Quantifying Executive Coaching

In recent years, executive coaching has emerged as a significant leadership development intervention, yet questions remain about its true impact. Specifically, there is limited clarity on whether coaching benefits a select few or a broader population, and on what constitutes successful coaching outcomes. While research on training has progressed to become an empirically grounded and theoretically robust discipline, interventions focused on ‘soft skills’ such as coaching remain far more challenging to evaluate empirically. The lack of consensus regarding who benefits most from coaching, and how outcomes should be defined and measured, underscores the continuing need for rigorous inquiry. This book responds to these challenges by combining academic research with extensive practitioner experience to explore predictors of individual suitability for coaching and to examine valid, reliable methods for measuring coaching outcomes and return on investment. In doing so, it aims to address critical gaps in both scholarship and practice. The book provides valuable insights for academics, researchers, practitioners, and organisations seeking to strengthen leadership development and succession planning strategies.