Leadership Coaching vs. Small Business Coaching: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters
There is no question coaching for business professionals and business owners is growing. According to Paperbell, since 2020 the number of coaching practitioners has more than doubled, reflecting a significant increase for this industry. The global business coaching market is on such a growth trajectory; the expectations are it will once again double by the year 2030.
Just like leaders and business owners are different, with unique challenges and strengths, coaching is different for each individual so never one size-fits-all. Coaching must fit a personality, a leadership style, and one’s emotional intelligence profile, to name a few areas. Additional differentiating factors also include tenure in a role, size and growth of an organization, and most importantly goals and objectives.
The distinction between leadership coaching and small business coaching is leadership coaching focuses on the individual and tailored accordingly, and business coaching focuses on the business’s strategic direction and objectives.
Defining the Two Coaching Approaches
Leadership Coaching is tailored for each leader based on their needs, current challenges, strengths and their ideal future reality. Typically, an individual has areas they would like to improve and develop, and the coaching relationship begins by clarifying what specific outcome would be ideal. Leaders can be defined as executives, high-potential managers and emerging leaders.
Small business coaching focuses on the entrepreneur and business owner (often solopreneurs or partners) and while the coaching is also tailored, often the focus is on business growth through an aligned strategy, efficient operations, process improvement and team culture. This type of coaching can be referred to as consulting too.
Key Goals and Outcomes
While key goals and outcomes vary between individuals and businesses, it is very common to want to improve communication, get better at addressing conflict and effectively lead teams to influence an engaged internal culture.
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as:
“Partnering with clients in a thought provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
From this definition, several key goals and outcomes emerge. According to ICF’s competencies, ethics, and core principles, the following is how they frame these goals and outcomes:
Key Goals
- Facilitate Client Growth
- Enhance Awareness and Insight
- Promote Accountability and Action
- Support Self-Directed Learning and Change
Key Outcomes
- Improved Goal Achievement
- Increased Confidence and Resilience
- Better Decision-Making and Leadership Effectiveness
- Enhanced Relationships and Team Performance
- Sustained Behavioural Change
Coaching Focus and Topics Covered
Since all types of coaching are client-led, the client decides what the focus should be and what topics they would like to cover. Often, one area of focus can lead to another area and the need to pivot on prioritize a topic occurs.
What we have found at X5 Management, as popular in-demand topics are:
Leadership Coaching Topics
- Strategic Thinking and Decision Making
- Leading Through Change
- Executive Leadership
- Personnel Management
- Managing Multiple Priorities
- Conflict Management
Small Business Coaching Topics
- Business Planning
- Sales and Customer Service
- Succession Planning
- Team Training and Development
- Leading Versus Managing
- Time Management and Productivity
Overlap and Integration
There are leaders who are small business owners and may want to work on themselves so they can benefit from both types of coaching. The coach can do this in tandem based on what direction a particular session may take.
There are also leaders who may not own a business, and who may not be, or want to be, entrepreneurs. The coaching may, however, take a turn toward business strategy or team morale and touch on business coaching.
It always depends on how the client is directing the topics and what topics arise from session to session. The ideal coach is flexible and blends approaches based on the client’s needs in that moment.
Choosing the Right Coaching, and Coach
In Marshall Goldsmith’s book, “What Got you Here Won’t Get You There”, he explains that one can work hard and be successful, but the next level of achievement will be hard to achieve alone. In this bestseller, Goldsmith lists twenty habits that hold executives back, ranging from being too competitive to a lack of accountability.
Another scenario may be feeling stuck, whether it be old habits, lack of confidence, or no one to receive candid feedback from. That is when it is time to find a coach.
If one feels like they are missing opportunities to be more effective, even if successful, that may be a sign it is time for a leadership coach.
A business owner may have similar challenges, and they know that business growth or finding support cannot happen on its own. They have no one internally to ask for help, and they know a sounding board is critical for success. That is how a coach can help.
At X5 Management, we have a roster of qualified and certified coaches so we can match clients with coaches. We begin with a Discovery Call and ask a few high-level questions to learn more. This also gives us an opportunity to learn more about our prospective client’s personality and better understand who on the team would be best suited. We offer a complimentary first session to confirm the pairing is ideal.
Coaching is always tailored and caters to each individual or business to ensure it is effective and engaging. Coaching is always confidential, and if titbits are shared, it is by the client, never the coach.
Coaching is a process and although there may be a start date, there is ideally no end date as objectives and goals change and evolve as progress is made. Coaches routinely share resources ranging from books (both audio and written), articles, online podcasts and many others. The emphasis is client ownership and accountability, and a willingness to pursue professional development.
If you are ready to grow your leadership or business with intent, let’s talk. You may be facing a challenge, preparing for growth or simply want to improve in a particular area. You won’t know if coaching can help unless you ask!
Simply schedule a complimentary Discovery Call and let’s talk!
Author: Kris Schinke
Kris Schinke is Vice President of Integration at X5 Management, bringing extensive executive experience across retail, financial services, and the non-profit sector. She is passionate about coaching and leadership development, helping organizations foster positive workplace cultures. Read more about Kris Schinke.
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