PurposeThis article aims to test the effectiveness of coaching for middle and executive level managers within a large recruiting organization.Design/methodology/approachParticipants set goals to achieve during a 12‐month coaching programme. The sample consisted of middle managers (n=30) and executive managers (n=29) involved in US Army recruiting. Outcomes included measures of coached participants' achievement of quota and personal goals, and assessment on nine leader competencies and buy‐in over the one‐year coaching period.FindingsCoached managers outperformed un‐coached, but experienced/incumbent counterparts. The strongest impact of coaching on performance was for middle managers and their subordinates (as opposed to executive managers). Both groups of participants demonstrated growth on some dimensions of recruiter‐leader competencies and achievement of self‐set goals.Research limitations/implicationsA small and nontraditional sample of military recruiters was used. Future researchers can build on the approach outlined here to more concretely evaluate the impact of their coaching efforts in other populations.Practical implicationsCoaching all recruiter managers could translate into a return on investment of several thousand additional recruits. In addition, the achievement of personally relevant goals with the help of coaching, the development of leader competencies indicates real benefit associated with this form of goal‐based coaching.Originality/valueWe offer one of the first empirical evaluations of the effectiveness of a goal‐based leader coaching intervention. Practitioners and researchers can benefit from this approach by using it to improve coaching effectiveness and demonstrate value to the clients they serve.

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The LIFE (lifestyle change, individual readiness, fitness excellence, eating healthy) wellness program was an intensive, out-patient, healthy lifestyle change program with participants from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Our objective was to describe the LIFE program and to present before and after test results for this 1-year program. Fifty-three participants completed the 5-day intensive outpatient and 1-year follow-up program and maintained average weight losses of >10 pounds and 14 pounds for men and women, respectively. Most of the weight loss occurred by 6 months. Participants who completed the program also showed increases in healthy eating attitudes, well-being, and overall quality of life. The LIFE change model has implications for improved service retention, health, and overall quality of life or patient evidence that matters (POEMS). The program is both portable and flexible and can be tailored to the demands of the dynamic military environment.