Leadership Coaching Training: how we created a programme that supports leaders and their organisations.
Me, and two of our wonderful first group of leaders - June 2025
When Claire and I first began developing our leadership coaching training programme in late 2023, I knew it would be both super exciting and challenging. Our vision was ambitious: create a 5-day leadership development programme where leaders could immediately implement coaching skills while building on their existing experience. But it was a big undertaking as this wasn't our only work. We're both busy coaches and leadership facilitators juggling client work, running businesses, parenting teenagers and navigating life's inevitable challenges.
Leadership coaching skills vs coach certification: what leaders really need
Early in our planning, we faced a crucial question: should we create a programme leading to coach certification? From our experience, we felt that what most leaders actually wanted wasn't to become professional coaches with their own practice. They wanted to integrate coaching skills into their leadership approach. They wanted to better equip their teams and organisations through better conversations, active listening and unlocking potential in themselves and their direct reports. So that they can be effective in the work that they love to do. Luckily, when we explored accreditation, we realised the focus on quality and standards that a formal qualification involved aligned neatly with our own experience of what made for high quality training and provided a helpful framework for designing the new course. It also means participants can achieve a nationally recognised leadership qualification.
Developing our leadership coaching programme: from concept to delivery
We were fortunate that Birmingham Museum Trust, a genuinely forward-thinking organisation, shared our vision for how coaching skills can create a high performing, inclusive, collaborative workplace culture. They saw an opportunity for our training to form part of their wider organisational transformation programme, including their pioneering work with a new Citizen Jury, and partnered with Birmingham Hippodrome, giving us our first cohort of 11 senior leaders for our pilot leadership training programme. By summer 2024, we were deep in the planning to run our first programme in January 2025.
What followed were countless planning sessions focusing on coaching development content, learning flow, participant engagement and accessibility. We collaborated with a neurodiversity and disability-informed designer to ensure the resources we created were inclusive as standard as we all learn differently and so we wanted to offer flexibility rather than force everyone into the same learning mould. For example, we’ve made use of visual thinking, podcasts, videos and movement-based activities rather than relying only on written resources.
Collaboration: the power of partnership in training design
One of the greatest benefits of this leadership coaching programme development was discovering how our different strengths complemented each other. Claire brings extraordinary attention to detail and extensive coaching experience. She identifies learning gaps I miss and maintains our programme momentum. We have different working styles too, but they complement each other well – both in how we design sessions and deliver them. Having a co-facilitator to test leadership development ideas with, to challenge and encourage progress, made an enormous difference. Having two tutors offers participants access to a wider range of expertise as we’re planning to expand on this in the next course by making sure we both work 1-2-1 with every participant either via tutorials and smaller group supervision.
Our different perspectives on coaching approaches enriched every conversation about programme design. Claire's lived experience as someone who is AuDHD and works with many Neurodivergent clients helped us to create leadership training materials that genuinely work for neurodivergent managers, and their teams. The result was a leadership development programme that feels challenging, covers emerging topics such as Neurodivergent coaching, and which is highly practical, relevant and accessible.
Delivering effective leadership coaching training: flexible facilitation in practice
Co-facilitating Coaching for Leadership brought some unique challenges and rewards. Successful training delivery demands intense focus, energy and the ability to read participant engagement not just in the learning content, but in group dynamics, reflection moments and energy shifts.
Both of us were managing full professional and personal lives throughout programme delivery. Knowing the other facilitator would step in when needed, or simply understand when life got complicated, was vital for maintaining training quality. It meant we could bring our best expertise to each part of the programme.
I'm reminded of a lesson I learned (many) years ago as a teacher during an Ofsted inspection. My planned lesson wasn't working, but instead of adapting my teaching approach, I stuck rigidly to my plan out of fear. I didn't trust my professional instincts and learner engagement suffered. Here, we trusted our coaching expertise, trusted each other's facilitation skills and trusted our participants' learning needs. That professional trust allowed us to respond adaptively and create leadership training truly tailored to the people in the room.
Leadership coaching programme results: recognition and impact
We're very proud of our leadership development programme. The Association for Coaching described our programme application as ‘exemplary and demonstrating deep understanding of how learning occurs’ and participant feedback exceeded our expectations. We identified minor areas for improvement throughout, amending where we could, and in our wash-up meetings once the training was completed. We had some inevitable technology challenges, learning moments that needed refinement for example, where content didn’t land or we’d added too much too soon. We've already made some changes and we’ve developed some new content in response to feedback already. But in the main, are very pleased with the overall design we created. Those long hours were worth it!
The leadership coaching training was engaging, transformative and highly practical. Watching this cohort of talented senior managers develop their coaching capabilities and apply new leadership skills has been incredibly rewarding.
What was said about Coaching for Leadership
I've never had such glowing feedback from staff about training before; feedback was positive without exception. All our participants got a huge amount out of it, not only in building their coaching skills and the application to their leadership but also in the connections they formed with their peers in and outside of Birmingham Museums Trust. The quality of the training and resources was excellent and made a clear case for us in offering more colleagues the opportunity to take part in upcoming Coaching for Leadership programmes.
Robert Lewis, Director of Transformation, Birmingham Museums Trust.
I recommend you take part in this course as it can help you develop a really valuable leadership tool, and also an opportunity to explore coaching in a supportive and joyful environment.
Jo-Ann Curtis, participant
This is an amazing opportunity to learn and develop key leadership and coaching skills that are invaluable for the modern workplace, within a safe, supportive and inclusive environment.
Tom Valentine, Head of People, Birmingham Hippodrome and participant.
Transform your leadership with professional coaching skills training
Our next Coaching for Leadership Programme runs in January 2026 and takes place online and in central York.
Whilst coaching and training can work well online, we believe face-to-face training is essential for new coaches. Our hybrid model, based out of an easily-accessible location (2 hrs from London, 2.5hrs from Edinburgh, 1.5 Manchester, 2hr Birmingham) also offers plentiful low-cost accommodation and the venue is only a 5 minute walk from the station.
Designed specifically for senior managers, team leaders and executives who want to integrate evidence-based coaching approaches into their everyday leadership practice, this is five days of leadership development that could transform how you lead, how your team performs and how your organisation thrives.
What makes Coaching for Leadership different?
Immediately applicable coaching skills and techniques for real workplace challenges
Neuroinclusive programme design and learning materials that work for all
Additional learning opportunities through peer and tutorial support
Expert co-facilitation bringing diverse coaching perspectives
Focus on leadership enhancement
Association for Coaching recognition for programme quality and effectiveness
A 12-month Association for Coaching membership following successful completion of the programme.
Perfect for Leadership Development for:
Senior managers and department heads
Team leaders and project managers
Executive directors and C-suite professionals
Anyone in a leadership role seeking to unlock potential in themselves and their teams
Leaders wanting to improve employee engagement and performance through coaching conversations
Key Learning Outcomes:
Master essential coaching skills for leadership conversations
Develop active listening and powerful questioning techniques
Create psychologically safe environments for team growth
Build confidence in difficult leadership conversations
Implement coaching methodologies that drive organisational results