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  • How is Executive Coaching Different?

    How is Executive Coaching Different?
    2026/07/13
    What changes when the person being coached is responsible not only for their own performance, but also for the direction, culture and future of an entire organisation? Executive coaching uses the same core coaching competencies as other forms of coaching, but the context is often more complex. Senior leaders may be navigating organisational change, board relationships, stakeholder pressures and strategic decisions while also experiencing uncertainty, reduced confidence or questions about their future. This is why executive coaching often becomes a whole-person experience. Senior leaders have few places where they can speak honestly without being expected to already have the answers. Coaching offers a confidential space to slow down, reflect and explore how leadership responsibilities are affecting identity, wellbeing, relationships and sense of purpose. It can also involve a three-way relationship between the coach, the client and the sponsoring organisation, requiring clear agreements around confidentiality, objectives and outcomes. Executive clients are often highly capable action takers, so coaching is not always about creating another action plan. Progress may come through challenging assumptions, separating facts from interpretations and identifying the patterns shaping how a leader thinks, communicates and responds under pressure. The coach may move between coaching, mentoring and acting as a thought partner, while continuing to support the client's own thinking and decision-making. In this episode, we also explore ambiguity, burnout, organisational systems and the knowledge that can support coaches working at this level, including leadership psychology, group dynamics, power and authority. We discuss how the ILM Level 7 qualification can prepare coaches to work not only with chief executives and board directors, but also with senior leaders responsible for significant teams, budgets and organisational outcomes. Executive coaching may take place at the highest levels of an organisation, but at its heart it remains deeply human. Timestamps: 00:01 Welcome and episode introduction 00:55 The similarities and differences in executive coaching 01:30 Moving beyond performance metrics and strategy 03:14 Why executive coaching requires a whole-person approach 04:00 Who executive coaching is for 04:35 Organisational change, politics and stakeholder dynamics 06:17 Self-worth and identity outside the organisation 06:54 How leadership changes can surface insecurity 08:00 Becoming a thinking partner for senior leaders 09:22 Why executives may not need traditional accountability 09:51 Coaching the individual within the wider system 11:39 Identity, influence and leadership agency 12:20 The ripple effect of coaching across teams 13:31 Moving between coaching, mentoring and thought partnership 15:50 Three-way contracting and organisational sponsorship 17:51 Why executive coaching engagements are often longer 20:09 Ambiguity, paradoxes and complex decision-making 22:21 The human reality behind executive leadership 23:35 Burnout, reflection and constructive challenge 25:00 Leadership psychology, systems and group dynamics 27:03 Why executive coaching can be so rewarding 27:40 Who the ILM Level 7 qualification can prepare you to coach 29:00 Finding the right coaching qualification Key Lessons Learned: The core coaching competencies remain the same, but executive coaching takes place within a more complex organisational context.Executive coaching often focuses on the whole person because leadership responsibilities affect identity, confidence, wellbeing and relationships.Senior leaders frequently need a confidential thinking space more than they need another action plan.Executive coaches must be able to move between the individual client's experience and the wider organisational system.Three-way contracting requires clear agreements around confidentiality, objectives, reporting and the expectations of the sponsoring organisation.Executive clients often bring challenges involving ambiguity, competing priorities, political dynamics and decisions with far-reaching consequences.Constructive challenge can help leaders identify assumptions, explore alternative perspectives and develop greater flexibility in their thinking.A coach does not need to be an expert in the client's technical field, but knowledge of leadership psychology, group dynamics and organisational systems can strengthen the coaching relationship.Executive coaching can create a ripple effect because leaders often take ideas and insights from coaching back into their teams.Executive coaching is not limited to chief executives. It can include anyone with significant responsibility for people, budgets and organisational outcomes. Keywords: executive coaching, executive coach, leadership coaching, senior leadership coaching, executive coaching qualifications, ILM Level 7 coaching, coaching senior leaders, organisational coaching, leadership development, ...
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    26 分
  • How to Coach Boundaries

