Community

Back to The Future – The checks and challenges for the exec coaching industry.

As leadership evolves, so is the coaching industry. Since the pandemic, leaders have converted, transfigure, transformed, transmogrify, and transmuted. Exhausting. This metamorphosis requires continual awareness and constant innovation. All the while, they stay connected with the leading superpower, emotional intelligence. So how will the coaching industry? How will we cope with current and future challenges? Indeed what … Continued
Sunita Sehmi

Sunita Sehmi

4 Min Read

As leadership evolves, so is the coaching industry. Since the pandemic, leaders have converted, transfigure, transformed, transmogrify, and transmuted. Exhausting. This metamorphosis requires continual awareness and constant innovation. All the while, they stay connected with the leading superpower, emotional intelligence. So how will the coaching industry? How will we cope with current and future challenges? Indeed what is the future of Executive Coaching? In my experience, it’s about assisting leaders to be a compass in their future. 

We all agree that coaching is now considered a performance accelerator and no longer a “cure” for those with a problem. On the contrary, it is now widely accepted as a return on investment; moreover, the real benefits of coaching are recognised. As coaching permits individuals to advance both personally and professionally. In addition, it enables the efficiency of teams and collective brilliance. Likewise, it is a powerful lever for organisations that want to lead major transformations successfully.

I use the two most extensive studies ever conducted on the coaching industry worldwide by the International Coaching Federation with PWC; conclusions illustrate today’s coaching industry and the trends for the coming years.

 Coaching in the future: the main leadership trends scrutinised.

  1. Nearly 80% of teams worked remotely during the pandemic. However, this hybrid mode of working, the “next normal”, is not without growing questions about the effectiveness and cohesion of teams over time in virtual circumstances.
  2. Well-being and self-empowerment are again driven by a growing need for purpose, self-awareness and well-being among employees, particularly among the younger generation. The coming of Generation Z in the workplace will strengthen this direction.
  3. As a coach, understanding sustainability with the ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) is now at the top of the agenda of leaders and boards and should be ours too.
  4. If you aren’t leading DEIB ( Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging), you are simply not leading. Hence coaches would do well to be articulate on these topics and be able to support leaders who come through for their people.
  5. Finally, more and more employees are used to being autonomous and empowered. Younger generations are growing up in a networked world where they are used to expressing their creativity and autonomy. Nimble leaders offer them this opportunity.

So we get it the business world today is complicated, fast-changing, and competitive. And we know it is easier to navigate this world with a cheerleader, a skipper, a guide, a coach. Someone who understands the business and behavioural impact of your leadership. Because we know that leaders with solid skills can quickly motivate and influence their workforce, which can transform an organisation.

However, to truly assist leaders in being a compass in the future, here are aspects that can help:

  1. Get as many people around the table to participate in the coaching process. Be it peers, team members, sponsors and HR etc.
  2. Immerse in multi- dialogues, and don’t keep the process undercover regardless of a person’s role or level in the organisational hierarchy.
  3. Implement a feedback process where the leaders ask for feedback from key stakeholders about who they are as a leader.
  4. Nourish real-life learning and networking opportunities so leaders can practice decision-making, influence and critical conversations. 
  5. Achieving change will require a mixture of governance and management techniques from your side to ensure accountability from the get-go. Then everyone can be accountable, and the whole team can learn. Let’s not set up this considerable model that people see as a step too far. Starting small is undoubtedly essential for success.

Remember that you are an architect who enables and encourages. Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Coaches must behave like leaders and set strategic priorities and the tone from the start. This demonstrates a new way of coaching which is actionable, accountable and, in my view, more accustomed to the future as it is……today.

Author(s)

  • Sunita Sehmi

    Leadership Advisor I Exec Coach I Author I CEO Mentor @RichardBranson I Coach @Cancer Support Switzerland

    Walk The Talk

    I am an executive coach and organisational consultant with over 20 years of experience, specialising in leadership transformation and change management for C-suite leaders and senior executives. As the founder of Walk the Talk Organisational Consulting and Leadership Advisory Services, I have supported leaders across major industries, including Tech, Banking, Pharma, Business Schools, International Organisations, and Social Entrepreneurship, helping them drive impactful leadership development and cultural change. Having worked with CxOs worldwide, I am passionate about helping leaders unlock their full potential and align personal growth with organisational objectives. I’m known for inspiring authentic leadership, driving transformation, and creating sustainable organisational impact. As an author and thought leader, my work has been featured in publications such as Forbes Middle East, Thrive Global, and Huffington Post. I am the author of two books, How to Get Out of Your Own Way and The Power of Belonging, which explore the intersection of personal development and organisational success. Through my involvement with the Richard Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship, I actively mentor emerging leaders and support social enterprises. I am deeply committed to empowering leaders and helping them create lasting, meaningful change within themselves and their organisations.