Are you an executive? Study these terms to enhance your professional development.

Executive Skill Development

A comprehensive assessment process where a leader receives confidential, anonymous feedback from the people who work around them (boss, peers, direct reports, and sometimes clients).

A behavior, attitude, or style of working that a leader is unaware of, but which is obvious to others and may be hindering their effectiveness.

An initial, non-binding meeting between a potential coach and a client to determine if there is enough personal rapport and trust to work together effectively.

The representative of the organization (often HR or a senior executive) who pays for the coaching engagement and ensures the coaching goals align with business objectives.

A meeting involving the coach, the coachee (client), and the sponsor to align on goals, expectations, and success metrics at the beginning and end of the engagement.

The ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you; a frequent focus of executive coaching.

A state of mind or belief about oneself that restricts a person in some way (e.g., "I'm not good at public speaking"), which the coach helps the client identify and overcome.

The ability of a leader to project confidence, poise, and authority, inspiring confidence in others among subordinates, peers, and senior leadership.

The obligation of the coachee to account for their activities, accept responsibility for them, and disclose the results to the coach in a transparent manner.

Standardized tests (like Hogan, MBTI, or DiSC) used to measure a leader's personality, behavior, and potential, providing data-driven insights for the coaching process.

The belief that talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and input from others; a concept often encouraged in coaching to foster resilience.

A psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud."

A technique used by coaches to help a client view a situation, thought, or feeling from a different perspective to change its meaning and empower the client.

A document that details an employee's intentions and learning outcomes as well as support necessary to meet their tangible growth goals.

In coaching, the measurement of the monetary benefits derived from the coaching engagement (e.g., increased productivity, retention) compared to the cost of the coaching.

A core coaching skill involving asking open-ended, thought-provoking questions that invite the client to reflect deeply and find their own solutions.

A communication technique where the coach fully concentrates, understands, responds, and then remembers what is being said, often listening for subtext and emotion.

The process of maintaining good relationships with the people who have the most impact on your work; often a key skill developed during coaching.

The ethical principle that what is shared between the coach and coachee remains private, which is essential for building the trust required for deep work.

A leadership style where leaders encourage, inspire, and motivate employees to innovate and create change that will help grow and shape the future success of the company.

A concept often used by Marshall Goldsmith, focusing on providing suggestions for the future rather than dwelling on feedback about the past.

An employee who has been identified as having the potential, ability, and aspiration to hold successive leadership positions in an organization.

A strategy for passing on leadership roles—often used as the trigger for hiring a coach to prepare a leader for a C-suite promotion.

The state of agreement or cooperation among persons, groups, nations, etc., with a common cause or viewpoint; ensuring the leader's personal goals match the company's strategy.

A close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups concerned understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well.