Executive Coaching Process: Flexibility in Leader’s Decision-Making Process

Abstract

The overwhelmingly demanding world today demand for high quality leaders. Leaders should continually equip themselves with necessary skills to anticipate the changing environment which drive pressure for a more effective leadership development, especially in private organisations. In relation to this, coaching has emerged in the human resource development practice as a powerful development tool in improving leadership skills of executive leaders. The aim of this research is to look at the outcome of coaching in term of improving coachee’s leadership competencies. From the findings, one of the changes is that it improves coachee’s flexibility in their behaviours, mindset, and approaches in the decision-making process. This knowledge could be linked to the value that coaching to bring to coachee. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews that involved eight informants from both coaches and coachees. Selection criteria for the coaches were individuals who have conducted executive coaching programmes extensively as part of their service for more than five years and have reached to the level of professionalism as Professional Certified Coach (PCC). The coachees were selected from individuals who hold executive position in their organisations that has participated in any executive coaching programmes in Malaysia. As a newly emerging tool, there are still a lot of scepticism around what are the real values of coaching and what are the positive changes that the process could bring in the area of leadership development. As such, this study could add to the body of knowledge, as well as deepen the understanding on learnings in coaching process which is translated into the outcome of coaching. Changes only occurs when learning occurs during the process.