A case study: the role of internal coaching in leader development

Abstract

Internal coaching has become a financially viable alternative to external coaching for developing middle managers for leadership roles, yet limited research explains how it works or what makes it effective. Organisations that invest in internal coaching programmes for purposes of leader development lack evidence-based research on sustainable implementation, thus increasing the risk of inefficient use of organisational resources and minimal leader developmental outcomes. This study examines how internal coaching contributes to leader development within a South African state-owned energy utility's technical leadership programme as a case study. Qualitative thematic analysis was done from the semi-structured interviews conducted with five internal coaches and 12 coachees. The research applies Ely et al.'s (2010) integrated coaching evaluation framework and Avolio and Hannah's (2008) developmental readiness model to investigate internal coaching effectiveness factors and leader developmental outcomes. The findings reveal that internal coaching effectiveness depends on the systematic integration of five interconnected factors namely coach core competencies, coach-coachee relationship quality, coachee readiness, organisational support systems, and coaching processes. These factors operate synergistically rather than independently, building developmental readiness that enables leader development. Internal coaching produces developmental outcomes following a progression from intrapersonal effectiveness through interpersonal capabilities to organisational effectiveness and career advancement readiness. This research extends Ely et al.’s (2010) framework by categorising organisational support systems as a fifth distinct evaluation criterion alongside the original four factors and signifies how internal coaching processes build Avolio and Hannah’s (2008) readiness components that enable leader development. Recommendations for organisations include selecting and developing internal coaches, assessing coachee readiness, designing internal coaching processes, establishing organisational support systems, and evaluating internal coaching’s impact more broadly.