How to Become a Leadership Coach

Hey there, coach! Ever wondered what it really takes to become a Leadership Coach? Maybe you’ve been dreaming about empowering others to step into their leadership potential, but you’re not sure where to start.

Well, you’re in the right place, because we’ve got the inside scoop!

In this blog post, we’re diving into everything you need to know to start your journey as a Leadership Coach, from the first steps to pro tips that’ll set you apart.

Oh, and in case we haven’t met yet, we’re Cass and Tee – the dynamic duo behind Lovely Impact, your go-to resource for all things coaching.

With years of experience helping coaches like you succeed, we’re here to guide you through the process, and we can’t wait to see you shine.

Understanding the Role of a Leadership Coach

“I know I could do so much more if I were a better leader!”

That’s what your clients are thinking. They’ve got an itch to go from a good leader to a phenomenal leader. 

You’re the guiding light that helps them get there. A leadership coach who takes the *meh* and turns it into a-MEh-zing!

When people become the leaders they’re destined to be — dream teams are built, employees are motivated, leaders become role models, and businesses thrive. 

It’s a wonderful journey where you can go side by side with your clients. 

Let’s take a peek into the definition of leadership coaching and peel back the layers of what a leadership coach does.  

What is Leadership Coaching?

Leadership coaching is taking a person in a leadership role and sprucing up their autonomy, communication style, and self-awareness.

The goal: When these skills are sharpened, all that juicy development will trickle down and impact the people who work for or with your client. 

A leadership coach lives for the business arena, but it doesn’t always have to c-suite executives. 

(We’ll dive deeper into the differences between executive coaching and leadership coaching later!)

A leadership coach can help people in supervisory roles, middle management, team leaders, and people in non-managerial roles.

We are all faced with a moment in life where we need to step up, right? With leadership coaching everyone in YOUR vicinity is leveled-up ready to take on new challenges. 

It’s pretty amazing!

What does a Leadership Coach do?

Shaping a resilient leader doesn’t happen overnight, but don’t worry! Leadership coaches use proven behavioral modifications to start bridging the leadership gap. 

As a leadership coach you’ll have one-on-one sessions with your client to:

• Get a rundown on what your client’s goals are. “I want to be a better leader” is just too general. Stay away from the generic! Work with your client to understand the bigger picture and what being a better leader will accomplish for the business. 

• Create an action plan. When you build trust with your client and they’re transparent about their goals, you’ll work with them to piece together a rock-solid strategy to guide them to start improving their skills and bring their professional A-game. 

• Collect data. Go detective mode and gather data that can help shed light on the condition of the business before, during, and after your coaching program. As you work magic as a leadership coach, the data should show improvement. 

• Conduct discussions with your client to fine-tune leadership skills. With the art of insightful questions and being a mirror for your client to reflect with, you guide your client on a journey to professional development. You’ll also give challenges and activities to turn up the heat and put their skills to the test. 

• Help clients achieve goals. We can’t leave this one out! During sessions, you’ll review progress with your clients and CELEBRATE with them when they complete their goals. 

There are no mysteries here! Just good ol’ science, psychology, and strategy. 

That means YOU have a handy roadmap to be an impactful and extraordinary coach. 

In other words, you 1000% can rock it as a leadership coach if you’ve got the passion, grit, and desire to connect with people.

Leadership Coach vs. Executive Coach: Key Differences

Is it to-MAY-to or is it to-MAH-to?

Well, a leadership coach role and an executive coach role seem similar and confuse people, too.

While both operate in the business world, there’s a subtle difference between them. 

Like the ocean and the sea, both are salty water, but their geography and the space they take up is different. 

We’ll clear things up here for you. 

Executive coaching: This type of coaching focuses on C-suite executives and people in upper-level management. Coaching is done through one-on-one sessions and is usually pursued when CEOs need a fresh outside perspective. 

Leadership coaching: This type of coaching has a broader target clientele. It can be for middle management, first-time managers, team leaders, and supervisors. It can be done one-on-one, in group sessions, or in workshops. 

See it now? Similar, but different. 

Each type of coaching focuses on developing leadership skills but at different levels of management of a business. 

The end goal is that the business as a whole experiences a wave of transformation. 

