The executive coaching industry is worth $20 billion — and yet most leaders and HR teams either skip the vetting process entirely or choose coaches for the wrong reasons. In this episode, Bernadette Boas lays out a powerful, practical framework including 15 must-ask questions so you can confidently identify, evaluate, and hire the executive or leadership coach who will drive real transformation in your organization.

Who This Episode Is For

•       Individual leaders seeking a sounding board, honest feedback, or career acceleration

•       Team leaders & hiring managers developing high-potentials or addressing toxic behavior

•       HR and L&D leaders building or expanding a coaching program for their organization

Core Topic:

How to properly vet, select, and structure an executive or leadership coaching engagement — and why getting it wrong wastes money, damages morale, and gives coaching a bad reputation.

The Biggest Challenges Leaders Face

•       Choosing coaches by referral alone — without asking a single vetting question

•       Selecting coaches based on comfort rather than fit (coaching is meant to be uncomfortable)

•       Misunderstanding credentials and certifications — or ignoring them entirely

•       Expecting coaching to be a quick fix rather than a sustained investment in transformation

•       Failing to define developmental vs. remedial coaching needs before the search begins

•       Not involving the employee in understanding why they're receiving coaching

Key Takeaways

•       Define Your Need First

•       The Higher You Climb, the Lonelier It Gets

•       ROI Is Real and Measurable

•       Chemistry ≠ Comfort

Bernadette's 3-Step Framework for Finding the Right Coach

•       Step 1 — Do the internal work

•       Step 2 — Ask hard questions: Use the 15 questions (10 universal + 5 for HR/organizational sponsors) to rigorously vet every candidate.

•       Step 3 — Evaluate Chemistry, Credentials, and Clarity

Your Weekly Challenge

Identify one leadership challenge for yourself or someone on your team that executive or leadership coaching could address. Start the conversation about coaching ROI, and take one concrete next step.

Connect with Bernadette

•       Book a Discovery Call: coachmebernadette.com/discovery-call

•       Website: balloffirecoaching.com

•       Podcast: Shedding the Corporate Bitch on Apple Podcasts & other platforms

•       YouTube: Shedding the Corporate Bitch channel

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