    How to Coach Boundaries
    2026/07/06
    What happens when a coaching client does not realise that the frustration, resentment or overwhelm they are carrying is actually pointing towards a boundary that has been crossed? In this episode of The Coaching Crowd Podcast, we explore how to coach boundaries in a way that feels practical, ethical and deeply human. Boundaries can sound simple on the surface, but in coaching conversations they often reveal something much more complex. They connect to values, relationships, communication, emotions, beliefs, burnout, people pleasing and the way clients understand their own needs. We begin by reflecting on what boundaries really are. We describe them as the guidelines that help other people understand how to be in relationship with us. They communicate what we are comfortable with, what we are not comfortable with, how we want to be treated and what matters to us. Yet many of us rarely define our boundaries clearly, even for ourselves. Throughout the conversation, we explore why boundaries show up so often in coaching. A client may come to a session saying their manager keeps giving them unrealistic deadlines, or that a friend, partner or family member is asking too much of them. They may not use the word boundaries at all. Instead, they may talk about feeling angry, resentful, exhausted, overwhelmed or close to burnout. As coaches, these emotional cues can help us gently notice where a boundary may have been crossed. We also discuss the different types of boundaries that may be relevant in coaching. These include communication boundaries, emotional boundaries, time boundaries, physical boundaries, energetic boundaries and professional boundaries. Breaking boundaries down in this way can help clients move away from a broad, abstract concept and begin to understand what is actually happening in their day to day lives. A central theme in this episode is the idea of a boundary audit. What boundaries does the client know they have? Which boundaries have they never consciously established? Who knows about those boundaries? So much conflict and confusion can arise because boundaries are assumed rather than communicated. We may expect others to behave as we would, only to feel hurt or frustrated when they do not. We also explore the reality that setting a boundary can create change in a relationship. If a client has always been available after work, always said yes, or always taken responsibility for other people's needs, then communicating a new boundary may come with a cost or consequence. Coaching can provide the safe space needed to explore those consequences, prepare for them and understand what support the client may need. Another important part of the conversation is the difference between boundaries and control. A boundary is something we set for ourselves. It clarifies what we will allow, what we will not allow and what action we may take if that boundary is crossed. Control, on the other hand, is about trying to dictate what another person must do. Helping clients understand this distinction can be powerful, especially when they are navigating complex relationships or workplace expectations. We also talk about permeable boundaries. Some boundaries are firm, while others may be more flexible depending on the situation. For example, a client may have a boundary around not working in the evening, but occasionally choose to respond to something because it feels right in that moment. This can be useful, but it can also create confusion or drift. Coaching can help clients explore whether they are acting from choice, pressure, fear or habit. Towards the end of the episode, we share coaching questions that can support boundary exploration. Questions such as "What boundary are you currently avoiding?", "What are you protecting?" and "What would be the hardest boundary for you to enforce?" can help clients connect with what they need. We also explore the use of metaphor and visual thinking, helping clients imagine boundaries as walls, screens, dotted lines, protective bubbles or something entirely personal to them. This episode is a reminder that coaching boundaries is rarely about giving clients a script for saying no. It is about helping them understand their values, recognise their emotional signals, explore their beliefs, process the discomfort and build the confidence to uphold what matters to them. Healthy boundaries create clarity, safety and more sustainable relationships, both personally and professionally. Timestamps 00:00 | Introduction to coaching boundaries 00:06 | Why boundaries are showing up in coaching conversations 00:24 | What do we mean by boundaries? 01:34 | Defining boundaries for ourselves 02:10 | How to recognise when a boundary has been crossed 03:41 | Communication preferences and boundary breaches 04:45 | Different types of boundaries 06:40 | Using a wheel of life style approach for boundaries 07:23 | The idea of a boundary audit 08:40 | How assumed boundaries create confusion 09:42 |...
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    26 分
  • How To Find Coaching Clients