Leadership Coach Job Description

Now that we’ve given you a BIG HINT about who you’ll be working with (more on that later!) — Let’s put the rubber to the road and see what it’s actually like to be a leadership coach. 

Daily Activities and Client Interactions

Your day will look different depending on whether you’re employed by a company or if you’re an independent contractor. 

If you’re an employed leadership coach you’ll have the reassurance of getting your hours at a 9 to 5 and your employer will provide you with a steady stream of leadership material and clients to work with. 

They may have a coaching program locked and loaded for you or they might ask you to come up with one on your own depending on the needs of the company. 

On the other hand, if you’re a leadership coach working as an independent contractor, you’ll have a juggling act of looking for clients, back-end business tasks, and coaching sessions.

In that case, you can expect your days to be filled with the following good stuff: 

• Doing what you do best! If you’re a leadership coach, then of course, you have a block of time set aside to do your leadership coaching thing! Don’t forget to set aside non-coaching days so you can…

• Look for clients. This can be the scariest part… or is it? When you’re in charge of looking for clients you get the freedom to be ultra-specific on who your ideal client is and set the rhythm of your coaching life. Have an abundance mindset, coach! Did you know your clients are actually looking for you? Do your part to make the connection.

• Back-end business tasks. These are the non-face-to-face tasks that are essential for your business like accounting, scheduling, invoicing, and marketing.

• Collaborating with other coaches and embarking on your own professional development. Do you want to be the best at what you do? Never stop growing, coach! Set aside time to collaborate with other coaches, and see what they’re doing (psst! It could land you some clients!) Also, spend time reading up to improve your skills or take courses to power up your coaching abilities. 

• Stay in contact with your clients. If life was a straight road it’d be boring. But because of life’s twisting nature, your clients are going to need ongoing support and for you to swoop in and provide impromptu problem-solving. PLUS, who are they going to call when they want to celebrate success? Why you of course! When we say you get to be there for a transformative journey, we mean EVERY part of the journey. These moments are the adrenaline rushes a leadership coach lives for!

Long-Term Objectives for Leadership Clients

You’re not putting together a one-week of impact, no way! You’re a leadership coach fearlessly in it to make lasting change.

So when clients sign up with you, let them know — When the timer is up on your very last coaching session, the light is going to keep shining through! In the weeks, months, and years to come, your client’s skills will remain radiant and just like new.

You’re painting a masterpiece. To get a stunning complete work of art, you need a splash of color. Each professional skill brings new color and depth to the art piece. 

In the end, you’ll have PEAK professional performance; a charismatic leader people would LOVE to work for. 

Here’s what that looks like:

• A leader who has a sharp focus on self-awareness. You’ll pull back the curtain to show your clients what’s really going on behind the scenes. You’ll help reveal critical issues that they might have been aware of. You’re a leadership coach who always puts the spotlight on your clients. But that’s not all. You’ll help your clients develop the skills to continue having eagle eyes for any issues that may come up in the future. 

• A leader who has enhanced their decision-making and autonomy. Your client will learn that a business won’t run itself. They have a hand in all the business operations and their decisions ripple through the company. They’ll welcome the freedom they have to make an impact on the business. 

• A leader who has a wellspring of motivation. A wildfire starts with a simple spark. You’re the ignition to get your client fired up and flaming with passion and motivation to stick with the company and make it successful. 

• A leader who has forged confidence. You’ll help your client squash their inner critic so that their superstar leadership powers can ooh and ahh their peers. You’ll make their confidence and energy contagious. 

• A leader who has an endless desire to inspire, manage, and build a powerhouse team. You’ll work with your client so they’ll know how to inspire their team to bring their very best to work each day — and they’ll be brimming with excitement to strategize with you to get it done. 

Can you imagine meeting such a person? Oh, coach, you’ll do so much more! 

As a leadership coach, you’ll actually have the opportunity to take the clay in your hands and shape it into a leader who oozes charisma from every pore!

The Path to Becoming a Leadership Coach

If you’re bubbling with excitement and can feel the potential charisma emanating from your future clients — and you’re just dying to work with these leaders, hang on tight!  

Because we’re going to share with you the nuts and bolts of how to catapult yourself into the leadership coaching arena. 

Relevant Educational Background

There are no educational requirements for being a leadership coach.

HOWEVER, if you have a degree in business, business management, and HR. You’re WAY ahead of the game. 

