Executive Coaching for Leaders

Leadership asks a lot of you. Coaching gives you somewhere to put some of it down.

When you’re the person others look to for direction, decisions and answers, it can be difficult to find the space to step back, think clearly and focus on yourself.
I’m Liz Howard, a Chartered Psychologist and Executive Coach with over 25 years’ experience working inside organisations. I understand first-hand the pressures, politics, relationships and expectations that come with leading people and businesses.  I provide one-to-one executive coaching for senior business and people leaders across Yorkshire and the UK. My approach combines psychology, coaching and real-world organisational experience, creating a confidential and practical space to step away from the day-to-day, think more clearly, work through complex challenges and strengthen your impact as a leader.

What’s it like to work with me?

You can expect our conversations to be open, honest and down to earth. I’ll give you the space to think out loud, say the things you might not be able to say elsewhere and work through what’s really going on. I’ll listen carefully, ask questions that get you thinking and, when it’s useful, challenge your perspective or offer a different one.

I’m not a coach who will simply sit back and ask questions, and I’m not there to tell you what to do either. As a psychologist, I bring a deep understanding of human behaviour, motivation, performance and change — how we think and behave, what drives us, the patterns we can get caught in, what might be getting in our way and what actually helps us make meaningful change. And because I’ve spent much of my career working inside organisations myself, I bring a practical understanding of the realities of leadership too.

There isn’t a single formula or methodology that I follow. Depending on you, what you want to achieve and what comes up in our conversations, I’ll draw on different evidence-based psychological and coaching approaches to help you gain perspective, understand yourself more deeply, challenge thinking or patterns that may be holding you back and work out what you want to do next. That might include cognitive behavioural, solution-focused or strengths-based approaches, but you don’t need to know the theory behind them. My job is to bring what’s useful to the conversation, when it’s useful.


Sometimes it can also be helpful to bring in a psychometric assessment or development tool. These can give us another lens on things like your personality, strengths, leadership style, resilience or emotional intelligence and often open up really useful conversations. I don’t use assessments for the sake of it, though. We’ll only use them when they’re likely to add something genuinely useful to your coaching and development.


My coaching is grounded in evidence-based psychology and strong professional and ethical standards, but that doesn’t mean it feels clinical or overly theoretical. There’s room for the serious stuff, but there’s room for humour too. Coaching with me is thoughtful and challenging, but it’s also warm, practical and very human.

Read more about Liz, her journey, experience and life beyond the day job. Connect with Liz on LinkedIn or Instagram.  Contact Liz about coaching packages and how coaching might work for you.

What clients come to executive coaching for:

Clients come to coaching for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes there is a clear challenge or goal; other times, something simply doesn't feel quite right. We might work on:


  • Creating a better work-life balance and finding ways to lead without feeling drained at the end of every day
  • Building more sustainable performance, so success doesn't continually come at the expense of your energy or wellbeing
  • Stepping back from the day-to-day to think more strategically and increase your impact
  • Managing self-doubt, overwhelm or the personal pressures of leadership
  • Feeling lost or unclear about what you want next, even when everything looks successful on paper
  • Understanding why something feels ‘off’ when, from the outside, your career or life looks like it should feel successful
  • Considering what comes next, whether that's progression, a different direction or simply getting clearer about what matters to you
  • Stepping into a bigger or more senior role and adjusting to new expectations
  • Building confidence, credibility and leadership presence
  • Getting your team to step up and take greater ownership, so you're not carrying everything yourself
  • Navigating difficult relationships, organisational politics or complex stakeholder dynamics
  • Leading through growth, change, challenge or uncertainty
  • Making difficult decisions and managing competing priorities


What else can you gain from executive coaching?

Leaders often come to coaching with a specific challenge, decision or goal in mind. But along the way, they often experience broader benefits that extend well beyond the issue that first brought them to coaching.

Through our work together, clients often:

  • Develop greater self-awareness and a better understanding of how they think, feel and respond
  • Recognise and use their strengths more intentionally, rather than simply working harder
  • Spot patterns in their thinking and behaviour that may be helping or holding them back
  • See familiar challenges from different perspectives and find new ways to approach them
  • Build confidence in their own judgement and become clearer about the decisions they make
  • Develop greater emotional intelligence and awareness of their impact on others
  • Turn insight into practical changes in how they lead, work and respond
  • Perform in a more sustainable way, with greater attention to their energy, boundaries and wellbeing

For many senior leaders, coaching also becomes something increasingly rare: a genuinely confidential space to pause, think out loud, be completely honest and focus on themselves, without needing to have all the answers.

Is coaching for executives right for you or your
organisation?

Coaching may be particularly valuable if:

  • You are stepping into a new or expanded leadership role
  • The organisation is undergoing significant change or transformation
  • You are carrying substantial responsibility and have limited space to reflect
  • Performance expectations are high and the stakes feel personal
  • You sense that something needs to shift – in strategy, behaviour, or focus – but are unsure where to start


Organisations often commission coaching for executives as part of:

Up2eleven also offers a Complimentary Review for organisations looking to strengthen how they develop leaders and retain talent  over the long term.


