Executive coaching, changes in leadership competencies and learning agility amongst Microsoft senior executives

Abstract

Empirically furthering the body of knowledge regarding executive coaching, this study explored the relationships between changes in leadership competencies and learning agility amongst a sample (N=47) of Microsoft senior executives receiving executive coaching. In doing so this research sought to identify the validity of utilizing learning agility scores as a surrogate measure of an executive's readiness for executive coaching. The executive coaches assessed the learning agility of the senior executives using CHOICES® Architect. The senior executives were found to be learning agile, and the greatest opportunity for development was related to interpersonal skills (People Agility). To measure leadership competencies, scores from a proprietary Microsoft Leadership Competency Model were utilized. Scores across the eleven competencies were measured by the executive and their manager across time (November 2005 and April 2007), from which gain scores were calculated. Both groups identified a decrease in three competencies - the largest associated with the competency Building Organizations, Teams and People. The ordinal learning agility outputs were correlated with the ordinal leadership competency gain scores using Kendall's Tau (N=14). The strongest relationship was identified between People Agility and the change in Building Organizations, Teams and People with a mean correlation value of .485. Of the 110 possible correlations, 49% were found to be greater than .30 and more than a quarter of these were .50 or greater. This demonstrated a meaningful practical significance of the association between changes in leadership competencies and learning agility among those participating in executive coaching. In the event Microsoft chooses to objectively measure the impact of executive coaching by means of improvement in leadership competencies, learning agility provides a filter to identify with whom executive coaching is best utilized. Executives most able to maximize a return on the executive coaching investment could be identified. The question remains - is learning agility a measure of readiness useful in maximizing executive coaching interventions? Based on the literature review, this is the first study focused on empirically connecting executive coaching, changes in leadership competencies and learning agility and so a definitive answer requires more research. However, the findings are encouraging.