    How To Find Coaching Clients
    2026/06/29
    What if finding coaching clients is not the biggest barrier to becoming a coach, but one of the most powerful parts of the learning process? In this episode of the podcast, we explore one of the most common questions we hear from people who are training to become coaches, thinking about starting a coaching qualification, or wondering how they will complete their coaching practice hours: where do I find coaching clients? We know this question can bring up a lot of anxiety. Before someone begins a coaching qualification, it can feel as though finding clients will be the hardest part. There may be worries about asking people, not knowing where to look, feeling visible online, or wondering whether anyone will actually want coaching from someone still in training. Yet, in our experience, this fear rarely becomes the reality. Throughout the episode, we talk through the practical numbers first. For a Level 3 coaching certificate, you may need two clients. For a Level 5 coaching diploma, you may need around six clients. For a Level 7 senior and executive coaching qualification, you may need around eight clients. When we put it like that, the process begins to feel much more manageable. It is not about finding dozens of people. It is about finding the right people, creating a strong enough pool, and being prepared for the fact that some clients may not complete all their sessions. We also reflect on how powerful your existing network can be. Your cohort, friends, colleagues, workplace, LinkedIn connections, Facebook groups, local community groups, professional networks and voluntary organisations can all become potential places to find coaching clients. The key is not to hide your coaching journey. It is to share it from the beginning, allow people to follow your development, and then clearly invite the right people to come forward when you are ready to begin coaching. A big part of the conversation is about confidence and specificity. If you are looking for coaching clients, it helps to explain who you want to support and what kind of coaching opportunity you are offering. For example, if you are training at senior or executive level, you might want to coach leaders who are new in role, navigating change, or developing confidence in leadership. When people can see themselves in your invitation, they are much more likely to reach out. We also speak about the value of using your workplace, not only as a source of clients but as a way of bringing coaching skills back into your organisation. Even if you are funding your own coaching qualification, your employer may still benefit from your development. Coaching is a leadership skill, and offering coaching across different teams can create a genuine win for both you and the organisation. The episode also opens up the idea that coaching clients can be found in places that matter to you personally. Local charities, hospices, GP surgeries, animal shelters, community groups, business networks and professional associations may all include people who would deeply value the opportunity to experience coaching. This is where finding clients becomes more than a qualification requirement. It becomes part of stepping into the identity of being a coach. What we came back to again and again is that finding coaching clients is about being visible, asking clearly, asking more than once, and being willing to move beyond your comfort zone. There are opportunities for coaching everywhere. The task is to notice them, speak about what you are offering, and trust that people are often far more open to coaching than you might expect. For anyone training to become a coach, this episode is a grounded reminder that you are not on your own. You have networks, cohorts, communities and resources around you. Finding clients does not need to be the reason you hold back from coaching training. It can become one of the first real steps into practising, learning and becoming the coach you are developing into. Timestamps 00:00: Introduction to finding coaching clients We introduce the episode and the common concern many trainee coaches have about finding practice clients. 00:58: How many coaching clients do you need? We break down the coaching practice requirements for Level 3, Level 5 and Level 7 coaching qualifications. 02:00: Why you may need extra clients We explain why it is helpful to have additional potential clients in case someone cannot complete all sessions. 02:30: Using your coaching cohort We explore how cohort swaps and referrals can help trainee coaches find suitable practice clients. 03:00: Sharing your coaching journey We discuss why sharing your learning from day one can build visibility and trust across your network. 04:15: Using LinkedIn and your wider network We talk about LinkedIn, social media and asking your network to connect you with people who may benefit from coaching. 05:34: Being specific about who you want to coach We explain why clarity around your ideal coaching ...
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    18 分
  • 5 Reasons To Train In Group and Team Coaching