Again, not required, but something we highly recommend is getting certified with a leadership coaching program. 

There are great options online (which we’ll outline below). 

The most important thing we want to make sure you do is to get a certification that is accredited by the International Coaching Federation.

Why?

Because the ICF is a global organization that makes sure that a leadership coach is trained to be a GOOD coach. So if you go through a course that has been ICF accredited, you’ll know it has been reviewed and approved by coaches who take this leadership coaching thing seriously. 

Not a fly-by-night course creator who’s in it to make money. 

Gaining Leadership and Coaching Experience

To start your journey to brilliance you need experience. And lots of it!

What’s a humble leadership coach with no background in leadership coaching to do?

We’re gonna give you some inspiration to get those brain-y gears turning.

1. Be a leader! You don’t have to lead the modern-day democracy into the 21st century. It can be as simple as being a youth leader, leading a volunteer group, or leading a hobbies group. Anything to prime your leadership coach skills. We think you’ll find that — no matter what you’re leading —  you’ll quickly discover it’s a dynamic role to be in. And that’s the whole point!

2. Get into a managerial role at your job. Let’s put it into second gear. By stepping into a paid management role, you’ll definitely get exposure to what it’s like to lead and experience the risk that goes with it. You’ll encounter a flurry of factors that affect leadership and see firsthand how your decisions impact people.

3. Be an entrepreneur. The MOST efficient way to learn about business is to start one! Starting your own business, you’ll taste the delicious flavors of freedom and autonomy; things that are critical for leaders to have. 

4. Work with family or friends. Make a deal with the people who know you best. Your leadership coach expertise for something in return. This is a safe and practical way to put your chops to the test. 

5. Collaborate with other leadership coaches. Don’t be afraid to stand on the shoulders of giants! To get ahead fast, you can follow the breadcrumbs of success left behind by the coaches who have gone before you. 

Ask, ask, ask! Big or small, welcome any opportunity you get to shine and apply your knowledge to the real world. With time, the experiences will build on each other allowing you to get further and further toward achieving your dream of being a leadership coach. 

Top Leadership Coach Certifications

Certification is where your leadership coaching dreams are made! A certification lets you know pure and simple what you need to SUCCEED in this industry. 

Don’t know where to start? We got you covered. 

Here are some leadership coach certifications to level up your coaching career. 

Harvard Leadership Programs

Straight from the prestigious university itself. We have some top leadership coach certifications curated by Harvard.

Click the links and see if any speak to your fierce leadership spirit. 

Executive Leadership Coaching Mastery Session: A juicy exploration of neuroscience and human development. A course to deepen your leadership coaching skills with science-back strategy.

Leadership Coaching Strategies: A course designed with team building in mind. Overcome workplace challenges, cultivate engagement, and build a team that leaves people knocking on the door wanting IN.

Inclusive Leadership for a Diverse Workplace: Provide the glue that keeps awesome leaders inspired to work for a diverse workplace. Foster awareness and excellence within teams.

John Maxwell Leadership Program

Revamp your leadership coaching with a course created by John Maxwell. A public speaker and expert on all things leadership coaching.

Maxwell Leadership Program: Get the tools, resources, and ongoing community support to build a successful leadership coaching business. Be a leadership coach who earns a living doing what you love. 

International Coaching Federation

We’ve got more, coach! When in doubt you can go to the ICF website and search for a leadership coach program.

We’ll even do you one better, and save you a few clicks. Check out link below, apply your search criteria and filters, and you’ll be ready to smash that buy button!

International Coaching Federation Education Search Tool

If you’ve got the time to click around some more, we recommend looking at the ICF home page, too. There are a lot of wonderful resources you can look through. 

Starting Your Practice

Starting a business is like making a soufflé. Get the recipe wrong and it deflates! Get it right, and it will come out of the oven warm, delicious, and standing tall. 

Let’s get the ingredients for your leadership coach business right on the first go!

Step 1: Legal considerations: Choosing the right business structure

Sole proprietor, LLC, S-corp, oh my!

What does it all mean?

These are types of business entities. You will have to choose what type of business entity YOUR leadership coach business will be. 

A sole proprietorship makes no distinction between the business and the sole owner of the business. This means you’re a one-person show and your personal assets are considered a part of your business assets. 

