Image courtesy of Roman Grac from Pixabay
Written by Joanna Woo, PsyD, MBA. Reviewed by Emily Sander, PsyD, LP.
I am no fortune teller, but I’m willing to bet that all the winter Olympic athletes are gearing up for the next Winter Olympic Games, which are happening in Italy! I’m also willing to predict that most of them are not only showing up to practice, but they are also utilizing other techniques and tools to be both physically and mentally prepared for one of the biggest events in their lifetime. From strength training to visualization techniques to optimal nutrition and recovery, Olympic Athletes have a team dedicated to increasing their chances of winning a medal for their home country, and among their team, there are different specialty coaches, such as a Strength and Conditioning Coach, a Head Coach, a Mental Performance Coach, a Nutrition Coach, etc.
The reason I bring up Olympic athletes and the numerous coaches supporting them is because many people wonder why professionals or senior business leaders would hire or even need a coach if they’re at the top echelon of their company. Shouldn’t they already be the best? Well, Olympians are arguably the best of the best at their sports, and they have a team of coaches. This showcases the value of having a coach even when you’re at the peak of your career. So, working professionals generally benefit from having an executive coach, but what exactly is an executive coach?
Image courtesy of Ronald Carreño from Pixabay
While some call it an executive coach, other people call it a leadership coach or a performance coach. The main essence captured here is that the executive coach helps improve one’s ability to perform in a professional setting. But do I need to be a leader to benefit from coaching? The simple answer is no, and the complicated answer is also a no! Everyone can practice leadership regardless of their role or position. If we think about what makes a good leader, we think about qualities, such as caring, thoughtful, understanding, knowledgeable, supportive, strategic, and the list goes on. These qualities can be adopted by any individual regardless of their professional ranks. Therefore, if you’re a working individual, you most likely can benefit from executive coaching.
Because we’re all humans, we can’t completely separate ourselves from our personal life. An executive coach can also help an individual grow both professionally and personally. In general, executive coaching starts with an assessment phase, in which the coaching gathers information about the client through different assessment measures (e.g., professional developmental interview, personality assessments, emotional intelligence measures). With a comprehensive picture of the client, the coach and the client collaboratively create a professional development plan. This plan includes identifying a few goals to work towards and specific action steps to take on a weekly basis that will help the client make progress towards their identified goals.
As executive coaching progresses, the client works towards their goals not only through taking concrete actions, but also through having insightful discussions with their coach. Executive coaching helps increase self-awareness, make sustained behavioral changes and propel an individual forward towards their goals. Some people might think “but I don’t really have any big goals in mind”. Let’s go back to the Olympic athlete example, some train every week with different coaches just to improve their time by milliseconds, because that miniscule progress becomes the significant difference between silver and gold. With an executive coach, you won’t be focusing on milliseconds, but you can focus on small details that you may overlook that lead to significant differences in your life.
Whether you want to elevate your performance, sharpen your strengths, or navigate life with more confidence, an executive coach can help bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to be. Growth happens when effort aligns with insight.
Learn more about executive coaching with an enhancement package here.
Joanna Woo, PsyD, MBA | Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Joanna Woo earned her Doctorate in Psychology and Master’s in Business Administration from Widener University in 2025. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in Northfield, Minnesota, where she provides individual therapy and executive coaching to professionals. Dr. Woo integrates psychological expertise with business insight to support clients in achieving both personal well-being and professional growth.
