Abstract
The leadership coaching process involves different components, resulting in the leadership development process achieving the intended purpose. Coaching models and approaches inform the coaching process by giving relevant guidance and structure on how it should be carried out to result in growth and development. Coaching approaches might be different; however, all coaching models have a similar component that is common which is feedback given during a coaching process. The researcher’s interest was to gain insights into the role of feedback in leadership coaching in supporting junior leaders with role transitioning.
The study used a qualitative research approach to collect and interpret findings. A non-random, purposive, snowball sampling strategy was employed to obtain three participants of interest from junior leaders who had undergone coaching to assist them with role transition. Using semi-structured interviews, the researcher gained insight into the social realities of the participants, particularly their perceptions and experiences regarding the feedback they received from their coaches in the leadership coaching process. Exploring how these feedback interactions contributed to their growth and development during role transitioning, using open-ended questions, which were augmented with probing questions when necessary. Thematic analysis was utilised to extract and unpack the three main themes.
The main finding of the study suggests that supportive and constructive feedback received by coachees during role transition in leadership coaching enables understanding, acceptance, trust and change in behaviour, resulting in self-discovery, self-awareness, and reflection. The overall findings from the research contributed to a conceptual model of feedback in leadership coaching, which resulted in the growth and development of junior leaders. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to broaden the body of knowledge and deepen the understanding of the value of feedback in leadership coaching.