Leader as Coach

Designed to equip leaders with coaching skills to enable them to lead more impactful conversations and embed a coaching culture

About the programme

While the Leader as Coach course is designed to develop the leader’s own coaching capability, this course goes beyond the ‘how to’ of coaching. Specifically this course aims to equip delegates with sound knowledge and judgment that will help them recognise when and how taking a coaching approach is effective, desirable and ethical. In other words, in addition to helping leaders hone their coaching skills, this course puts coaching in the context of a leader’s wider responsibilities.

The course is delivered by highly experienced executive coaches who can relate to the realities of senior leadership from their own experience. Combining coaching theory with real-life examples, the aim of the course is to enable delegates to form their own links between theory and practice and gain confidence in their coaching abilities as they learn.

Assessment is optional with Oxford Brookes Business School awarding 20 CATS points at Level 7 (Masters Level) for all who pass the assessment.

This course has been developed following demand from corporate and public sector clients who wish their leadership teams to be at the front of introducing and embedding a coaching culture within their organisations.

Programme dates

2024 Spring Programme (online)

Day 1: Tuesday 27 February 2024

Day 2: Wednesday 28 February 2024

Day 3: Wednesday 24 April 2024

Day 4: Wednesday 22 May 2024

Day 5: Wednesday 26 June 2024

Assessment deadline 26 July 2024

2024 Autumn Programme (online)

Day 1: Wednesday 25 September 2024

Day 2: Thursday 26 September 2024

Day 3: Wednesday 23 October 2024

Day 4: Wednesday 20 November 2024

Day 5: Wednesday 18 December 2024

Assessment deadline 5 February 2025

All study days run 9:30am - 16:30pm

Cost

The full accredited programme costs £1,440 and offers 20 academic credits at completion.

The programme can be also taken as a non assessed course, with participants attending Days1-4. This costs £890.

Discounts are available for alumni, Oxford Brookes University staff and registered charities.

For payments, please visit our Online Shop.

Entry requirements

As this course provides a level 7 qualification which is equivalent to postgraduate level study, you will be expected to reflect and write at this level – this will typically be evidenced by an undergraduate degree or equivalent and/or senior level managerial experience. You will also need:

experience in a leadership/ managerial position
to be able to identify suitable individuals to coach.

How to apply

Programme structure

Leader as Coach is delivered across a four month period, with taught days interspersed with individual coaching practice. The course includes some pre-reading before each course day. Taught sessions are highly interactive with delegates expected to contribute actively throughout the course, including via Moodle discussions. With appropriate support provided, delegates are also required to self-manage their coaching practice in between taught days.

The course is made up of 4 days of input plus one day of Assessment across 4 months (2+1+1+1 Assessment) to allow practice and consolidation.

Day One: Coaching as a Leadership Skill

The first day definines coaching in the leadership context, assessing how and when it might be the most appropriate intervention. Participants will develop an appreciation of how to apply a non-judgemental approach to development and the value of a non-directive intervention in supporting personal responsibility in decision making that takes account of power dynamics. Throughout the course there will be a clear emphasis on the ethics of coaching in the workplace.

Day Two: Core skills of the Coaching Leader

Day two focuses on developing coaching skills. Participants will learn how to manage the coaching conversation process without directing the content. We will also be exploring listening and questioning plus further skills essential to holding the coaching space and managing our own responses.

Coaching practice

Between Day Two and Day Three participants will be expected to have coaching conversations. In total participants will be expected to have 20 coaching conversations with a minimum of 10 people and make notes on these on a pro-forma. Further opportunities for coaching practice exist between Days Three and Four and, after Day Four.

For those accrediting, additional study materials including reflective questions will be accessible via Moodle and participants will be expected to make active contributions to tutor supported discussions on Moodle throughout the course.

Day Three: Learning from Experience

We will explore the importance of personal reflection in learning and working with limiting beliefs. Participants will become familiar with some of the tools and techniques that can be applied in the coaching context and appreciate the importance of language.

Further opportunity for coaching practice between taught days.

Day Four: Developing coaching capability

Participants will gain an understanding of some potential challenges that could arise when using a more holistic coaching approach to developmental conversations. We will learn how to integrate and take coaching skills forward as a leader and to build a coaching culture.

Further opportunity for coaching practice between taught days.

Day Five: Assessment day (optional)

Attend a one-day Assessment event that includes Observed Assessment and sessions to clarify the written assessment requirement.

Course Tutors

Flo is an experienced executive coach and mentor who honed her skills in the private and public sector. She founded her full-time independent practice after obtaining her Coaching and Mentoring Master’s (Oxford Brookes University, 2013). Flo’s students especially value her facilitative teaching style, which translates theory into real-life coaching practice.

Julia is a Lecturer in Coaching & Mentoring team teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at Oxford Brookes University. She is an accredited ICF PCC, ICF Coach Mentor and ICF Coach Supervisor, with 12+ years of coaching experience across corporate, education and health settings. Julia also runs a successful coaching business, working with a range of private and corporate clients.

Experienced Executive Coach with 30 years’ experience in leadership roles. Peter holds a Master’s Degree in Coaching and Mentoring Practice from Oxford Brookes University and is an EMCC Accredited Master Coach. Peter is also a certified Coach Supervisor and member of the association of Coaching Supervisors.