The Impact of Executive Coaching on CEOs of SMEs in Ireland

The study aimed to identify the critical features of leadership development coaching engagements and the impact of the engagement on CEOs of SMEs. It represents one of the few attempts to systematically examine the impact of Executive Coaching on CEOs of SMEs. Much of the literature and evidence highlights the growing importance of Executive Coaching as a leadership development strategy (Caruso 2000 and Passmore 2010) and validates that when combined with development programmes, coaching can significantly facilitate learning and increase and individuals self efficacy (Popper 2005; Levenson 2009; Hewes et al 2012; Atkinson 2012).