• Business results improve
• They now lead by example
• They are better at defining where the business should go and what needs to be done to achieve that
• They are more committed and this shows and spreads
• People work better together from being more self-aware and confident

These benefits are becoming increasingly important, since many in senior roles can become very lonely. They can be isolated from their people so having someone in whom they can confide can be a very powerful tool. These senior jobs are now also very much more complex as there is a great deal more information and often fewer staff to interpret it and support top executives. There are often more market situations to deal with and they are evolving faster. Many of the tools of business are changing quickly too - IT and communications technology for example. The need for rapid change is important and frequently critical and there are constant overlapping change programmes. People at the top are often younger and have less experience than their predecessors but need to perform even better. Important relationships are now often much more loosely defined with matrix organisations and roles which overlap. The need to influence and lead successfully is paramount. In short, the business context in which leaders are carrying out their work is increasingly complicated and very demanding.

At very senior levels the need for self-development and learning cannot easily be achieved without a personal, "one-to-one" approach. Many formal courses are too long and contain much irrelevant material. It seems often to be the case too that learning of this nature is soon forgotten if it is not practised immediately and embedded in a new way of working. Personal coaching performs very well in this context since what is learned is really learned and becomes a part of the leader’s new toolbox.