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Exec CoachA resource from Digital Nebraska

Exec Coach glossary

Executive coaching and leadership development come with their own vocabulary, from three-way contracting and chemistry meetings to 360 feedback and succession planning. This glossary explains the terms in plain English, drawing on professional bodies such as the ICF and EMCC, public-sector guidance from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the World Health Organization and published research. It is a general reference, not professional, legal or medical advice.

360-degree feedback
A process in which a leader receives structured, usually anonymous ratings and comments from their manager, peers, direct reports and sometimes customers, alongside a self-assessment. It is generally recommended for development rather than pay or promotion decisions, and works best with a debrief and a follow-up plan.
Related:Self-awarenessIndividual development plan (IDP)Rater
Active listening
Giving full attention to what a person says and means, reflecting it back and asking clarifying questions instead of planning a reply. It is one of the ICF Core Competencies and a basic skill for leaders as well as coaches.
Related:ICF Core CompetenciesGROW modelEmotional intelligence
Adaptive leadership
A framework, developed by Ronald Heifetz and colleagues, that distinguishes technical problems with known solutions from adaptive challenges that require people to change values, beliefs or habits. Leaders mobilize others to do that adaptive work rather than supplying the answer.
Related:Change managementTransformational leadership
Board evaluation
A periodic review of how well a board, its committees and individual directors are performing, carried out internally or by an outside facilitator. Results usually feed into board composition, training and succession.
Related:Board of directorsSuccession planning
Board of directors
The group elected by shareholders or members to oversee an organization, appoint and evaluate the chief executive, approve strategy and monitor risk. In non-profits the equivalent is often a board of trustees.
Related:Fiduciary dutyIndependent directorBoard evaluation
Burnout
In the WHO's ICD-11, burn-out (code QD85) is "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed," marked by exhaustion, mental distance from or cynicism about one's job, and reduced professional efficacy. WHO classifies it as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition, and applies it only to the work context. Coaching can address workload and work habits but is not a treatment; anyone with concerns about their health should see a qualified professional.
Related:Coaching versus therapyExecutive team
Change management
A structured approach to moving people and organizations from a current state to a desired future state, covering communication, training, stakeholder engagement and reinforcing new behavior. It addresses the human side of a change rather than only its technical design.
Related:Adaptive leadershipExecutive team
Chemistry meeting
A short, usually free, introductory conversation in which a prospective client meets one or more coaches to judge fit, style and trust before committing to an engagement. Research on coaching outcomes consistently points to the client-coach relationship as an important factor in results.
Related:Coaching engagementWorking alliance
Coachee
The person being coached, also simply called the client. In organizational coaching the coachee and the paying sponsor are often different parties, which is why roles and reporting are agreed up front.
Related:SponsorExecutive coaching
Coaching agreement
The written or verbal understanding that sets out the terms of a coaching engagement, including roles, logistics, fees, confidentiality and how either party can end it. Professional codes of ethics expect coaches to make these terms clear before coaching begins.
Related:Coaching engagementConfidentialityCode of ethics
Coaching engagement
The full arrangement between a coach, a client and usually a sponsoring organization, covering goals, number and length of sessions, duration, fees, confidentiality and how progress will be reviewed. Executive engagements commonly run for several months with regular sessions.
Related:Three-way contractingCoaching agreementSponsor
Coaching supervision
Regular reflective sessions in which a coach reviews their practice with a trained supervisor to maintain quality, ethics and wellbeing. It is a requirement for EMCC accreditation and widely recommended elsewhere.
Related:EMCC Individual Accreditation (EIA)Mentor coachingCode of ethics
Coaching versus therapy
Coaching addresses goals, performance and behavior at work; it does not diagnose or treat mental-health conditions. Ethical coaches watch for issues outside their scope and refer the client to a licensed professional when appropriate.
Related:Executive coachingCode of ethicsBurnout
Code of ethics
A professional body's published standards of conduct covering areas such as confidentiality, conflicts of interest, honest representation of qualifications and knowing when to refer a client elsewhere. Coaches credentialed by the ICF or EMCC agree to follow their body's code.
Related:ConfidentialityInternational Coaching Federation (ICF)EMCC Global
Cognitive bias
A systematic pattern in judgement that departs from rational or evidence-based reasoning, such as confirmation bias or overconfidence. Decision techniques like premortems and seeking dissent are used to reduce its effect.
Related:Decision-makingPremortem
Confidentiality
The principle that what a client says in coaching stays between client and coach, except for information the parties have agreed to share or where disclosure is required by law or to prevent serious harm. The ICF and EMCC codes of ethics both require coaches to explain these limits at the start.
