): "Thanks for the feedback. I'm sorry for the times I've cut people off in meetings. I'm working on listening better. Do you have one or two ideas that could help me in the coming months?"
• Watch for: the executive defending or explaining; a long apology; promising too much. Working when stakeholders start offering suggestions and noticing effort.

4.11 Session agreement (contracting each session)

• Purpose / when: opening of every session. [source: ICF 3.6–3.10]
• Steps: (1) Ask what the client wants from this session. (2) Clarify what they believe must be addressed to get there. (3) Agree how they will know the session succeeded. (4) Share responsibility for time and focus. (5) Keep to the agreed outcome unless the client chooses to change it; if the topic shifts, name the shift and re-agree.
• Example language (illustrative): "What would you like to walk out with today? … What do we need to look at to get there? … How will you know it was useful?" Later: "We've moved to the budget conflict. Is that now the priority, or shall we come back to the delegation question?"
• Watch for: sessions that drift into venting or status updates; a clear session outcome is the usual cure [synthesis].

4.12 GROW conversation

• Purpose / when: the in-session structure for a goal, problem or decision; works best when the client brings a specific challenge. [source: Performance Consultants (Whitmore)]
• Steps: (1) Goal: clarify the goal (performance target, behaviour change, learning aim or long-term aim) so it is specific, meaningful, realistic in time and aligned with wider aims. (2) Reality: explore what is happening now, what is and is not working, progress so far, strengths, resources, barriers, evidence and assumptions. (3) Options: generate possible actions without judging; ask what else, and what they would try with no constraints, and who could help. (4) Will (way forward): turn options into commitments: first step, timing, measures, accountability, likely obstacles, and a 1–10 commitment rating. Move back and forth between stages as insights arise.
• Example language (illustrative): G: "What do you want to be different by the end of the quarter?" R: "What's actually happening in those meetings now?" O: "What else could you try? If nothing were in the way, what would you do?" W: "What will you do first, and by when? On a 1–10 scale, how committed are you?"
• Watch for: the pitfalls Performance Consultants lists: jumping to solutions, using GROW rigidly, leading rather than enabling discovery, vague goals, and neglecting accountability. Whitmore cautioned that GROW needs coaching skills, not just the sequence. A commitment rating below about 7 suggests the action needs revising [synthesis].

4.13 Active listening and reflecting patterns

• Purpose / when: throughout. [source: ICF competency 6]
• Steps: (1) Reflect or summarise to check understanding. (2) Notice when there may be more and ask. (3) Notice and explore emotions, energy shifts, non-verbal cues. (4) Integrate words, tone and body language. (5) Track themes and patterns across sessions and offer them back.
• Example language (illustrative): "Your voice dropped when you mentioned the board. What's there?" "This is the third time a deadline slipped when the work involved the finance team. Do you see a pattern?"
• Watch for: reflecting only content. Therapists will find this familiar; the difference is that patterns are linked to the leadership goals rather than explored for their origins [synthesis].

4.14 Evoking awareness: questions, silence, metaphor, reframing, observations

• Purpose / when: when the client is stuck in current thinking or needs insight before action. [source: ICF competency 7]
• Steps: (1) Choose the tool for this client and moment (ICF 7.1). (2) Ask about thinking, values, needs, wants and beliefs. (3) Ask questions that take them beyond current thinking. (4) Use silence, metaphor and analogy. (5) Challenge where useful (ICF 7.2). (6) Help them identify what drives their patterns of behaviour, thinking and emotion. (7) Support reframing. (8) Share observations, insights and feelings without attachment. (9) Invite them to generate ways forward.
• Example language (illustrative): "What would you need to believe to delegate that?" "If your team were a ship, where would you be standing?" "Here's what I notice, and you can discard it: you speak about the reorganisation as if it's happening to you."
• Watch for: questions that are disguised advice. Working when the client says something new about their situation or their part in it.

4.15 Rehearsal, role-play and between-session assignments

• Purpose / when: facilitating-development phase; turning insight into skill. [source: TECF Handbook (role-play, feedback, assignments, learning-lab practice)]
• Steps: (1) Pick an upcoming real situation linked to a target behaviour. (2) Role-play it, the coach playing the other party; then swap roles [synthesis on swapping]. (3) Give specific behavioural feedback and model alternatives (TECF lists truthful feedback and role-modelling as coach tasks). (4) Agree an assignment: do it in the live setting, observe outcomes, report back. (5) Debrief next session.
• Example language (illustrative): "Let's run Thursday's conversation now. I'll be Mark. Start how you normally would. … What did you notice? Try the opening again, starting with the question."
• Watch for: practice that never reaches the workplace; ask for evidence from live use [synthesis].

