The Executive Coaching Blueprint: A 12-Step Process for Sustainable Leadership Growth
In this article, I share the blueprint I’ve developed through years of executive coaching. While designed for professional coaching engagements, managers and leaders can also adapt this framework to guide their teams through growth, development, and transformation.
At its core, coaching is about helping people move from where they are to where they want to be. As leaders, we have a profound opportunity to create meaningful impact — not only for individuals but for entire organisations. The coaching process provides the structure to unlock this potential.
Step 1 — Intention Setting: Establishing Trust
Every coaching engagement begins by creating safety, trust, and optimism. The leader should feel that:
I am here to help.
They can trust the process.
They can look forward to our sessions.
Credibility is established by projecting genuine confidence, sharing relevant client success stories, and demonstrating authentic commitment. As John Ullmen describes, I use the Reconnected Mindset: I consciously set positive intentions before every session, visualising the meeting already going well. This intentional preparation shifts my mental state, fostering connection from the outset.
Step 2 — Understanding the Leader’s Perspective
To help someone, you must first see through their eyes. I explore:
Their personal and career journey
Current role and organisational context
How they perceive past, present, and future challenges
This perspective forms the foundation for meaningful dialogue.
Step 3 — Unpacking the Role
Here we examine:
Key responsibilities and performance goals
Strengths and development areas
Organisational structure and reporting lines
Stakeholder relationships (manager, peers, direct reports)
What success — and challenge — look like in daily work
Step 4 — Aligning Expectations
We clarify logistics, scheduling, and feedback mechanisms. I listen carefully to how the leader prefers to work, making adjustments to create a predictable yet flexible coaching rhythm.
Step 5 — Reflective Questioning: The Heart of Coaching
The quality of questions determines the quality of insight.
I use seven questioning categories:
Foundational Questions: Who, what, where, when, how?
Cause Questions: What’s driving this? What’s really happening?
Best-Case Questions: What does success look like?
Possibility Questions: What alternatives exist?
Perspective-Switching Questions: How might others view this?
Priority Questions: What matters most right now?
Check-In Questions: What haven’t we covered yet?
Done well, these questions help leaders uncover new clarity and take ownership of solutions.
Step 6 — Preventing Blockers to Self-Evaluation
360 Stakeholder Interviews are a cornerstone of my approach. Speaking confidentially with stakeholders across levels gives honest feedback on:
Influence and communication
Executive presence under pressure
Listening and engagement
The 360 helps uncover:
The Intent-Impact Gap — how leaders perceive themselves vs. how others experience them.
Authority Bias — the reluctance of team members to give open feedback to senior leaders.
The broader organisational dynamics that shape behaviour.
Step 7 — Root Cause Analysis
We don’t stop at symptoms. For sustainable change, we identify:
Behavioural triggers
Deep patterns beyond the workplace
Underlying drivers of fear, disengagement, or blind spots
Example: poor presentations may not stem from technical skill gaps, but rather from misalignment with personal passion or fear of external judgement.
Step 8 — Choosing Development Priorities
The leader selects one or two focused priorities — no more. Sustained behavioural change requires concentrated energy. I guide them through:
The gain: what they will achieve
The pain: what negative outcomes they can avoid
The commitment: are they willing to invest the necessary time and effort?
Step 9 — A Flexible Yet Predictable Session Format
Every coaching session follows a simple rhythm:
Start-Up: Open on a positive note
Check-Up: Explore what’s top-of-mind
Follow-Up: Review actions, progress, and lessons
End-Up: Agree next steps and close on an energised tone
Step 10 — Leader–Stakeholder 1:1s
Leaders hold structured follow-ups with key stakeholders:
Thank them for involvement
Share personal development focus areas
Ask for ongoing input
Schedule future check-ins
This keeps stakeholders invested and increases visibility of progress.
Step 11 — Supporting Your Leader
Setbacks can stall progress more than any technical barrier. My role is to:
Help leaders process challenges
Gain perspective on setbacks
Reframe experiences as learning opportunities
Re-energise action with renewed clarity
We practice new skills in lower-stakes environments to build confidence.
Step 12 — Stakeholder Follow-Up
Lasting change involves both behaviour and perception. Follow-up conversations help:
Reinforce accountability
Track observed changes
Embed positive momentum
Bringing It All Together
The full 6-month coaching journey typically flows through:
Opening sessions → diagnostic questioning → 360 interviews → development planning → execution → stakeholder follow-up → closing review.
Throughout, we remain flexible, adapting as the leader grows. While the formal engagement ends, meaningful professional relationships often continue for years to come.
References:
Cal Fussman, Double or Nothing, 2008
John Ullmen & Samuel Culbert, Don’t Kill the Bosses, 2018
Nadine Greiner, The Art of Executive Coaching, 2018
