An Introduction to Professional and Executive Coaching

by Sheila Boysen-Rotelli

The coaching profession is growing and innovating. According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF), coaching earns over $3 Billion per year with over 100,000 practitioners of coaching. This book is for both practitioners and scholars of executive coaching. Coaching is an exciting and powerful skillset that allows individuals to empower others and helps individuals to generate awareness that opens the door for great levels of success. The approach of this book is to look at the theoretical framework of coaching as it applies to the actual practice of coaching others and groups. It is important to ground practice in theory and research to bring together the researched framework to help to inform the approach. There is an old proverb that “Theory is when you know everything but nothing works. Practice is when everything works but no one knows why.” The approach of this book will enable the student with the theory, the processes and the skills to coach in a way that works and to be able to understand the why behind the success as well as make it replicable.

142 pages, Paperback

Published March 22, 2021

Reviews

[Dani Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐ Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5)

Breakdown:
• 🖊️ Clarity & Writing Style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.0)
• 📚 Concepts & Theories: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.0)
• 🎯 Practical Application: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5.0)
• 🧩 Structure & Organisation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5.0)
• 💡 Insight & Impact: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.0)

Review:
An Introduction to Professional and Executive Coaching is an extremely practical and well-researched book — a must-read for anyone beginning their journey as a coach.

The definitions of coaching are clearly articulated and supported by strong references, grounding the practice in academic credibility. I especially appreciated the emphasis that coaching is results-driven, creating meaningful outcomes not only for the individual but also for the organisation. The text has a clear bias towards action, ensuring that coaching is about movement and change, not just reflection.

One highlight was the ICF quote, “Coaching addresses the whole person”, which beautifully captures the holistic nature of the practice. This perspective threads throughout the book, reminding the reader that coaching is about engaging with the full human experience, not simply isolated goals.

The structure and flow make the content digestible, and the balance between theory and application ensures it’s highly usable in real-world contexts. While it may not dive as deeply into advanced models as more specialised texts, its clarity, practicality, and emphasis on both results and humanity make it a standout foundational resource.

[Arthur Kaliisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boysen-Rotelli alludes that true coaching is a way of "being" much more than a way of "doing." To grow and develop personally, one has to continuously learn, practice, reflect, and be open. This enables the coach to be aware of the client's world and bring about success that would not be possible without coaching. It is a great book and tool for providing insight into the client's world.