4.16 Designing actions and accountability

• Purpose / when: end of each session. [source: ICF 8.1–8.8; Goldsmith step 6]
• Steps: (1) Help the client integrate the learning (ICF 8.1). (2) Co-design goals, actions and accountability; the client owns them (ICF 8.2–8.3; Goldsmith). (3) Ask what results or learning the action may bring. (4) Explore resources, support and barriers. (5) Summarise learning. (6) Acknowledge progress. (7) Close collaboratively.
• Example language (illustrative): "What are you taking from today? What will you do before we meet, and how will I know? What might get in the way?"
• Watch for: the coach setting homework. Working when the client returns with evidence and their own reflections.

4.17 Immunity to Change map and experiments

• Purpose / when: when a client sincerely wants a change, understands it, and still does not do it. [source: Minds at Work (Kegan & Lahey); Harvard Extension blog]
• Steps: (1) Column 1, improvement goal: a change the client cares about and has repeatedly failed to make. (2) Column 2, doing/not doing: an honest list of behaviours that work against the goal; no explanations or plans yet. (3) Column 3, competing commitments: for each behaviour, imagine doing the opposite, note the fear that arises, then convert the fear into what the client is committed to protecting (e.g. being seen as competent). (4) Column 4, big assumptions: state the beliefs that make those commitments feel necessary, in "if … then …" form. (5) Treat the assumption as a hypothesis, moving it "from subject to object." (6) Design a small, safe, low-risk experiment that acts against the assumption, and decide what to observe. (7) Run it, gather data on what actually happened, and interpret it. (8) Repeat with further experiments. Minds at Work offers certification for coaches.
• Example language (illustrative): "Suppose you did the opposite and let your team present to the board without you. What's the worst feeling? … So part of you is committed to never being seen as out of control. What would you have to assume for that to make sense?"
• Watch for: column 3 written as more self-criticism; big assumptions that touch trauma, core shame or panic. If the map surfaces intense distress, return to the coaching contract and consider referral (4.20) [synthesis]. Working when the client reports surprise at the result of an experiment.

4.18 Stakeholder follow-up, mini-survey and progress review

• Purpose / when: throughout implementation; measures change as others see it. [source: Goldsmith steps 7–8; TECF results principle]
• Steps: (1) The executive checks in briefly and regularly with stakeholders, asking for suggestions for the coming period (Goldsmith). (2) Within about six months, run a mini-survey of two to six items asking whether the person has become more or less effective in the target areas. (3) Review results with the executive; hold a progress meeting with the manager as contracted (TECF). (4) Adjust goals to interim results and changing priorities (TECF). (5) Repeat the cycle; Goldsmith runs it over 12–18 months.
• Example language (illustrative): executive to stakeholder: "Over the last month, any ideas for how I could be even more open to input in our meetings?"
• Watch for: follow-up that becomes a re-hash of the past; keep it short and forward-looking. Working when ratings improve on the targets.

4.19 Ending and transition

• Purpose / when: as the contract nears its end or results are achieved. [source: TECF Handbook; Goldsmith step 9; ICF 3.11; EMCC Code §3]
• Steps: (1) Start the ending discussion before the final session (TECF). (2) Review results against plan measures. (3) Write a long-term development plan with future focus areas and a named owner, often the manager (TECF). (4) Hold a three-way ending meeting. (5) Close in a way that honours the work (ICF 3.11). (6) Keep confidentiality after the end and do not exploit the former relationship (EMCC). (7) Ask for feedback on yourself as coach (TECF).
• Example language (illustrative): "What will keep this going after we stop? Who will you ask for feedback, and how often?"
• Watch for: reluctance to end. TECF notes emotional issues around ending may arise in coachee or coach. Goldsmith ends formal coaching once results are achieved to avoid dependency.

