Twenty years ago, coaching was a perk. A reward for high performers or a remedy for struggling execs. Today, it’s a strategic lever – one that drives transformation from the inside out. But here’s the catch: many leaders still treat coaching like a mystery instead of a metric.

Most C-suite executives aren’t buying into coaching stories; they’re buying results. So let’s talk about why coaching isn’t a feel-good extra. It’s the most under-leveraged tool for unlocking competitive advantage, and it starts with a ripple.

Many learning programmes look good on paper but struggle to deliver lasting results. Research suggests people forget 70% of what they learn within 24 hours. That’s billions of pounds evaporating annually in well-meaning but short-lived workshops.

So why do we keep funding programmes that don’t stick?

Coaching flips the model. It doesn’t deliver one-size-fits-all-try-to-remember-this-later answers. It sparks individualised, real-time behaviour change that shows up in how people lead, decide, and relate – right when business happens.

The ripple effect: From individual to organisational transformation

Here’s what makes coaching different. It’s not just a development tool. It’s a catalyst. Authentic coaching conversations trigger a ripple effect – starting with personal insight, moving through team dynamics, and transforming organisational culture.

It can look something like this:

• A first-time CEO uses coaching to bridge past success with new expectations → overcomes the 40% failure rate for new executives → builds trust, aligns the team, and accelerates progress across the business.

• A manager opens up in coaching and starts leading with more vulnerability → team psychological safety grows → connection deepens → productivity, innovation, and retention all rise.

• An exec learns to set healthier boundaries → they model sustainable work habits → teams stop glorifying overwork → burnout rates decline, sick days drop, and productivity climbs.

• An overwhelmed new parent considers quitting → coaching helps them reimagine how work and family can coexist → they stay, re-engage, and thrive → sends a powerful signal that caregiving and career can go hand in hand.

• A high-potential professional unpacks impostor syndrome in coaching → embraces a stretch role and earns a promotion → peers see new possibilities → more employees aspire to and pursue leadership.

These aren’t hypotheticals. They’re real patterns that companies see when they treat coaching not as a cost centre, but as a growth engine.

Show me the ROI: Coaching’s measurable impact

Still sceptical? Let’s talk numbers.

• 3–8x ROI: Studies consistently show executive coaching returns between 300–800% [multiple sources]. In one older study, most companies said they made back their initial investment, with 19% indicating a 50x return. The median ROI was 7x the investment.

• Strong leadership: Leaders say coaching prepares them for a new role (91%), increases their effectiveness (84%), and boosts their organisational commitment (63%). [2019 FMI coaching study]

• Greater engagement: In that same study, nearly 88% said coaching increased their overall engagement in their roles. According to HCI and ICF research, 60% of employees at organisations with strong coaching cultures rated themselves as highly engaged, as opposed to 48% of employees where the coaching culture is low. (Engagement leads to positive outcomes like retention, higher productivity, and decreased absenteeism.)

• Culture to cash flow: Leaders who receive coaching say the experience has a significant impact on overall business strategy, organisational culture, and the financial health of the business. To put harder numbers on that, another HCI study found 51% of companies with a strong coaching culture report higher revenue than their industry peer group.

• Team performance: Professionals who receive coaching report an improvement in workplace relationships (73%), interpersonal skills (71%), and work performance (70%).

• Higher retention: In our own practice, we tracked an 83% retention rate for coaching participants at one client. In another, our client saw a 97% retention rate after maternity/paternity leave coaching. In another, retention rates increased by 144%.

In other words: coaching doesn’t just feel impactful. It is impactful – in the metrics that matter most to your business.

Final thought: Stop chasing culture. Start seeding it.

You can’t command culture from the top. You have to grow it from the inside. Coaching plants the seeds. Conversation by conversation. Leader by leader. Team by team. It’s not instant, but it’s exponential.

Coaching creates moments of authentic connection. It helps people see themselves – and each other – with more clarity and compassion. And those connections don’t stay small – they ripple outward, shaping team trust, organisational resilience, and business results you can see and measure.

If you’re serious about performance, retention, and resilience, stop thinking of coaching as soft skill development. Start treating it like the strategic infrastructure it is.