12 Proven Executive Coaching Techniques That Transform Leadership
In the high-stakes environment of 2026, leadership is no longer just about strategy and execution; it is about psychological agility, emotional intelligence, and radical resilience. As an elite-level accredited coach (CPC, CPRC, ACC, CFAA), Beth Siegert at Bon Dakini Healing has spent over 35 years observing the fine line between burnout and breakthrough.
executive coaching
To bridge that gap, professional coaches utilize a variety of executive coaching techniques and executive coaching models designed to dismantle limiting beliefs and rebuild a leader’s capacity for impact.
Below, we explore 12 transformative techniques that Beth integrates into her practice to help C-suite executives, directors, and emerging leaders thrive.
Let's work together to help you succeed.
Schedule a Free 20-Minute Consultation
Executive Coaching Techniques
"Success in business isn't just about strategy, it's about the mindset you cultivate. Lead with vision, adapt with resilience, and empower your team to unlock their full potential."
The Foundation: Core Executive Coaching Models
Before diving into specific exercises, it is essential to understand the frameworks that guide the process. These models provide the “roadmap” for the coaching journey.
1. The GROW Model
The GROW model is the gold standard of executive coaching models. It stands for:
Goal: What do you want to achieve?
Reality: Where are you now?
Options: What could you do?
Way Forward: What will you do?
By following this sequence, Beth helps leaders move from abstract desires to concrete, actionable plans.
2. The CLEAR Model
For leaders focusing on cultural transformation, the CLEAR model (Contracting, Listening, Exploring, Action, Review) emphasizes the interpersonal relationship between the coach and the leader, ensuring that every session is rooted in mutual trust and clear expectations.
Schedule a Free 20-Minute Consultation
Executive Coaching Techniques
12 Transformative Executive Coaching Techniques
1. The 360-Degree Feedback Loop
One of the most potent leadership coaching exercises involves gathering anonymous feedback from a leader’s peers, subordinates, and superiors. Beth uses her background in executive finance and IT to help clients parse this data without getting defensive. This technique uncovers “blind spots”—behaviors that the leader is unaware of but that are affecting the entire organization.
2. Radical Inquiry and Powerful Questioning
An expert coach doesn’t provide answers; they ask the questions that the leader has been avoiding. Techniques like “The Five Whys” help get to the root cause of a leadership plateau. Instead of asking “How do we increase revenue?” Beth might ask, “What part of your leadership style is currently acting as a bottleneck for your team’s creativity?”
3. Cognitive Reframing
Leaders often operate under “limiting stories”—beliefs like “I’m not tech-savvy enough for 2026” or “If I show vulnerability, I lose authority.” Cognitive reframing is a technique used to challenge these narratives and replace them with empowering truths. This is particularly effective for those in recovery, where reframing “failure” as “data” is vital for progress.
4. The “Empty Chair” Technique
Borrowed from Gestalt therapy, this exercise involves the leader speaking to an empty chair as if it were a difficult board member, employee, or even their own “inner critic.” This allows the leader to externalize conflict and practice difficult conversations in a safe, controlled environment.
5. Values Alignment Mapping
Burnout often occurs when a leader’s daily actions are misaligned with their core values. This technique involves listing personal values (e.g., Integrity, Innovation, Connection) and auditing how much time is spent on each. Beth helps clients realign their schedules to reflect their true mission.
6. Stakeholder Centered Coaching (SCC)
Developed by Marshall Goldsmith, this technique involves the leader choosing a specific behavior to change (e.g., “becoming a better listener”) and involving their stakeholders in the improvement process. It turns the entire office into a support system for the leader’s growth.
7. Mindfulness and Somatic Awareness
In the high-pressure world of IT and Finance, leaders often live “in their heads.” Somatic coaching techniques help leaders tune into physical signals of stress—such as a tight chest or clenched jaw. By recognizing these signals early, a leader can regulate their nervous system before making a critical decision.
8. The Wheel of Life (Executive Version)
This exercise asks the leader to rank their satisfaction in various domains: Career, Health, Recovery, Family, and Personal Growth. It provides a visual representation of where the leader is “out of balance.” For Beth, this often includes a focus on the “Recovery” spoke, ensuring that professional success doesn’t come at the cost of personal sobriety or mental health.
9. Role-Reversal Exercises
To build empathy, a key requirement for leadership in 2026 Beth guides leaders through role-reversal exercises. The leader takes on the persona of a frustrated employee or an unhappy client. This shift in perspective often leads to “Aha!” moments that data alone cannot provide.
10. “Stop, Start, Continue” Audit
This is a high-impact, practical exercise. The leader identifies:
Stop: What legacy behaviors are no longer serving the team?
Start: What new habits (like weekly 1-on-1s) need to be implemented?
Continue: What am I doing well that needs to be scaled?
11. Future Self Visualization
Beth uses her intuitive approach to guide leaders through a visualization of their “Future Self” three years from now. By working backward from that successful vision, leaders can identify the specific hurdles they need to clear today to reach that destination.
12. Narrative Coaching (The Story Arc)
Every leader is the protagonist of their own professional story. Beth helps clients view their current challenges as the “inciting incident” or the “climax” of their journey. This technique provides the psychological distance needed to view obstacles as necessary steps for growth rather than permanent roadblocks.