Related:Code of ethicsThree-way contractingCoaching agreement
Decision-making
The process of choosing among options, including who decides, what information is used and how the decision is communicated. Leaders often distinguish fast, reversible decisions from slow, high-stakes ones and match the process to each.
Related:RACI matrixCognitive biasDelegation
Delegation
Assigning responsibility and the matching authority for a task or decision to someone else while remaining accountable for the outcome. Effective delegation spells out the result expected, the limits of authority and how progress will be checked.
Related:RACI matrixSituational leadershipDecision-making
EMCC Global
A professional body for coaches, mentors and supervisors, originally the European Mentoring and Coaching Council, that now operates internationally. It publishes a competence framework, a Global Code of Ethics shared with other bodies, and accreditation for individuals and training programs.
Related:EMCC Individual Accreditation (EIA)Code of ethicsCoaching supervision
EMCC Individual Accreditation (EIA)
EMCC Global's individual accreditation, which it describes as "an internationally recognised professional designation for coaches and mentors." It has four levels: Foundation, Practitioner, Senior Practitioner and Master Practitioner, and expects ongoing supervision and reflective practice.
Related:EMCC GlobalCoaching supervisionICF credentials (ACC, PCC, MCC)
Emergency succession plan
A plan naming who will step in, usually on an interim basis, if a key leader leaves or becomes unavailable without warning. It complements, but does not replace, longer-term succession planning.
Related:Succession planningBoard of directors
Emotional intelligence
The ability to recognize, understand and manage emotions in oneself and others, and to use that information to guide thinking and behavior. Salovey and Mayer (1990) set out an influential early framework for the concept; measures and models vary, and claims about its predictive power remain debated.
Related:Self-awarenessExecutive presenceActive listening
Executive coaching
A one-to-one development relationship in which a trained coach helps a leader clarify goals, build self-awareness and change how they lead. The International Coaching Federation describes coaching as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential." Coaching focuses on present and future performance; it is not therapy, consulting or a medical service.
Related:Coaching engagementCoaching versus therapyInternational Coaching Federation (ICF)
Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs)
The qualifications the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) uses to select and develop members of the federal Senior Executive Service. OPM revised the ECQs in 2025; the current set includes Leading People and Achieving Results.
Related:Leadership competency modelLeadership development
Executive onboarding
The structured support an organization gives a newly hired or promoted executive, such as stakeholder introductions, clarified expectations and sometimes a transition coach. Its aim is to reduce the risk of a costly early exit.
Related:First 90 daysSuccession planning
Executive presence
The impression a leader makes on others, usually described as a mix of composure, clear communication, credibility and judgement under pressure. It has no single agreed definition, so coaching on it works best when tied to specific, observable behaviors.
Related:Emotional intelligence360-degree feedback
Executive team
The group of senior leaders who report to the chief executive and share responsibility for running the organization, sometimes called the senior leadership team or top management team. Its effectiveness depends on clear purpose, defined decision rights and trust among members.
Related:Team coachingPsychological safetyDecision-making
Fiduciary duty
The legal obligation of directors to act in the organization's best interests, usually expressed as a duty of care (informed, diligent decisions) and a duty of loyalty (no self-dealing). The exact standards depend on jurisdiction and organization type.
Related:Board of directorsIndependent director
First 90 days
The period after a leader starts a new role, widely treated as a window to learn the organization, build relationships, agree priorities with their manager and secure early wins. Many transition plans and coaching engagements are structured around it.
Related:Executive onboardingExecutive teamExecutive coaching
GROW model
A widely used structure for coaching conversations: Goal, Reality, Options and Will (or Way forward). It moves a client from what they want, through the current situation and possible routes, to committed next steps.
Related:Active listeningExecutive coaching
Growth mindset
Carol Dweck's term for the belief that abilities can be developed through effort, strategy and feedback, as opposed to a fixed mindset that treats them as innate. Its effects in workplace settings are still being studied.
Related:Leadership developmentSelf-awareness
ICF Core Competencies
The ICF's model of the skills a professional coach should demonstrate, organized into eight competencies across four domains: foundation (ethics and mindset), co-creating the relationship, communicating effectively, and cultivating learning and growth. Credential assessments are scored against this model.
Related:International Coaching Federation (ICF)ICF credentials (ACC, PCC, MCC)Active listening
ICF credentials (ACC, PCC, MCC)
The ICF's three individual credentials: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Master Certified Coach (MCC). They require increasing amounts of coach-specific education and logged coaching experience (at the time of writing, at least 100, 500 and 2,500 hours respectively), plus mentor coaching and an exam.
Related:International Coaching Federation (ICF)Mentor coachingICF Core Competencies
Independent director
A board member with no material relationship with the organization or its management beyond the board seat. Stock exchanges and governance codes set specific tests and often require a majority or minimum number of them.
