Exploring the stigma around executive coaching

When working on some communications materials this month, a close colleague at a neighboring firm gave me some advice: They recommended I change the word “coaching” on a flyer to something else – almost anything else.  

Their advice stemmed from their perception that elected officials might not want to pay for “coaching” as they hire a new executive, as they’d like to believe they were hiring someone who is fully prepared and ready to roll. The colleague suggested I shift the coaching language to something like “leadership development” that framed the expense as a way to ensure their new investment/executive is successful. “Coaching”, they cautioned, could imply that the executive wasn’t capable.  

This struck me as fascinating. In so many other fields, from top athletes and actors to healthcare providers and CEOs, the top performers have coaching as part of their toolkit. So why would an executive carry a stigma for seeking support as they carry the weight of running a public sector agency? I’m perplexed by the stigma surrounding public sector leaders receiving coaching, mentoring, and career support. Not only is it counterproductive, it’s badly behind the times. 

Coaching is on the rise – and here to stay

Since the early 2000s, coaching has exploded in popularity. The global coaching profession grew from approximately 71,000 practitioners in 2019 to nearly 123,000 by 2025, an increase of roughly 73% in six years according to the International Coaching Federation. What once seemed like a boutique luxury for CEOs in the private sector has become a core public sector service in the last decade, one that MRG proudly provides to municipal executives across California. Having a neutral partner to work through real-time challenges, especially someone who has sat in your role, is invaluable – full stop.

When I took my first executive job, I invested in a coach at the suggestion of a mentor. I am so glad I made that investment and I’m even more grateful that my boss at the time supported it as well. Having a coach made me a better leader, it helped me regulate the stress of the role and it gave me a place to process things happening that I couldn’t “chew on” with my team or my colleagues. As a lady whose journaling practice can be best described as “once a year” (and often sounds like bad poetry), I’ve learned that I best process the world verbally. Getting support with that is soothing, and it helps get me to clarity so I can make decisions more quickly. 

Embracing support resources this Mental Health Awareness month

And I’ll take this one more step too – I can’t wait for people to admit that they have coaches AND therapists. Anecdotally, I’m hearing more public sector friends say things like “I’m working with my therapist on that!” May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I encourage you to have the moral courage to identify as someone who bravely seeks support with your team. They may not know that seeking support is an option. As a leader, your team is trusting you to take care of yourself and to demonstrate that calling in support is A-OK. 

So don’t shy away from candidates or leaders who continue to develop and improve themselves throughout their careers. Their resilience may surprise you.

Signed,
Jessica Deakyne (A lady with a coach AND a therapist)