Future of HR “What Works in Executive Coaching (And What Doesn't)” with Brian Underhill, Founder and CEO of CoachSource
Feb 10, 2026
Brian Underhill, Founder and CEO of CoachSource and author of Executive Coaching for Results, shares his journey from early coaching work to building scalable leadership systems. He discusses how coaching evolved into disciplined practice. Short takes cover designing measurable coaching programs, team coaching vs individual work, proper coach selection, and where AI can and cannot support coaching.
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Coaching Evolved From Wild West To Standardized Practice
- Executive coaching matured from a Wild West to a standardized industry with expectations around scope, pricing, and measurement.
- Companies now create coordinated coaching standards, vet coaches, and track outcomes instead of letting coaches operate ad hoc.
Early Coaching Began As One Session 360 Debriefs
- Brian started coaching at Marshall Goldsmith's firm in the mid-late 90s doing 360 debrief sessions and transitioned from one-off sessions to year-long coaching.
- He and colleagues had to invent methodologies for multi-session executive coaching because formal coach training and standards were rare.
Make HR Own Coaching Standards
- Do centralize and standardize executive coaching through HR to avoid random coach selection and unclear objectives.
- Vet coaches, set engagement standards, define topics, control costs, and measure results to protect coaching ROI.
