Coaching for Leaders is a leadership development programme. It equips you with a coaching approach to leadership: the mindset, skills and confidence to hold supportive, person-centred conversations with the people you manage. The Award and Certificate, by contrast, are coach training qualifications that develop you as a practitioner coach working with colleagues or clients in structured coaching relationships. If you want to become a coach, the Award or Certificate is the right route. If you want to lead differently, with more curiosity, compassion and psychological awareness, Coaching for Leaders is the right place to start.

Coaching for Leaders runs across three months, with three full-day online sessions from 9:30am to 5:00pm. Between sessions, you will complete structured self-study and reflection tasks, and you are encouraged to apply what you are learning directly in your day-to-day leadership conversations. The programme is designed to sit alongside a full-time leadership role.

No. The programme is designed for leaders at any stage. You do not need prior coaching knowledge or experience. What is key is that you are in a leadership role currently and have a genuine interest in changing how you conduct conversations with your team.

The programme is structured across three modules and combines tuition, group discussion, reflective practice and coaching practice. It provides the structure and develops your skills to hold supportive, person-centred conversations that are psychologically safe, compassionate and flexible.  It promotes conversations that help your colleagues feel heard and valued, and equips you to spot early signs of disengagement and respond constructively. The programme covers professional and ethical coaching standards and psychological understanding, applied specifically to the leadership context.

You will be required to submit the following pieces of work after the final module to complete the accredited Coach Leader qualification:

• A coaching and development log: recording a minimum of three hours of coaching practice within the workplace and a series of self-study activities completed throughout the programme.
• Coaching reflection: 500 -750 word written critical account of your coaching practice and impact.

You will receive feedback on your assessment and support from a nominated tutor as well as from your peers, through group practices.

There are ten places. Numbers are kept deliberately small to help you get to know the other students on the cohort and benefit from regular feedback from your tutor and peer group.

On successful completion, you will receive an accredited Coaching for Leaders qualification. The programme supports your development as a leader and provides a foundation if you later want to progress into formal coach training through the Fundamentals of Coaching Award or the Developing Confidence in Coaching Certificate.

Yes. All three sessions are delivered live online, so you can participate from anywhere in York or North Yorkshire without needing to travel. The online format also means sessions are accessible to leaders in smaller organisations or more rural locations across the region.  

You will benefit from live facilitated sessions, structured self-study between modules, peer learning with your cohort, access to supervision, and catch-up sessions if working commitments prevent you attending a live session. You will also be invited to join the a programme community site and the wider Conversations for Change community and events including monthly Practice Cafés and Lunch and Learns.

It provides a strong foundation in coaching principles and practice within a leadership context. If you want to pursue a formal coaching qualification, the next step is the Fundamentals of Coaching Award, which begins the accredited coach training pathway. Please contact us if you would like to talk through which programme is right for you and when.