To succeed, organizations must adapt to environmental changes. Executives play a critical leadership role in this process of change. They must be aware of organizational nuances as well as external influences that may impair their interpersonal decision‐making ability. Organizations often provide a coach for executives who are having trouble with change and are in need of more effective leadership strategies. The process of coaching offers a fresh perspective for understanding and affecting organizational processes and individual behavior. A strategic position is taken when the coach gathers information, interacts with the environment, reframes information, and assists the executive in acting on pressing circumstances. The coaching process is a critical aspect of organizational development. Coaching helps the executive focus on objectives, develops resiliency, and builds interpersonal savvy. This article explores the key elements of effective coaching, a surprisingly overlooked aspect of organizational change. Steps are outlined in the coaching process and examples are given on how the process works. A case is made for executive coaching as important leverage for organizational transformation.

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There remains a paucity of research investigating the efficacy of executive coaching. Ambiguity surrounds its definition, its methodology and outcomes. Despite this, the executive coaching remains a viable business proposition. Practitioners bring services to the business community offering services that transcend traditional performance management consultations establishing independent ''performance-driven'' relationships with executives. This paper examines the process of coaching suggesting that a better understanding of process will enhance practice efficacy and accelerates empirical investigations. In addition, ethical, confidential and legal issues require attention when planning to utilize an executive coach. All this implicates the need to better understand coaching -and how it typically operates. Case studies are provided in the examination of coaching consultations in Fortune 100 settings.

The purpose of the research was to test the hypothesis that individuals who score high on a particular personality characteristic are more likely to be attracted to an organization reflective of that characteristic than individuals who are low on that characteristic. Three empirical studies using a total sample of 385 advanced management candidates tested the hypothesis. Each study focused on one particular personality characteristic: Dominance, Nurturance, or Autonomy, as measured or perceived from the individual and the organizational perspective. In all three studies there was a significant relationship between a person-environment fit and organizational attractiveness. Implications for organizational and individual outcomes and suggestions for research are discussed.

This article examines the demands of emerging technologies, particularly electronic and mobile enterprises, for executives who are externally and internally expansive. Expansive leaders are people who are avid continuous learners. They may have an external focus (learning and developing technology, organizations, and work teams) and/or an internal focus (developing themselves and their relationships with others). The paper offers diagnostic questions for assessing situations and individuals, and offers recommendations for management development interventions to enhance individual expansiveness and facilitate the value of expansive leadership.