A Limited Liability Company MAKES a distinction between your business and personal assets (hint: choose this one to start!). This means that in case legal trouble happens, your personal assets are protected because they’re not considered a part of your business. 

An S corp is a business entity that can pass taxable income to shareholders. This one is for bigger companies looking for tax advantages. So if you’re just starting, keep it in the back of your mind for now. It’ll be something to look into later. 

Step 2: Conducting market analysis

Once you have all the legal biz stuff squared away, you can start your countdown to take off. 

But let’s fill your tank up with a special fuel that will get you further in your quest to be a fantastic leadership coach. 

Market analysis is the fuel you need to go far. 

You need to know what the market’s needs are, so you can fill that need. 

Think about these questions:

• Who are your ideal clients and where can you find them?
• What keeps them awake at night and how can you solve that problem?
• How do your competitors try to solve that problem?
• How will you bring your own flair and flavor to make yourself different from your competitors?
• What services do they provide?
• How do they structure their leadership coaching programs?

If you can find the answers to these questions and plan a strategy that solves that ONE big problem for your clients, you’re golden.

➡️ Need a little help? Our FREE Marketing Research Workbook is here to walk you through market research, ensuring you’ve got all the answers before launching your strategy.

Step 3: Developing your signature leadership coaching program

After clicking around and doing market analysis, you’re ready to craft your perfect leadership coaching program that’s seasoned with a good amount of your unique leadership coach style.

As you scribble in your notebook or type away piecing together your program, keep in mind these three main questions.

• What is the BIGGEST leadership issue you want to help your clients solve?
• What is the MOST significant change you want your clients to walk away with?
• How will your leadership coaching program be structured, how long will it take, and what will be your way of measuring your clients’ success?

(That ended up being 5 questions. More power to you if you get them ALL answered!)

Revise, edit, scrap, and start over, until you have an offer that’s so good, your clients will be throwing their wallets at you. 

Step 4: Designing your brand identity

Cohesiveness is key.

All that time you spent matching your clothes as a teenager is finally going to pay off!

When you start building your social media presence, website, business cards, and landing pages (all the good stuff), you want colors, fonts, and tone to flow and match up like a pinstripe suit.

Going off-brand will make it look like you’re wearing stripes and polka dots! Your target audience will notice it fast.  

➡️ Your brand should be as unique as your coaching style! Let our Brand Clarity Guide take you on a journey to align your brand with your purpose and build something truly meaningful.

Step 5: Building a professional coaching website

With your signature brand identity in focus, let it soak into your website. 

If you’ve been on a first date, you know first impressions can be tough! It’s the same thing with your website. Your clients take 0.05 seconds to get a first impression.

Yes, you read that right!

0.05 seconds. 

That’s lightning fast. Give your website care and attention, so you can let your clients know clearly and quickly what kind of leadership coach you are. 

It’s the introduction to you, your mission, and what outcomes your clients can expect when they work with you. 

That’s a hefty demand!

Never fear! That’s why we’re here!

➡️ Need a guiding hand to help you get started and turn your website into a client-getting machine? Let us help you! Follow this link. You’ll be glad you did!

Step 6: Launching your leadership coaching services

You’re just about ready to shoot off into the stratosphere and plant your flag of success. 

To kick off your business operations, you’ll need a grand opening!

Build the buzz, confirm the rumors, activate the grapevine! Let everyone’s mom know, AND their cats, that you’re starting something big.

Your leadership coach biz, ultimately, is YOUR baby! You need to take every avenue to show it off. Not everyone is going to fancy looking at your baby pictures, but it’s NECESSARY to talk about your baby biz like a proud parent. 

Use social media, business cards, your website, local events, and networking events to get the word out!

➡️ Not sure where to start with your social media? Grab our FREE Social Media Strategy Checklist to organize your profiles and create a client-attracting strategy with ease.

Step 7: Attracting and retaining leadership coaching clients

If you have a robust brand identity and shining website you should be able to attract clients with consistent effort.

(*Cough, cough!* Click the link in step 5!)

You can channel clients to your (stunning) website through social media and networking. 

Retaining leadership coaching clients is the next step in your coaching career. 

There are three ways to do this. 

