Tracy Duberman Of The Leadership Development Group On The Top 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Coaching
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
Specialization and Niche Expertise:
The coaching industry is becoming increasingly specialized, with clients seeking coaches who have deep expertise in their specific industry or domain. For example, we have seen a growing demand for healthcare leadership coaches who understand the unique challenges and opportunities facing that sector. By developing specialized expertise, coaches can command higher fees and deliver more impactful results for their clients.
The world of coaching is undergoing a seismic shift, with emerging trends set to redefine its boundaries and possibilities. From digital transformation and the integration of artificial intelligence to the growing emphasis on mental health and the global rise of coaching cultures within organizations, these developments are reshaping the landscape of personal and professional growth. As we navigate through these changes, understanding the forces that drive the future of coaching becomes paramount. I had the pleasure of interviewing Tracy Duberman.
Tracy Duberman, PhD, is the Founder and President of The Leadership Development Group (TLD Group), a global talent development firm with over 200 worldwide faculty. TLD Group offers a variety of talent development solutions including executive coaching, team development, succession planning, and group leadership academies. Duberman’s background combines operations experience in various sectors of the health industry, three decades of leadership coaching and consulting, and innovative research on executive and physician leadership effectiveness. Duberman is a published author and recognized expert on leadership. In the book she co-authored, From Competition to Collaboration: How Leaders Cultivate Cross Sector Partnerships to Deliver Value and Transform Health, Duberman and co-author Bob Sachs examine the challenges and opportunities of cross sector collaborations to enhance consumer and organizational outcomes.
Thank you for joining us. To start, could you share your “origin story” with our readers? How did you begin your coaching journey, and what challenges did you face in the early days?
I began my coaching journey over 20 years ago when the field was just emerging within leadership development. My initial exposure came from working at a boutique executive coaching firm after a decade at the Hay Group. My first clients were physician leaders aiming to advance to chief or chair positions. They often lacked leadership and management experience, so my coaching focused on emotional intelligence and team leadership effectiveness. When I founded The Leadership Development Group (TLD Group) with a focus on the healthcare industry, I made executive coaching a core service due to its profound impact on both clinical and non-clinical leaders. Early challenges included developing my unique voice and building confidence as a coach.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Learning Mindset: Business is ever-evolving, requiring a commitment to continuous learning and understanding industry trends. For example, during COVID-19, we had to quickly adapt to virtual coaching and incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion as a new service line to meet changing client needs.
- Authenticity and Transparency: Trust is vital, and I believe in being genuine and open with both clients and team members. When COVID-19 hit, our team at TLD Group united and transparently addressed the economic challenges, revamping our services and working tirelessly to keep the business afloat.
- Achievement Orientation: Driving towards results, even in the face of challenges, is crucial. Setting, meeting, and exceeding goals have been key to our growth. For instance, TLD Group has consistently achieved 20% year-over-year revenue growth, showcasing our commitment to excellence.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” This resonates deeply with me because it encapsulates the essence of servant leadership, which I strive to embody every day. It’s about empowering others to succeed and fostering a culture of support and growth.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
We are working on is with Tampa General Hospital (TGH) on developing a leadership strategy post-merger to help integrate the culture across their multi-hospital system. This involves working closely with the C-suite and physician leaders to build a cohesive and effective leadership team, ultimately enhancing patient care and operational efficiency.
Without saying any names could you share a particularly memorable success story from your coaching career?
We provided a multi-year coaching program for a physician leader aspiring to transition to a CEO role. He sought diverse experiences across the health ecosystem, including provider, payer, and healthcare-adjacent sectors. Through our coaching and his dedication, he eventually became the head of a billion-dollar retail organization’s healthcare division, demonstrating the power of strategic career development.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview about coaching. How has your approach to coaching evolved over the years, and what personal learnings have you applied to your own development?
Over the years, I’ve learned to integrate broader perspectives, considering both professional and personal development. Personal learnings, such as the importance of resilience and empathy, have been pivotal. I’ve applied these insights to foster deeper connections with clients, helping them navigate complex challenges and achieve sustainable growth.
How do you incorporate feedback into your coaching practice to continuously improve?
As the adage says, perception is reality. This is why continuous feedback in coaching is essential for facilitating growth and maximizing potential. While initial 360-degree feedback is gathered from diverse stakeholders to provide clients with a comprehensive view of their leadership effectiveness and inform the initial coachee development plan, it’s ongoing feedback that really makes leadership growth stick. We ascribe to the concept of feedforward, which is a coaching technique developed by Marshall Goldsmith that emphasizes providing suggestions and ideas for future improvement rather than dwelling on past failures or mistakes. The process involves soliciting feedback from peers, colleagues, or mentors about specific areas for development. This feedback is framed as suggestions for future actions rather than criticisms of past behavior. By focusing on constructive suggestions and potential solutions, individuals are encouraged to envision and commit to positive changes. The feedforward process promotes openness to learning, growth mindset, and proactive behavior, fostering continuous improvement and personal development.