    5 Reasons To Train In Group and Team Coaching
    2026/06/22
    What becomes possible for us as coaches when we move beyond the privacy of one to one conversations and begin working with the energy, complexity, and potential of groups and teams? In this episode of The Coaching Crowd podcast, we explored why so many coaches are choosing to train in group and team coaching, and why this area of coaching practice feels increasingly relevant in today's professional landscape. We wanted to bring this conversation to the podcast because coaching is no longer limited to one to one development conversations. More organisations, leaders, teams, and individuals are seeking collective development experiences. They want spaces where people can learn together, reflect together, challenge one another, and feel part of something more connected. That matters because so many people are experiencing disconnection, pressure, and exhaustion. Group coaching and team coaching can create powerful spaces where people feel seen, heard, and supported by others who may be facing similar questions or challenges. In a professional context, this also gives coaches the opportunity to work more systemically, supporting culture, communication, leadership development, and organisational change at scale. During the conversation, we reflected on the size of the opportunity for coaches. Group and team coaching are not new, but more coaches are now asking how they can broaden their work, move into organisations, support teams, run development programmes, and offer more than individual coaching sessions. For coaches who have mainly worked one to one, this shift can feel exciting, but also intimidating. We spoke about how group dynamics and team dynamics are far more complex than individual coaching. When you move into a one to many setting, there are more relationships, expectations, emotions, roles, and patterns in the room. This means coaches need more than confidence. They need structure, skill, presence, and an understanding of the psychodynamics that can emerge when people come together. One of the key reflections from this episode was that training in group and team coaching can benefit you even when you are not yet sure whether you want to specialise in this area. It develops your systemic thinking. It helps you see your one to one coaching clients as part of wider systems, including families, teams, organisations, communities, and cultures. That naturally expands the quality of the questions you ask and the way you support clients to understand themselves. We also explored how training in this area can open doors. Many coaches begin with one to one coaching in an organisation and then get asked whether they can support a team, design a programme, facilitate a workshop, or help with a leadership development initiative. Those moments can be exciting, but they can also create doubt. Having training behind you can give you the confidence, credibility, and practical tools to say yes to those opportunities. Another important theme was the need for coaches to think strategically about their business. Group and team coaching can help create more scalable offers, more variety, and more routes into organisational contracts. It can sit alongside one to one coaching, leadership development programmes, workshops, internal coaching roles, and wider organisational development work. We also reflected on the human nature of this work. Modern coaching is not only about performance. It is relational, emotionally intelligent, and systemic. In a world where artificial intelligence is changing how people work, human relationships are becoming even more important. Knowledge may be increasingly available, but connection, trust, culture, and shared understanding still require human presence. That is why group and team coaching feels so valuable. It supports people to understand how they relate, communicate, collaborate, and make progress together. It also gives coaches the chance to engage with the living, breathing reality of organisational culture and human behaviour. In the episode, we also shared more about our Group and Team Coaching programme, including the five phases that sit at the heart of the course: Grounding and Gathering, where we explore how to set the work up for success and orientate people into the coaching experience. Roles and Responsibilities, where we consider the role of the coach and the roles that people naturally take up in groups and teams. Options and Opportunity, where we explore coaching methodologies, practical activities, and ways to work creatively with groups and teams. Union and Understanding, where we look at group dynamics and the complexity of human behaviour in collective spaces. Presence and Progress, where we focus on closure, endings, progress, sustainability, and how groups and teams recognise and carry forward change. We also discussed the mindset of a group and team coach, because this is emotional work. How we resource ourselves, what we believe about groups, and how we ...
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    19 分
  • When to Stop Mentoring and Start Coaching

    When to Stop Mentoring and Start Coaching
    2026/06/15
    Have you ever found yourself giving great advice, only to realise the person in front of you still cannot move forward? In this episode of the podcast, we explored one of the questions many leaders, managers, mentors and people-focused professionals face: when is it time to stop mentoring and start coaching? We began by reflecting on the close relationship between coaching and mentoring. They are often treated as separate roles, but in reality, they can sit on a continuum. Mentoring is often about sharing experience, guidance, wisdom and practical advice. Coaching, on the other hand, helps someone explore what is getting in the way of their growth, decision making, confidence and long-term development. As we talked this through, we recognised how easily managers and mentors can fall into the pattern of answering every question, solving every problem and becoming the person everyone turns to for direction. That can feel useful at first. It can even feel rewarding. But over time, it may lead to dependency, firefighting and frustration. If every conversation ends with advice, the mentee may never build the confidence to find their own answers. A key theme in this episode is the difference between helping someone know what to do and helping them understand how to do it in a way that feels possible for them. Someone may know the next step, but still feel blocked by fear, imposter syndrome, uncertainty, beliefs, emotions or organisational pressures. That is often the point where coaching becomes powerful. We also reflected on the limits of labels. The question may not be whether we are a coach or a mentor. The better question may be: what does this person need from us in this moment? Sometimes they need knowledge. Sometimes they need challenge. Sometimes they need emotional space. Sometimes they need a thinking partner who can help them work beneath the surface. For mentors, line managers and leaders, this episode highlights the importance of recognising repeating patterns. If a mentee keeps returning with the same concern, the same confidence issue or the same barrier, more advice may not be the answer. Coaching skills can help uncover the deeper obstacle and support sustainable growth. We also explored the emotional experience of the mentor. If we begin to feel frustrated, tired or unable to help, that may be a sign that we have reached the edge of what mentoring alone can offer. Rather than blaming the mentee, we can see this as an invitation to expand our own skills and capacity. One of the most important reflections from this conversation is that coaching can help mentees move beyond reliance on the mentor. Great mentoring should equip people for life beyond the relationship. Coaching supports that by helping people build self-trust, self-awareness and the ability to make decisions for themselves. We also talked about how this can show up in organisations. A new employee, or someone stepping into a new role, may benefit from a mentoring approach at first. They may need guidance, structure, advice and practical support. But as they grow in confidence and competence, the relationship may need to evolve. That is where recontracting becomes important. We can have honest conversations about what support is needed now, what has changed and whether the relationship should become more developmental. Ultimately, this episode is about working with people in a way that truly serves their growth. Mentoring has huge value. Coaching has huge value. The real skill is knowing when to offer guidance, when to step back and when to create the space for someone to discover their own way forward. Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and episode introduction 00:51 Coaching and mentoring as a continuum 02:19 When mentoring reaches its natural edge 03:14 Coaching the gap beneath the goal 04:56 The limits of coach and mentor labels 05:52 Repeating patterns, confidence and imposter syndrome 07:36 Moving from the what to the how 08:40 Helping mentees grow beyond the relationship 10:03 When the mentor no longer has the answer 11:28 Why mentors benefit from coaching skills 13:05 Recontracting the relationship as people grow 14:47 Coaching training and next steps Key Lessons Learned Mentoring and coaching are closely connected, but they serve different purposes at different moments.Mentoring often focuses on sharing knowledge, experience and advice, while coaching explores what is getting in the way of action and growth.If a mentee keeps bringing the same challenge, theme or confidence block, it may be time to move into a coaching approach.A mentor's frustration can be a useful signal that advice alone is no longer helping the person move forward.Coaching helps people build self-awareness, self-trust and the ability to make decisions beyond the mentoring relationship.Managers who rely only on giving answers can become trapped in firefighting rather than developing their team.The shift from mentoring to coaching often happens when someone knows ...
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    15 分
  • How To Coach Skeptical Clients

