What's New for Executive Coaching in 2025
- C C
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
What's New for Executive Coaching in 2025
The executive coaching world has transformed dramatically over the past decade. Between remote work, tech advances, and a growing awareness of mental health, leaders are facing challenges they never saw coming.
Do executive coaches know all the answers to these new challenges? No. Can we help leaders figure it out? Absolutely – so long as we keep on top of what those challenges are and shape our methodologies and expertise accordingly.
Here's what's shaping my coaching right now.
1. Emotional Intelligence Isn't Optional Anymore
Remember when being "tough" was enough for leadership? Those days are over. Take Sarah, a VP at a tech startup who struggled when her team went remote. She discovered through coaching that reading virtual body language and creating emotional safety in Teams calls required completely different skills from her in-person leadership style. Now she starts every team meeting by checking in on how people are actually feeling – not just project updates.
2. Virtual Coaching Is the Norm
Most of my clients are international, but even those in the UK prefer to talk virtually. It's quite rare for today's global leaders to have the luxury of running in-person meetings, so a coaching session is no different. I find that virtual meetings can be much more productive – our coffee is already made and there's no time wasted looking for a meeting room.
3. Mental Health Is Part of the Job
Leadership coaching now includes stress management and mindfulness because burnout isn't just a personal problem – it's a business risk. Consider a senior executive who's working 70-hour weeks and loses their temper with the team. They don't need a lecture or a question about what they could have done differently; they need tips on how to de-stress and clear strategies on how to recover their team's trust.
4. Leading Across Cultures
The world is small, and global teams are the norm. Leaders need cultural fluency, and so do executive coaches. One of my superpowers is my ability to understand cultural differences – I wasn't born with those skills; they were learnt over thirty years of putting my proverbial foot in it across 45 countries.
5. Building High-Performing Team Behaviour Creates High-Performing Culture
Culture is an output of behaviour, which is corporate speak for "rubbish in, rubbish out". Executive coaches and L&D professionals are helping teams recognise their strengths, blind spots, and unconscious biases, then develop systems that actually support creating teams who can work together brilliantly.
6. Email Support
Not every challenge happens just before a scheduled coaching session. Executive coaches should encourage clients to engage in micro-coaching – perhaps email support – so help is there when it's needed. Micro-coaching is a brilliant way to tackle specific challenges, perfect for busy executives who need immediate support before a difficult conversation or decision.
7. Embrace AI
AI is there to be used, explored, and embraced. Executive coaches can ask their clients to spend hours crafting their personal brand statement, or ask AI to synthesise their thoughts and give them something to edit in 10 seconds. AI doesn't replace meaningful conversation, but it can free up more time to have one.
What This Means for the World of Coaching and Their Clients
Executive coaching isn't about sitting in a chair talking about your feelings (though that has its place). It's about practical, flexible support that helps leaders navigate real challenges in real time. Whether you're managing a remote team, leading through uncertainty, or trying to build a collaborative culture, coaching has evolved to meet you where you are.
The leaders who will thrive are those who embrace these trends and see coaching not as a luxury, but as an essential tool for effective leadership in our rapidly changing world.
If you would like to talk more about coaching, book here for a free taster session with me:
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