1. Get clients on retainer. This is when you contract clients monthly. This ensures you have a regular monthly income as a leadership coach.

2. Build a referral network (with clients). Incentivize clients to refer other clients to you. For example, you could offer $100 off your coaching package if your clients bring you another client. There are many ways you can incentivize clients to bring you more business. 

3. Build a referral network (with other leadership coaches). Long story short… make friends with your peers! Don’t think of other coaches as your enemies or direct competitors. Have a positive mindset (critical to have as a leadership coach!) See others as collaborators and fellow visionaries. If a client is not right for them, they’ll be happy to refer that client to you and vice versa. 

Why Choose Leadership Coaching as a Career?

If you love the fast-paced moving pieces of a business and you are OBSESSED with seeing a meek person transform into a charismatic and tenacious leader — you coach — have found your calling. 

Suit up, because this is an industry that needs you NOW!

Making an Impact on Leaders and Organizations

Think about your favorite superhero. They have an origin story where they go from ordinary to a person with superpowers! We love it! And that’s what you’ll get to witness as a leadership coach when you roll up your sleeves and work with leaders and business organizations. 

You’ll get to:

• Cultivate communication
• Foster conflict-resolution
• Develop self-awareness
• Help people be seen, heard, and understood
• Help people be valued
• Forge trust
• Take a “talker” who talks and turn them into a walker who walks “the walk”. That is, a leader who leads by example!

You get to watch a leader’s origin story unfold with superpowers right before your eyes!

The Growing Demand for Leadership Coaches

Entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and online business are the buzzwords of the century! Never before have we seen so many people striking out on their own looking to be leaders. 

And companies are realizing that their success depends on the leadership of their employees. They need a leadership coach STAT!

With ever-growing competition, a resilient company will outlast even the toughest competition. 

Companies are spending money to foster leadership internally. And they are doing so happily, because they know in the long run, the entire business will benefit and be successful. 

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re considering becoming a leadership coach, you’ve probably got a few questions. We’ve gathered some of the most common ones to help guide you through your journey. Whether you’re just starting or looking to refine your coaching path, these answers will give you a clearer picture of what it takes to succeed as a leadership coach.

How much does a leadership coach cost?

The cost of hiring a leadership coach can vary widely depending on their experience, expertise, and location. On average, leadership coaches charge anywhere between $150 to $500 per hour, with more established coaches potentially charging higher rates. Some coaches offer packages or group sessions that might lower the overall cost. Remember, the value of a leadership coach lies in their ability to help you grow both personally and professionally, which often justifies the investment.

Why hire a leadership coach?

Hiring a leadership coach can be a game-changer for your career and personal development. A leadership coach helps you sharpen your leadership skills, build emotional intelligence, and navigate challenges in your professional life. Whether you’re looking to level up in your career, improve your team management, or develop a clearer vision for your role, a leadership coach provides the support, strategies, and accountability needed to achieve your goals.

What is the difference between a life coach and a leadership coach?

While both life coaches and leadership coaches focus on personal development, their areas of expertise are different. A life coach helps clients with broader life issues like personal fulfillment, relationships, and work-life balance. On the other hand, a leadership coach hones in on professional growth, focusing on skills like communication, decision-making, and leading teams. If you’re aiming to enhance your leadership abilities in a work environment, a leadership coach is the way to go.

How do I find a leadership coach?

Finding the right leadership coach begins with identifying your specific needs and goals. Start by asking for recommendations from colleagues or industry professionals, as word-of-mouth referrals can be invaluable. You can also search online directories or coaching platforms that specialize in leadership coaching. Look for a coach whose style and experience align with your goals, and don’t hesitate to schedule an introductory session to ensure it’s the right fit before committing.

Final Thoughts

We hope this guide gave you a clear path to becoming a leadership coach!

To recap, we started by explaining the role of a leadership coach and how it differs from other types of coaching. Then, we explored the essential skills and qualifications needed to excel in this field, including certifications and business strategies for launching your practice. Finally, we answered some of the most common questions you may have about the profession.

Now, we’d love to hear from you:

What’s the first step you’re excited to take on your journey to becoming a leadership coach? Are you ready to dive into certifications, or are you focusing on building your coaching program first?

Whatever it is, let us know by leaving a comment below. And if this guide helped you out, feel free to share it with others who might be on the same path!