Why Every Senior Leader Needs Coaching: A Case Study

As a senior leader, you’re expected to have the answers. You’re making high-stakes decisions, leading complex teams, and driving business change or growth. But who challenges and supports YOU? Who helps you step back, reassess, and refine your thinking and approach?

At the top, the margin for error is often small, and the pressure in these times is relentless. Executive coaching provides you with a space to just take a minute. It's about taking stock, sharpening and utilising your strengths, expanding your confidence and ensuring you have the right next steps to sustain operating at the highest level.

Here’s how one senior leader used coaching to gain clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Katherine’s Story: A CMO Seeking Clarity and Confidence

Katherine, a Chief Marketing Officer, had built an impressive career in Tech. She was respected by her team and colleagues, successful, and results-driven. But like many leaders at her level, she faced a challenge:

She was so focused on delivering what was next day to day that, amongst that, she had lost her way with her self-confidence. She was frequently doubting herself and thought that at any moment, she was about to be found out, that she wasn't enough for her newly awarded CMO position.

She needed a confidential, impartial space to step back, assess her progress, accomplishments, leadership style, and what value she brought to this new role. She wanted to sharpen her executive presence and influence for herself, because she needed and wanted to believe in herself. She knew she was the one holding herself back in her performance and potential in this new role. 

The Coaching Journey: Structure, Strategy, and Growth

Together, we focused on three core areas:

1. Strategic Self-Assessment

Katherine was already a strong leader, but why was she feeling like this? Through coaching, she gained clarity on her leadership strengths, where she offered expertise and value, and her decision-making patterns and approach. This strategic reflection helped her realign with what truly mattered to her, but also made her see why she was offered this new role.

2. Expanding Leadership Influence

At this senior level, leadership isn’t just about expertise, it’s also about presence, influence, and impact. We worked on refining Katherine’s executive presence, strengthening her ability and confidence to navigate complex stakeholder relationships, and positioning her as a transformational leader.

3. High-Impact Decision Making

Coaching provided Katherine with a structured, high-level space to challenge assumptions, anticipate, think beyond immediate pressures, and create bold, future-focused next steps with clarity and confidence.

The Results, clarity, confidence, and a renewed energy that she could do this. 

By the end of our coaching engagement, Katherine had:

• A clear vision for her new role and leadership legacy.

• A sharper, more strategic leadership approach that positioned her as a transformational leader.

• The confidence that she could do this. 

In her own words:

“Suzy made such a positive difference to my professional career, helping me objectively assess my leadership approach and build clarity around future goals. Every session was structured, strategic, and thought-provoking. She is incredibly smart, experienced, and insightful, a true expert in her field.”

Why Every Senior Leader Needs Executive Coaching

Leadership is demanding, and the higher you climb, the fewer people you have to challenge and support you. It can be lonely at the top! Executive coaching provides a confidential, structured space for you to just take a minute. It gives you organised thoughts, personal accountability to make things happen, as well as renewed clarity and confidence.

If you’re a senior leader and this sounds like something you would benefit from, let's connect and talk.