Related:Board of directorsFiduciary duty
Individual development plan (IDP)
A written plan, agreed between an employee and their manager, that sets out development goals and the activities to reach them, such as training, assignments or coaching. OPM and many employers use IDPs to link personal growth to organizational needs.
Related:Leadership development360-degree feedback
Internal coach
An employee trained to coach colleagues within their own organization, as opposed to an external coach hired from outside. Internal coaching can be cost-effective but needs clear boundaries on confidentiality and conflicts of interest.
Related:ConfidentialityExecutive coaching
International Coaching Federation (ICF)
A global non-profit professional body for coaches that publishes a code of ethics, a core competency model and individual credentials. It also accredits coach-training programs.
Related:ICF credentials (ACC, PCC, MCC)ICF Core CompetenciesCode of ethics
Leadership competency model
A framework that defines the skills and behaviors an organization expects of its leaders, often with descriptions for each level. It is used to design development programs, 360 surveys, selection and succession.
Related:Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs)Leadership developmentSuccession planning
Leadership development
Planned activity that builds a person's capacity to lead, such as coaching, formal programs, stretch assignments, feedback and mentoring. Many organizations organize it around a leadership competency model.
Related:Leadership competency modelIndividual development plan (IDP)Executive coaching
Mentor coaching
In ICF usage, coaching provided to a coach by a qualified, credentialed coach to develop their coaching skills against the core competencies. ICF credential applications require ten hours of it.
Related:ICF credentials (ACC, PCC, MCC)Coaching supervisionMentoring
Mentoring
A development relationship in which a more experienced person shares knowledge, advice and contacts with someone less experienced, often in the same field. Coaching, by contrast, relies mainly on questions and the client's own thinking rather than the coach's expertise.
Related:Executive coachingMentor coaching
Premortem
A decision technique in which a team imagines a plan has already failed and works out the most likely reasons, before committing to it. It surfaces risks that people may hesitate to raise otherwise.
Related:Decision-makingCognitive biasPsychological safety
Psychological safety
Amy Edmondson's term for "a shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk taking," such as admitting mistakes or raising concerns. Research links it to team learning.
Related:Executive teamTeam coachingPremortem
RACI matrix
A chart that clarifies roles for each task or decision: who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed. It helps prevent duplicated effort and decisions that nobody owns.
Related:DelegationDecision-making
Rater
A person who completes a 360-degree feedback survey about a leader, such as a peer, direct report or manager. Reports typically group raters by relationship and set a minimum number per group to protect anonymity.
Related:360-degree feedback
Self-awareness
A clear understanding of one's own strengths, limits, emotions, values and effect on others. Comparing self-ratings with others' ratings in 360 feedback is a common way to build it.
Related:Emotional intelligence360-degree feedback
Servant leadership
A philosophy, associated with Robert Greenleaf, in which a leader's first priority is serving the growth and wellbeing of their people and community. Its advocates argue that performance follows from that focus.
Related:Transformational leadershipPsychological safety
Situational leadership
A leadership model, developed by Hersey and Blanchard, holding that leaders should adjust how much direction and support they give according to a person's competence and commitment on a given task. It is a common basis for teaching delegation.
Related:DelegationTransformational leadership
Succession planning
A systematic process for identifying and developing people to fill key roles, including the chief executive, when they become vacant, so that leadership continues without disruption. Boards typically oversee CEO succession directly.
Related:Emergency succession planTalent pipelineBoard of directors
Talent pipeline
The pool of employees being prepared to move into more senior roles, along with the processes used to assess and develop them. Tools such as talent reviews and the nine-box grid, which plots performance against potential, are commonly used to manage it.
Related:Succession planningLeadership development
Team coaching
Coaching delivered to an intact team as a whole, focusing on shared goals, how members work together and how the team relates to its stakeholders. The ICF offers a separate team-coaching certification for credentialed coaches.
Related:Executive teamExecutive coachingPsychological safety
Three-way contracting
A meeting or agreement involving the coach, the client and the sponsor (often the client's manager or HR) to align on goals, success measures and what will and won't be shared. It lets the organization state its expectations while protecting the confidentiality of the coaching conversations themselves.
Related:SponsorConfidentialityCoaching agreement
Transformational leadership
A leadership approach, described by Burns and developed by Bass, in which leaders motivate people through a shared vision, personal example, intellectual challenge and individual attention. It is often contrasted with transactional leadership, which relies on rewards and corrections.
Related:Servant leadershipSituational leadershipAdaptive leadership
Working alliance
The quality of the collaborative relationship between coach and client, including agreement on goals and tasks and a bond of trust. Studies of workplace coaching have found the working alliance to be associated with coaching effectiveness.
Related:Chemistry meetingExecutive coaching