4.20 Referral to clinical care

• Purpose / when: when signs suggest a mental-health problem, or coaching is blocked by psychological issues. [source: ICF Referring a Client to Therapy; ICF 1.7; EMCC Code; TECF]
• Concrete signs (ICF): The main test is whether the issue interferes with daily functioning (self-care, work, home, leisure, social life), weighed by duration, frequency and intensity. Other indicators: coaching blocked after a reasonable time; unresolved past issues or trauma keep surfacing; repeated processing of feelings without insight or action; persistent self-defeating behaviour; a cluster of signs; immediate danger to self or others. General distress signs: marked mood change, declining performance, withdrawal, changes in weight, appearance or hygiene, sleep disturbance. ICF lists condition-specific indicators for anxiety, depression, eating disorders, PTSD, substance misuse, suicidal ideation and thought disorders (e.g. paranoia, hallucinations, incoherent speech). One sign alone is not conclusive.
• Executive-context signs [synthesis]: alcohol or drug use affecting meetings or travel; panic before presentations; burnout with exhaustion and cynicism; rage outbursts; grief or divorce dominating sessions; feedback that triggers collapse rather than reflection.
• Steps (ICF): (1) Keep a list of trusted clinicians and resources, including the employer's Employee Assistance Programme (EAP; TECF). (2) Meet privately and unhurried. (3) Be warm, calm, direct and non-judgemental. (4) Describe the specific changes you have seen. (5) Ask open questions, listen, allow silence. (6) Ask how they feel about seeing a therapist. (7) Restate care, give resources and benefits. (8) Leave the door open. Normalise help-seeking; respect a refusal unless there is risk; raise it again if the issue recurs. Follow up while accepting they may not share details.
• Decide about coaching (ICF): continue in parallel if the client functions and still progresses; pause until they are ready; or end. Re-check against the coaching agreement.
• Example language (illustrative): "Over the last few weeks you've described not sleeping and dreading every morning, and it seems to be getting worse. I'm concerned. This sounds like something a clinician could help with more than coaching can. How would you feel about that?"
• Risk: if there is imminent danger, call emergency services; stay with the person; follow the ICF and local crisis-line guidance; client safety outranks confidentiality. A licensed therapist should apply their own professional risk-assessment standards, but should refer to a different clinician rather than treat their own coachee [synthesis].
• Watch for: sending the client to their employer's occupational health without consent; share only what the confidentiality agreement allows [synthesis].

4.21 Coach self-monitoring and supervision

• Purpose / when: throughout; protects the client and the coach. [source: ICF 2.3–2.8; EMCC Code §4; ICF Referring a Client to Therapy]
• Steps: (1) Prepare mentally and emotionally before each session. (2) Reflect after sessions. (3) Take ethical dilemmas and difficult cases to supervision at a frequency suited to your practice (EMCC). (4) Use ICF's self-check signs that you should consult a supervisor or clinician: feeling responsible for the client; pressure to solve their problems; being stressed by their issues; feeling out of your depth; anxiety when they contact you; the client seeming too dependent; feeling you have failed them. (5) Collect feedback from clients, sponsors and stakeholders (EMCC).
• Example language (illustrative, to oneself or a supervisor): "I'm working harder than my client. What am I carrying that belongs to them or to the organisation?"
• Watch for: therapists slipping back into a treatment frame when emotions rise [synthesis].

5. Handling problems

The sources give general rules (handle resistance, adapt, refer, use supervision) but few step-by-step remedies. Items marked [synthesis] are this guide's own practice suggestions.

