The first conversation
It starts with a discovery call. This is not an interview. It is a mutual exploration. The coach wants to understand where you are, what you are grappling with, and what you want. You want to understand how they work, whether you trust them, and whether this feels like the right move.
A good first call leaves you feeling heard and slightly challenged. If you feel sold to, keep looking.
How sessions work
Most coaching engagements involve sessions every two weeks, lasting 60 to 90 minutes. Some coaches prefer weekly. The rhythm depends on the intensity of the work and the leader's schedule.
Sessions are not lectures. They are conversations. Your coach will ask questions you have not considered. They will hold up a mirror. They will challenge your assumptions. And sometimes they will sit with you in the uncomfortable silence where real insight lives.
In my sessions, we start with a grounding moment — guided breathing, meditation, or a visualization exercise. We always begin with what is present, because the feelings and thoughts you are carrying are exactly what keep you from being in your present moment. From there, we flow. I hold the long-term vision while making sure we are taking daily aligned action toward making it real. It is structured enough to create momentum and open enough to go wherever the real work needs to go.
What you will work on
Every engagement is different because every leader is different. But common themes surface consistently.
- How you show up under pressure and what that costs you
- The gap between who you are and how you lead
- Patterns that served you at one level but limit you at the next
- Your relationship with control, trust, and vulnerability
- How your body holds leadership stress and what to do about it
The work between sessions
Coaching is not a weekly appointment you check off. The real work happens between sessions. You will notice things differently. You will catch yourself mid-pattern. You will try new approaches and report back on what happened.
Some coaches assign homework. Others trust the process to generate its own momentum. Either way, you get out what you put in.
How it ends
Good coaching has a natural arc. You come in with something unresolved. You work through it. You develop new capacity. And at some point, you realize you have what you need to continue on your own.
Some leaders work with a coach for three months. Others for a year or longer. There is no right answer. The engagement is complete when the leader has internalized the growth and no longer needs the container.