Can you discuss an innovation in coaching that you believe is currently underappreciated but has the potential to significantly impact the field?
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into coaching represents a groundbreaking innovation with profound implications for the field. AI-driven coaching tools include personalized development experiences which are created by analyzing vast datasets tailored to an individual’s development goals. AI can enhance scalability and accessibility by automating tasks and processes. These innovations can make coaching more cost-effective and widely available. However, it is important to emphasize that AI is intended to complement rather than replace human coaches. Human coaches remain essential for interpreting insights, building rapport, and providing emotional support. The way today’s digital-first world, the greatest skill one can leverage is the power of focused attention, and the way to build it is through personal connection with a coach.
In what ways can coaching address the evolving mental health needs of diverse populations in a digitally connected world?
In a digitally connected world, coaching can play a vital role in addressing the evolving mental health needs of diverse populations. By leveraging technology, coaches can expand access to their services, reaching individuals who may have traditionally faced barriers to in-person support. Digital platforms enable coaches to provide personalized, culturally responsive guidance to clients from a wide range of backgrounds, addressing issues such as stress, anxiety, and burnout. Moreover, the flexibility and convenience of virtual coaching sessions can be particularly beneficial for marginalized groups, allowing them to receive support on their own terms. Importantly, coaches must also prioritize data privacy, ethical practices, and cultural competence to ensure their digital offerings are truly inclusive and empowering.
How do you foresee artificial intelligence and machine learning transforming the coaching industry in the next decade?
Great coaches already personalize coaching plans based on their assessments, but this is costly and time consuming. Generative AI/ML can fully transform the coaching industry. One can easily foresee a world where individual behavior and learning styles are analyzed through AI to personalize development plans. Coaches can benefit from AI-driven insights, allowing them to track progress, identify patterns, and refine methodologies. Virtual coaching assistants powered by AI can streamline scheduling, goal tracking, and even facilitate practice exercises, freeing up coaches to focus on deeper client engagement. AI can enhance coaching plans by offering personalized learning paths and recommending relevant resources for coachees. These advancements will increase scalability and accessibility, making coaching services more widely available and affordable. Despite these benefits, it is crucial to balance technology with the human touch. Only human beings can abide by ethical standards and ensure empathy and emotional connection remain central to the coaching experience.
What role do you believe ethical considerations and privacy concerns will play in the future of coaching, especially with the increased use of digital platforms?
As the coaching industry becomes increasingly reliant on digital platforms and technologies, ethical considerations and privacy concerns will play a crucial role in shaping its future. Coaches and platform providers will need to prioritize transparency around data collection and usage, uphold professional standards and best practices in the responsible use of technology, and strike a careful balance between democratizing access to coaching services and preventing their commoditization. Ensuring equitable access and inclusion will also be paramount, as the industry must address the risks of creating digital divides. By prioritizing these ethical and privacy-focused principles, the coaching profession can harness the power of technology to enhance the client experience and expand the reach of coaching, while preserving the core values and integrity that are central to the coaching relationship.
Could you list and briefly explain “Top 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Coaching” based on your experiences and insights? If you can, please share a story or example for each.
I see the following as the top 5 trends shaping the future of coaching:
- Specialization and Niche Expertise:
The coaching industry is becoming increasingly specialized, with clients seeking coaches who have deep expertise in their specific industry or domain. For example, we have seen a growing demand for healthcare leadership coaches who understand the unique challenges and opportunities facing that sector. By developing specialized expertise, coaches can command higher fees and deliver more impactful results for their clients.
One story that illustrates this trend is our work with a large hospital system. They were struggling with high turnover among their nursing leaders and sought our help. We assembled a team of coaches with extensive experience in healthcare leadership development. By tailoring our coaching programs to the specific needs of nurse leaders, we were able to improve retention rates by 15% over the course of a year.
2. Integration of Technology and Data:
Technology is transforming the coaching industry, enabling remote delivery, data-driven insights, and scalable solutions. Coaches who embrace tools like video conferencing, AI-powered assessments, and client management software can enhance the client experience and demonstrate measurable outcomes.
For example, we launched an on-demand virtual coaching program for a global pharmaceutical company during COVID-19 and continue to offer this program today. By leveraging video sessions and a cadre of dedicated on-demand coaches, we were able to provide personalized and ad hoc coaching to leaders across multiple geographies.
3. Focus on Holistic Well-being
Coaching is evolving beyond just professional development, with a growing emphasis on supporting clients’ overall well-being. Coaches are integrating techniques from positive psychology, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence to help clients achieve greater work-life balance, resilience, and fulfillment.
One of our clients, a high-powered executive, came to us struggling with burnout. Through a combination of one-on-one coaching, group sessions, and personalized wellness planning, we were able to help her regain a sense of purpose and joy in her work.