Contact Liz

What to expect from executive coaching with Up2eleven

Your Executive Coaching Journey

Clarify Goals

Once a coaching relationship is agreed, the first session typically focuses on clarifying what you want to achieve. This may include:


  • Specific leadership challenges you are facing
  • Outcomes you would like to see in your role or organisation
  • Areas of strength you want to build on
  • Situations where you would like to respond differently

These goals can evolve over time as new insight or organisational demands emerge, but they provide an initial anchor for the work.

Regular one-to-one sessions

Coaching for executives is delivered through structured, one-to-one conversations. 


The specific shape and cadence of a coaching programme is agreed with each client or commissioning organisation to ensure that support remains relevant and practical. Sessions provide space to:


  • Explore current situations in depth
  • Reflect on your impact, mindset, and behaviour
  • Test and refine options in a non-judgemental environment
  • Identify actions you feel ready to take between sessions

Liz’s style is warm, thoughtful, and appropriately challenging. 

Chemistry Call

The process usually begins with an informal discussion to understand context, aims, and expectations. This is an opportunity to explore what you are looking for from coaching, to ask questions about the approach, and to consider how coaching could best support you or your senior team members.


Also to see it feels the right fit for you!

Integration with wider development

Executive coaching can sit alongside broader leadership development initiatives, leadership team coaching, or talent management consulting, depending on organisational needs. 


Where helpful and appropriate, insight from psychometric assessments and 360 feedback can also be used to deepen self-awareness and inform development priorities.


Executive Coaching Packages: Individual Leaders


At the heart of the process is a confidential and supportive partnership. Together, we'll explore what's on your mind, what you would like to change, what's getting in the way and the practical steps needed to move forward. Along the way, we'll identify the strengths, resources and opportunities that can help you achieve your goals.

Typical Coaching Programmes Include:


  • 3, 6, 9 or 12 1-1 coaching sessions
  • Clear goal setting and success measures
  • Practical actions and accountability between sessions
  • Reflection exercises and development activities
  • Psychometrics and 360 feedback (where appropriate)

Common Coaching Topics:


  • Confidence and executive presence
  • Resilience, wellbeing and managing overwhelm
  • Leadership impact and influencing skills
  • Difficult conversations and conflict
  • Leading teams and managing performance
  • Career transitions and redundancy
  • Promotions and stepping into larger roles
  • Building strategic thinking and leadership capability
  • Navigating organisational change and uncertainty


The focus is always on creating meaningful and sustainable change, helping leaders gain greater clarity, confidence and impact.

Let's Talk

Executive Team Coaching

Leadership teams play a critical role in shaping organisational performance, culture and employee experience. Yet even highly capable teams can struggle with trust, communication, alignment, decision-making or navigating competing priorities.


Leadership team coaching provides a dedicated space to step back from the day-to-day, strengthen relationships and improve how the team works together.


Through facilitated discussions, coaching and practical development activities, leadership teams gain greater insight into their strengths, challenges and opportunities for growth. The focus is on creating the conditions for effective collaboration, shared accountability and sustainable high performance.

Delivered through regular three-hour sessions, typically bi-monthly or quarterly, team coaching provides space for reflection, learning and meaningful dialogue whilst enabling teams to apply insights and embed new ways of working over time.


To support development, team coaching often includes team diagnostics and assessment tools, such as psychological safety, team effectiveness and leadership assessments. These are selected based on the team's goals and provide valuable insight into strengths, opportunities and areas for development.

Learn More

Benefits for executives and organisations

Clients report that coaching for executives with Up2eleven supports:

  • Improved leadership capability and performance
  • Greater confidence in handling complex or high-stakes situations
  • Clearer thinking and better-quality decision-making
  • A more strategic focus, particularly during growth or transformation
  • Stronger relationships and more effective communication
  • Increased readiness for future leadership responsibilities

At an organisational level, executive coaching can contribute to:

  • Higher-performing leadership teams - see Team Coaching
  • Better alignment between people practices and business goals
  • Stronger leadership depth and succession strength
  • Healthier cultures with clearer expectations and accountability

These outcomes are reinforced when coaching is connected to wider initiatives such as leadership development programmes, and broader talent initiatives.

What clients say about executive coaching

What clients say about working with Executive Coach Liz:

Working with me is often described as both supportive and thought-provoking. Clients frequently comment on the warm, approachable and non-judgemental environment I create, allowing them to step back from the pressures of day-to-day leadership and think openly, honestly and with greater clarity.


Many value having a trusted thinking partner who listens deeply, asks the right questions and creates a safe space for reflection, whilst also providing the right level of challenge to encourage fresh perspectives and meaningful action. Rather than offering quick answers, I help clients explore their own thinking, build self-awareness and develop solutions that feel authentic and sustainable.

Clients often report increased confidence, stronger leadership impact, clearer decision-making and a renewed sense of direction. They appreciate the balance of psychological insight and practical application, helping them navigate complex challenges, lead with greater confidence and create lasting change.

Above all, clients describe the experience as professional, personable, insightful and genuinely transformational—one that continues to influence their leadership long after our work together has ended.



