Executive Coaching · Founder-led · Singapore
Stakeholder-Based Executive Coaching
Turn leadership intentions into changes that colleagues can see, name, and reinforce.
Maik Frank, PCC · English and German · Singapore-based
The idea behind stakeholder-based coaching
Private reflection is not enough
Insight that stays inside one person's head rarely changes how a team experiences that person's leadership. Reflection matters, but it is a start, not the outcome.
The work stays tied to observable moments
Coaching here is anchored in the meetings, decisions, and conversations a leader already has, not in exercises away from the job.
Stakeholders close the loop
The people around the leader, not the leader alone, confirm whether a change has actually happened. Their observation is the evidence.
Coaching conversations stay confidential. What becomes visible to stakeholders is the agreed behavior change itself, never the private content of a session.
- 1. Agree the visible outcome
- 2. Listen to stakeholder experience
- 3. Practise in live leadership situations
- 4. Revisit what stakeholders observe
- 5. Adapt and sustain
One continuous loop. The leader and stakeholders move through it together.
What visible success looks like
A broad intention becomes one observable behavior.
Self-perception is checked against what stakeholders actually observe.
A one-off effort becomes a repeated habit.
Delegate more→Clarifies the decision owner, asks what support is needed, and does not retake the decision at the first sign of friction.
How the engagement moves
- 01
Contract the change
Agree the one observable behavior this engagement is for, and how stakeholders will notice it.
- 02
Listen to the system
Gather how stakeholders currently experience the leader, surfacing the gap between intention and impact.
- 03
Practise in live work
Apply the new behavior inside real meetings, decisions, and conversations, not exercises.
- 04
Revisit and sustain
Check what stakeholders now observe and reinforce the behavior until it holds under pressure.
Phase 4 often loops back into phases 2 and 3 as the work continues.
Scope and cadence are agreed around the leadership objective and operating context.
Have a leadership outcome that needs to become visible? Discuss whether stakeholder-based coaching is the right mechanism.
Ask about fitProof, from the people who noticed
“I was able to see actual results from just 1 coaching session. Maik's powerful coaching techniques allowed me to think deeper into my issues, which led me to ultimately come up with the answer that really worked for me. I'm very satisfied!”
- Context
- Reporting into both Global and Regional lines, with conflicting expectations.
- Change being practised
- Using a zoom-out, zoom-in lens and asking critical questions before deciding a direction.
- What others noticed
- Clarity in the direction to take.
Lydia Lin
Regional Master Data Manager, Lixil International
- Change being practised
- Insightful questions that moved her thinking process forward.
- What others noticed
- The desired outcomes stayed in focus.
Tracy Phillips
Resonate International
Evidence, translated into coaching design choices.
Specific, challenging goals lead to higher performance than vague ones.
Each engagement contracts one observable behavior change.
Locke & Latham (2002), American Psychologist.
Feedback and feedforward from others reveal gaps that self-reflection alone cannot see.
External observation exposes the gap between intention and experience.
Goldsmith & Morgan (2004), "Leadership Is a Contact Sport", strategy+business.
New behavior transfers more reliably when it is practised inside real work, not in isolated exercises.
The engagement applies new behavior directly inside current meetings and decisions.
Jones, Woods & Guillaume (2016), Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology.
Ongoing accountability and reinforcement help behavior change hold over time.
Stakeholder attention helps sustain the change once coaching sessions end.
Theeboom, Beersma & van Vianen (2014), Journal of Positive Psychology.
Research informs the design of the engagement; it does not guarantee a particular outcome for every leader or context.
Practical FAQ
Who should be included as a stakeholder?
The colleagues who directly experience the leadership behavior being worked on, such as team members, peers, or a manager. They contribute observations; they do not join the coaching sessions.
What information remains confidential?
The coaching conversations themselves stay confidential. Stakeholders inform the work through observations and feedforward, but they do not sit inside the coaching relationship.
What does a sponsor or organization receive?
The agreed development focus and a sense of progress against it, never the content of the confidential sessions. The specific reporting is scoped in the first conversation.
How is this different from a 360-degree assessment?
Stakeholders contribute as part of an ongoing loop tied to one behavior change, not a single scored instrument. The aim is practised change, not a rating.
How is it different from performance management?
It is developmental and leader-owned, held in confidence, and kept separate from any formal evaluation or performance process.
Can the engagement be conducted in English or German?
Yes. Coaching is available in English and German.
What determines the scope and cadence?
The leadership objective and the operating context. Scope and cadence are agreed at the start rather than sold as a fixed package.
What happens after an inquiry?
A confidential conversation to understand the challenge and decide together whether stakeholder-based coaching is the right mechanism.
Is stakeholder-based coaching the right mechanism for this leadership challenge?
Best suited to senior leaders with a consequential operating challenge, a willingness to examine how others experience their leadership, and enough organizational stability to practise new behavior in real work.
It is not a substitute for formal performance management, clinical support, mediation, or an organizational investigation.
This starts a conversation, not a purchase.