4. Emphasis on Measurable Outcomes:
Clients are increasingly demanding tangible, data-driven evidence of the impact of coaching. Coaches must be able to demonstrate clear, measurable improvements in areas like productivity, leadership effectiveness, and organizational performance.
We have worked with a biotech post-merger to support their leaders in their transition to take on larger roles. By establishing key performance indicators, conducting pre- and post-assessments, and tracking engagement and retention metrics, we showed an improvement in employee engagement over our engagement. This data-driven approach helped us secure a long-term partnership with the client.
5. Coaching Culture and Leadership Development:
Organizations are recognizing the value of embedding a coaching mindset throughout their leadership teams and workforce. By training managers to adopt coaching skills, companies can create a culture of continuous learning, empowerment, and accountability.
One of our most successful engagements was with a large multi-hospital system that wanted to transform its leadership development approach. We designed a cohort- based individual coaching/group coaching program that trained leaders in coaching techniques and then supported them in applying those skills with their direct reports. The result was an increase in employee satisfaction and engagement.
How do you envision the integration of coaching within organizational cultures changing the landscape of leadership and employee development?
Companies can leverage executive coaching to transform leadership and employee development in several keyways. Coaching can reinforce and deepen the impact of formal leadership programs by providing personalized support to help leaders apply new skills. It can also cultivate a broader coaching culture, empowering employees at all levels to take ownership of their growth and development. Executive coaching can directly enhance leadership effectiveness, improving critical capabilities like decision-making and people management, leading to better organizational performance. During times of change and transition, coaching can help leaders navigate challenges and guide their teams. Finally, by accelerating the development of high-potential employees, coaching can strengthen the leadership pipeline and ensure a steady supply of future-ready leaders. Overall, embedding coaching throughout the talent lifecycle enables companies to foster a culture of continuous learning, empower their people, and drive sustainable business success.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the coaching industry today, and how might we overcome it?
The biggest challenge facing the industry today is its massive growth which has led to the proliferation of unqualified individuals claiming to be executive coaches. This dilution of quality poses significant risks to clients seeking effective coaching services. To overcome the challenge, we focus on implementing industry standards in our selection and oversight of all coaching cases. We abide by the code of ethics and the industry’s rigorous accreditation and certification processes. As a firm owner, I am committed to advocating for these standards and only hiring coaches who have obtained the necessary credentials. In addition to industry-wide standards, we select coaches who are committed to professional development, obtaining quality training, education, and credentials. As a firm, we prioritize ongoing learning and skill-building for our coaching team. Another key strategy is to leverage technology and coaching software to streamline our operations and provide a consistently high-quality client experience. We also actively collect feedback from our clients and use it to refine our services. This allows us to stay agile and responsive to the evolving needs of the market.
What is one long-term goal you have for your coaching practice, and how are you working towards it?
As the owner of The Leadership Development (TLD) Group our long-term goal is to create a more interconnected and equitable health ecosystem by developing leaders who are collaborative change agents. Yes, a lofty goal and we’ve set strategies to achieve it. (1) We are dedicated to serving the unique needs of healthcare leaders across all sectors of the industry (e.g. providers, pharmaceuticals, payers, and healthcare adjacent). We leverage our deep understanding of the healthcare industry, gained from decades of experience working with leading organizations, to provide tailored coaching programs that address the specific challenges and opportunities faced by healthcare leaders. While each executive we coach has their unique set of development goals, regardless of their sector, we work to ensure each client focuses on building their collaborative leadership skills. (2) We team of coaches and consultants have deep expertise in the healthcare industry, many of whom have held similar leadership positions as those they work with. This industry-specific knowledge is critical for addressing the unique challenges facing healthcare leaders. (3) We are committed to rigorously evaluating the effectiveness of our coaching programs and identifying areas for improvement. By implementing these strategies, we are dedicated to empowering healthcare leaders to drive positive change, foster innovation, and improve patient care. Our goal is to cultivate a new generation of healthcare leaders who can lead with purpose, resilience, and compassion, making a lasting impact on the industry’s future.
How can our readers continue to follow your work? On our website at www.tldgroupinc.com
Thank you for offering such valuable insights into the future of coaching. We look forward to seeing your work continue to reach new heights, and we wish you continued success.
About the interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur and thought-leader. With over 25 years of business experience, Chad’s entire career has been dedicated to creating a positive social impact in all of his enterprises. His entrepreneurial journey began while in college at The Ohio State University, where he founded Choice Recovery, Inc., which earned national recognition and was twice ranked as the #1 company to work for in Central Ohio. Chad is now a strategic advisor for Authority Magazine’s thought-leader incubator and an Executive Leadership Coach with Built to Lead, where he recently launched an online community for leadership development.
To learn more and connect with Chad, visit www.chadsilverstein.io