Client Testimonials

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"Liz provided me with coaching when I was working out what I wanted from my next career move. I loved Liz's approach and got so much from our sessions.


Anyone wanting a coach who challenges you but supports you in equal measures, should definitely speak to Liz. With such an array of tools and techniques that Liz offers you'll definitely find the ones that work for you."

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"Her coaching was practical, focused on achieving results, but she tailored her approach for each individual's circumstances. The great thing about Elizabeth is, she doesn't tell you what to do, she helps you figure it out for yourself.


She delivered excellent value for money. I am sure we got much more than we paid for in a professional and personable manner. She is friendly and approachable, flexible and reliable. I would definitely recommend Elizabeth as a coach and consultant."

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"I've had the pleasure to work with Liz as part of a leadership and management programme undertaken by Matrix TSL.

Her vast experience, intelligence, and caring responses have given me new perspectives on what it is to lead, manage and inspire my engineering research and development team.

She is shaping my thoughts about my career and will be always in my mind when I think about the way I should conduct myself and make decisions."

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"I worked with Liz as my coach, with a focus on strengthening my leadership impact, and the experience was genuinely transformational. Through our work together, I made several meaningful changes that I continue to benefit from day to day.


I've become more thoughtful, reflective, self-aware, and professional in how I show up and lead. Liz's style is empathic and receptive, while also appropriately challenging. She creates a safe space to think..."

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"Working with Liz has been a real turning point for me and my colleagues. Through her team coaching sessions, we've built greater self-awareness, learned how to understand each other better, and found new ways to communicate and make decisions more effectively.


Liz has a rare ability to both empathise and challenge, which really helped us move forward and create real change. I'd wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone looking for a coach who makes a genuine difference."

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"Liz is an experienced leadership coach who used her own leadership experience and psychology background to help me solve my own challenges and to significantly improve my overall performance.  I really appreciated this support.  I would highly recommend her."

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"Liz has provided me with invaluable support and coaching helping me to focus and identify my strengths and recognise how they can best work for me. Liz's encouraging approach to coaching is second to none. I would highly recommend her services."

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"Liz has coached several senior leaders in my organisation, supporting leadership, performance and culture change.


She is highly experienced, friendly, pragmatic and quick to build rapport, making a real difference to enable change. I'd highly recommend Liz to anyone looking for a thoughtful and effective coach."

FAQs about coaching for executives

How is coaching for executives different from mentoring or advice?

Coaching for executives focuses on helping leaders think things through for themselves rather than being told what to do. The emphasis is on questioning, reflection, and insight, supported by psychological and leadership expertise. While experience-based perspectives may be shared where helpful, the primary aim is to enable the executive to find their own way forward.

How many executive coaching sessions will I need?

The number and frequency of sessions depend on your goals, role, and context. Some executives work intensively over a defined period, while others prefer a longer-term relationship with sessions spaced around key milestones or transitions. This is agreed individually to ensure the coaching remains useful and relevant. Team coaching is structured a little differently, find out more here.


Do you offer coaching for executives in Leeds only, or across the UK?

Up2eleven is based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, but works with executives across Yorkshire and throughout the UK. Coaching can be arranged in person where practical, or virtually for leaders in different regions or with demanding travel schedules.

Can coaching for executives support leadership teams as well as individuals?

Yes. Many organisations combine individual coaching with leadership team coaching or wider leadership development programmes to build alignment, strengthen relationships, and support culture change. The right blend is tailored to each organisation’s needs.

Is coaching suitable for executives going through organisational change?

Coaching can be particularly valuable during restructuring, growth, or transformation. It provides a space to process pressure, think strategically, and consider both the human and organisational dimensions of decisions. Up2eleven also offers broader consulting support during change where required.


How confidential is executive coaching?
Coaching conversations are confidential. Where an organisation sponsors coaching, any agreed updates or themes shared with stakeholders are discussed with the executive and handled transparently. The focus is on creating a safe environment for honest reflection and exploration.

How does coaching for executives work for leaders based in Yorkshire SMEs?

For executives in Yorkshire-based SMEs, coaching often focuses on balancing strategic growth with day-to-day operational demands, building leadership depth, and shaping culture. The approach remains highly practical, grounded in the realities of smaller or growing organisations.

How can coaching improve team performance and organisational culture?

Coaching can have a positive impact far beyond the individual leader. As leaders develop greater self-awareness, emotional intelligence, confidence and communication skills, this often influences how they lead others, build relationships and shape team culture. Coaching can also support leadership teams to strengthen trust, psychological safety, collaboration and accountability, creating the conditions for improved team performance and a more positive organisational culture. Learn more about Leadership Team Coaching & Team Effectiveness.

How do we get started with coaching for executives in our organisation?

Organisations can begin with a conversation about context, objectives, and the leaders they wish to support. From there, a tailored coaching approach can be agreed, potentially alongside related services such as leadership development or talent management consulting.


Next steps

To explore coaching for yourself, your team or senior leaders in your organisation, you can contact Up2eleven in Leeds, West Yorkshire, to discuss your context, aims, and the kind of support that would be most helpful.