    How To Coach Skeptical Clients
    2026/06/08

    In this episode of the podcast, we explore how to coach skeptical clients with curiosity rather than defensiveness. Skepticism can show up when clients have been sent to coaching by an organisation, have had disappointing experiences before, feel unsure about the process, or do not fully understand how coaching could help them.

    We reflect on why skepticism should not be treated as resistance to overcome, but as useful information. By asking thoughtful questions, contracting clearly, and keeping the client in choice, coaches can create a safer adult-to-adult relationship where concerns can be named openly.

    The episode also explores the ethical side of coaching reluctant clients. Sometimes coaching may not be the right fit or the right time, and forcing value can do more harm than good. The key message is to stay curious, welcome the skepticism, and use it as a doorway into honest, meaningful coaching conversations.

    a willingness to receive feedback so that every client can feel properly seen, heard and supported.

    Links & Resources

    • Inclusive coaching programme: www.igcompany.com/join
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    17 分
  • Three Ways to Know if You're Really Ready to Coach Neurodivergent Clients

    Three Ways to Know if You're Really Ready to Coach Neurodivergent Clients
    2026/06/01

    In this episode of the podcast, we explore what it really means to be ready to coach neurodivergent clients. We reflect on the importance of building an inclusive coaching space that does not rely only on textbook knowledge of autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia or other neurodivergent conditions, but also listens deeply to lived experience.

    We discuss how easily coaches can make assumptions about clients when viewing behaviour through a neurotypical lens. A client who gives short answers may not be disengaged, and a client who moves quickly between ideas may not be unfocused. Inclusive coaching asks us to stay curious, adapt our approach, and recognise that every neurodivergent client's needs, strengths and experiences will be different.

    The episode also highlights the importance of recognising our own bias, whether we are neurotypical or neurodivergent ourselves. Being ready to coach neurodivergent clients is not about knowing everything. It is about ongoing learning, humility, psychological safety, thoughtful contracting, and a willingness to receive feedback so that every client can feel properly seen, heard and supported.

    Links & Resources

    • Inclusive coaching programme: www.igcompany.com/nd
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    17 分
  • Using Tech To Grow Your Coaching Business

    Using Tech To Grow Your Coaching Business
    2026/05/27

    This episode explores how the technology you choose can shape the coaching business you build. We discuss how coaches can move beyond selling time by the hour and use tech more strategically to create a scalable, professional, and sustainable business.

    We focus on Kajabi, the platform we have used since 2019 to support our website, courses, community, marketing, email list, client journeys, and business growth. Rather than stitching together multiple tools, Kajabi has helped us create a smoother, more premium experience.

    We also share an honest view: no platform is perfect, and there can be overwhelm or cheaper alternatives. But for coaches wanting to grow their online presence, create digital products, build community, and market more effectively, the right platform can become a major strategic advantage.

    Links & Resources

    • Kajabi offer and masterclass: www.igcompany.com/Kajabi
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    21 分