• Executive "sent" for coaching, unwilling or remedial. TECF lists handling resistance under relationship-building but gives no procedure. Name the referral openly; ask what the executive believes the organisation is concerned about and what they themselves would want from the process; offer the choice to decline; confirm fit before contracting (ICF 3.5). If the sponsor's real aim is to build a case for exit, do not proceed under a development contract. [synthesis]
• Sponsor asks for confidential content. Return to the written confidentiality agreement (TECF; EMCC §3). Offer only what was contracted (e.g. goals, attendance, progress summaries the executive has seen). Suggest a three-way meeting instead of a side conversation. [source: TECF; synthesis on wording] Example (illustrative): "I can't share what we discuss, but I'd welcome a three-way meeting where Sam can update you directly."
• Client discloses illegal or unethical conduct, or risk to others. Apply the exceptions stated at contracting (TECF; EMCC), consult your supervisor, and get legal advice if needed. [source: TECF; EMCC Code]
• Stuck: no movement on target behaviours. Check the goal is one to three observable behaviours (Goldsmith); check whether the manager supports it and whether the system rewards the old behaviour (TECF systems perspective); try the Immunity to Change map (4.17). If progress stays blocked after a reasonable time, ICF treats that as a possible referral indicator. [source: Goldsmith; TECF; ICF referral guide]
• Non-adherence to actions. Explore without judgement what got in the way (GROW: Reality); reduce the action size; re-rate commitment on 1–10; make sure the client, not the coach, set the action (Goldsmith; ICF 8.3). [source: Performance Consultants; synthesis]
• Overwhelm and strong emotion in session. ICF asks the coach to stay present, manage their own emotions and work confidently with strong client emotions (ICF 5.3–5.4). Practical steps: slow down, acknowledge the feeling, give space, then ask what the client needs now and whether to continue with the session goal. If distress is recurrent, persistent or intense, use the ICF referral indicators (4.20). [source: ICF; synthesis on steps]
• Feedback debrief triggers shame or anger. Pause the data, acknowledge reaction, remind them of strengths in the data, separate perception from intent, and let them choose the pace. Do not move to goal-setting the same day if they are flooded. [synthesis]
• Rupture with the coach. ICF expects the coach to be open, transparent and responsive; TECF asks coaches to seek feedback on their own performance. Name the tension, ask for feedback, own your part, and re-agree how you work. If the alliance cannot be repaired, EMCC directs ending and referral to another practitioner. [source: ICF 4.6; TECF; EMCC Code; synthesis on steps]
• Cynical or uncooperative stakeholders. Goldsmith's remedy is to keep stakeholder conversations short, positive and future-focused, and to ask for suggestions rather than evaluations. Suggest the executive thank stakeholders who help and keep following up; change in perception usually lags behaviour change [synthesis on lag]. [source: Goldsmith]
• The "individual" problem is really organisational. Under TECF's systems perspective, identify whether structure, role clarity, conflicting goals or culture is driving the behaviour; discuss with the executive what to raise with the sponsor; avoid making the executive the scapegoat. [source: TECF; synthesis]
• Client wants to use sessions for job hunting or exit planning. TECF lists job-hunting and career aspirations among the information types the confidentiality agreement must cover. Check what the contract allows and whether the sponsor agreed to career coaching; re-contract if needed. [source: TECF]
• Dependency on the coach. Watch ICF's self-check signs; set a clear end date; transfer support to the manager and peers; emphasise the third level of learning, learning how to learn (TECF). Goldsmith ends formal coaching once results are achieved. [source: TECF; Goldsmith; ICF]
• Conflict of interest (e.g. you also coach the client's boss, or consult to the firm). Disclose openly; withdraw if it cannot be managed (EMCC §3). [source: EMCC Code]
• Signs of mental-health difficulty or crisis. Follow 4.20. Possible paths (ICF): coaching in parallel with therapy if the client still functions and progresses; pausing coaching; or ending. If there is imminent danger to self or others, call emergency services and follow crisis guidance; safety outranks confidentiality. [source: ICF Referring a Client to Therapy]
• Therapist-specific pitfalls [synthesis]: (a) exploring childhood origins when the contract is behavioural; (b) diagnosing in your head and treating covertly; (c) seeing the coachee later as a private therapy client, which creates a dual relationship. Agree in writing that you will refer to another clinician, and check your own licensing board's rules on dual roles.
• Client wants advice, not questions. ICF separates coaching from consulting. If you have relevant expertise, say you are switching role, offer it briefly, then return to the client's own choice. [source: ICF 1.6; synthesis on switching]

Sources

Sources:

• The Executive Coaching Handbook: Principles and Guidelines for a Successful Coaching Partnership, 6th ed. (TECF / Institute of Coaching)
• ICF Core Competencies (2019 model)
• ICF: Referring a Client to Therapy
• EMCC Global Code of Ethics, V4, December 2025
• EMCC Global: Global Code of Ethics – page and version note
• Marshall Goldsmith: Steps in the leadership coaching process
• Performance Consultants: GROW model
• Minds at Work: Immunity to Change
• Harvard Extension School: The surprising reason we don't keep our resolutions
• Allen, Manning, Francis & Gentry (2016), The Coach's View, Center for Creative Leadership (consulted; little procedural content used)
• Buckley (2007), The mental health boundary in relationship to coaching and other activities, abstract (Institute of Coaching) (abstract only)

Further reading (not drawn on) [uncertain]:

• Whitmore, J. (1992; later editions). Coaching for Performance. Nicholas Brealey.
• Kegan, R. & Lahey, L. L. (2009). Immunity to Change. Harvard Business Press.
• Bachkirova, T. & Baker, S. Revisiting the issue of boundaries between coaching and counselling (Oxford Brookes repository).

Not covered: an Association for Coaching document of its own on referral (the AC is co-founder of the EMCC/AC Global Code, which was used instead) [uncertain]; typical session frequency and length [uncertain]; ICF 2025 competency update [uncertain].