In order for a corporate entity to run efficiently, the top-tier executives and mid-level professionals must possess excellent leadership qualities, time-management expertise, team building capabilities, and a plethora of other personal and business attributes. Business owners and CEOs discover that assistance from executive coaches makes it possible to have a more productive team of high-level executives.

Just how effective is executive coaching? We know that many high-profile companies are putting their money in executive coaching, which is an indication that it works. In the United States alone, billions of dollars are spent on executive coaching from companies such as Goldman Sachs, GE, and IBM, to name a few.

Without executive coaching, companies risk disengaged employees. A Gallup poll revealed a full 60 % of employees in Australia are disengaged at work. Executive coaches help develop leaders to a higher level of professionalism and productivity. However, with the wide-open field of executive coaching comes also the fly-by-nights who are not qualified. Because of that reason, we have developed a list of top executive coaches in Sydney for your use.

1) Stephenson Mansell Group (SMG)

The SMG is the result of two companies, The Stephenson Partnership and The Mansell Group, that went into partnership together in 2005. The team has coached over 5,000 professionals and teamed up with 500 plus organizations to deliver “tangible results.”  One outstanding feature the executive coaches at SMG possess is an extensive education and employment history. This creates a premium group of coaches to choose from. 

Of special note, the Executive Director of the SMG, Virginia Mansell, is a speaker and author. She wrote a book entitled, “The Focused Executive,” which has received positive reviews.

Fields of Experience

• Human Resource Management, Organizational Counselling, Law, Advertising, Government, Finances

Programs

• Executive Coaching & Mentoring
• Leadership Development
• Cultural Change Management

Testimonials

• “Thanks for your insights, accurate and powerful coaching. I am now busy in my new post as CEO and feel that I am really implementing what I learned from you. I have been able to have the difficult conversations I need to have with my team, and feel as though I am now well on my way to becoming the leader I would like to be.”
• “I would definitely recommend SMG’s services to other leaders in business...What distinguishes SMG is their ability to really get to the root cause of people issues and provide easy- to- use strategies and techniques that work in the business environment without constant prompting and reinforcement..."

2) Coaching Leadership

Founder, Simon Popley, holds a Master's degree in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations from the University of Sydney. He also received coaching accreditation from the Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership. To add to this educational attainment, he brings experience from the field of mental health and coaching psychology. He is currently working on obtaining a Masters of Science in Coaching Psychology.

Fields of experience

• Private Healthcare, Mining, Occupational Healthcare, Financial Services

Programs

• Executive Leadership Coaching - This program is customized for the executive and senior-level leader. Areas of emphasis include: developing self-awareness, promoting stronger influencing ability, encouraging personal presence, and targeting “blind spots” to help reduce them.

• Career Coaching Mentoring - Find help moving from a career or position in which you feel stagnated or stuck. Career coaching makes the way forward to a meaningful position.

• Team Development Facilitation - Attend workshops centered around developing leadership strategy and leveraging the business’s goals and culture.

Testimonials

• “I would highly recommend Simon as a Career Coach. His approach, his ability to empathize, attention to detail and motivation levels are next to none. Even now I reach out to Simon from time to time...”
• “I found Simon to be highly informative skilled coach. His down to earth intuitive style and approach saw us getting to the crux of issues in short timeframe. I found Simon’s trusting and collaborative approach to issues solution rather than problem focused.” 

3) Outback Initiatives

This unique company is owned by Ausworks which is an international human resource consultancy business. In the coaching business for twenty years, they have at their facility over thirty-five expert staff members. At Outback Initiatives, the vision to facilitate executives in obtaining their leadership goals has been realized with over 10,000 individuals. They have accumulated experience, accreditation, and awards along the way.

Fields of Experience

• Corporate, Government, Agribusiness

Programs

The Outback works slightly different than some of the other coaching companies. They offer what is referred to as “Solutions” versus programs. The solution categories are as follows:

• Cultural and Behavioral Assessments
• Organizational Development Consulting
• Coaching and Mentoring 

As indicated by the category titles, this company emphasizes helping executives integrate both professional and personal skills for a more holistic approach. 

Testimonials

• “I loved this experience and am a massive supporter.”
• “It was the best leadership program I have ever had.” 

4) Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership (IECL)

Developed in 1999, the IECL delivers effective coaching for executives. They also train individuals for the responsibilities of coaching. The emphasis of the institute is "soft skills." They have identified these skills as being: “coaching, effective conversations, mentoring, and emotional and social intelligence.” Without these skills, even the most knowledgeable business person suffers a break down in effective communication and leadership.

Fields of Experience

• Financial Services (including investment and banking), Pharmaceutical, Professional Services, Public Service, Retail 

Programs

• Executive Coaching
• Leadership Development

Testimonials

• “Well delivered, lots of value. Thank you. Great confidence building, excellent content, a very collaborative and positive experience.”
• “Brilliant again facilitators – thank you; our business will be a totally different place…"