The Art and Practice of Leadership Coaching: 50 Top Executive Coaches Reveal Their Secrets

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Research Partner

Hewitt Associates

Executive Assessment and Coaching: A Critical

Building Block for Leaders at Top Companies

The facts are compelling. A company filled with great leaders has improved
business performance. Hewitt Associates’ 2003 Top Companies for Leaders
study found that companies with stronger leadership practices outper-
formed their industry peers in long-term measures of both financial growth
and return.
One practice specifically separating the Top Companies from the others
was the use of executive coaching. Our study found that 47 percent of our
Top 20 Companies for Leaders regularly assign coaches to their high poten-
tial employees. Meanwhile, just 10 percent of the other 300 firms surveyed
made a similar claim. We conclude that the Top 20 know that executive
coaching provides a powerful tool to accelerate the performance of success-
ful executives.
The Ar t and Practice of Leadership Coachingis a landmark resource that
shares many of the perspectives we have gained through our survey and in
the field. Tapping into the experiences of top coaches, it describes exactly
what kind of coaching is going on with today’s top executives. Coaches every-
where should take notice of its findings and strive to adhere to the high stan-
dards of those leading the way.

Tra ined to Provide the Best Services

Our organization is proud to work closely with Marshall Goldsmith in this re-
gard. All Hewitt coaches are personally trained by Marshall, one of the
world’s leading executive coaches, in his behavioral coaching process. This
ensures a consistent coaching process for company executives worldwide.
We also believe that experienced coaches need to be familiar with local
cultures and customs. As such, we have 81 offices in 37 countries, allowing