Coaching support for leader/ship identity work among senior leaders: expert coaches' perspectives

This qualitative doctoral research explores how executive coaches support Leader/ship identity work among senior leaders. Using a Narrative Inquiry methodology, the study analyses 34 semi-structured narrative interviews with international expert coaches, offering insights into coaching practices and contributing to four key areas: conceptual, practical, research and global contexts, with a particular focus on the international diversity of coaches working with leaders worldwide. The research defines Leader/ship identity work as a unified approach to both Leader identity work and Leadership identity work in executive coaching, emphasising the evolving and holistic nature of identity development in senior leaders. It highlights the critical role of coaching support, including trust, reflection and creating a safe, non-judgemental space, to facilitate this Identity work. Two conceptual frameworks are developed to understand Identity work and its multiple domains, grounded in a multi-disciplinary literature review. The study critically examines existing executive coaching literature, identifying gaps and suggesting ways to advance the field. It presents an empirically derived Mechanism of Executive Coaching to Support Leader/ship Identity Work, which includes three themes: Holistic and Dynamic Leader/ship Identity Work, Contextual Factors and Intrinsic Aspects Influencing Leader/ship Identity Work and Coaches' Support of Leader/ship Identity Work. This Mechanism aligns leaders' identities with their aspirations, promoting both personal and professional growth. The study concludes by conceptualising executive coaching as an Identity Enhancement Space, refining existing coaching concepts and practices. It offers recommendations for future research, encouraging the exploration of the long-term impact of coaching on Leader/ship identity through longitudinal and mixed-method studies. Additionally, future research should prioritise greater sample diversity, multiple data sources and a mix of coach perspectives to ensure a more balanced, evidence-based understanding of coaching practices.

Grantor dc:publisher

Oxford Brookes University

Author dc:creator

• Koroleva, Nelia

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved

Language dc:language

en

DOI dc:identifier

https://doi.org/10.24384/8wft-km79

OAI identifier oai:identifier

tle:59eef20e-0a3d-4f36-8908-ad7df3d9defc:d6bd9758-527a-46cd-bfe2-c433766e8fca:1