25 Facts That Show How Executive Coaching Transforms Business Leaders in Sydney

Sydney’s competitive corporate environment is anchored in finance, technology, consulting and professional services.
These areas demand leaders who can perform under pressure, adapt quickly, and inspire teams. In 2025, executive coaching has emerged as one of the most effective strategies for strengthening leadership capacity.

Backed by global and localised research and insights, let’s unpack 25 facts that demonstrate how executive coaching in Sydney transforms business leaders, organisations, and creates a culture of safety and high-performance.

Leaders face constant pressure to deliver results, particularly in Sydney’s dynamic corporate landscape, where these pressures often occur in volatile and uncertain conditions. Executives are expected to make rapid, high-stakes decisions while aligning their team around a clear vision.

Traditional leadership training alone often falls short in preparing leaders for these realities. Executive coaching offers a tailored approach to equip leaders with sharper decision-making skills and enhanced self-awareness.

1. Coaching can deliver an ROI between 5 and 20 times the investment.
   This return comes from improved decision-making, greater confidence, and stronger team alignment. For Sydney executives, navigating high-stakes boardrooms or client negotiations, the ability to make sound decisions under pressure directly impacts organisational outcomes.
2. A reported 18.1% of Australian leaders rated leadership coaching as a valued form of workplace support.
   While not yet the most common support mechanism, this figure highlights a growing recognition across Australian workplaces that coaching provides value beyond traditional training.
3. Executive coaching can drive a 70% increase in individual performance.
   With carefully crafted programs built to help transform employees, executive coaching can turn good leaders into inspiring innovators who lead with purpose.
4. It also drives a 50% uplift in team performance.
   Executive coaching isn’t just for individuals; teams can participate and benefit from various coaching programs. Additionally, a higher-performing leader is always beneficial to the team.

5. Not just teams, coaching can drive a 48% boost in organisational performance.
   These ICF-backed statistics demonstrate the flow-on effect of coaching. It uplifts individual leaders and improves team dynamics and overall business results.
6. Pairing training with coaching boosts productivity from 22% (training alone) to 88%.
   For Sydney-based organisations investing heavily in professional development, this statistic underscores why coaching is the multiplier that turns learning into long-term behavioural change.
7. 59.6% of Australian leaders report they are struggling.
   With leadership challenges on the rise, coaching provides a confidential, structured environment to help executives process challenges and find actionable solutions.

The evidence shows coaching helps strengthen individual performance, whilst creating a ripple effect across teams and organisations. For Sydney executives managing growth, competition, and transformation, coaching is proving to be the key to outstanding leadership.

Mental wellness and psychological safety have grown in awareness across the business sector over the past decade. Stress-related challenges are among the leading causes of burnout and disengagement in Australia’s workplaces, costing huge amounts annually.

Executive coaching helps leaders build resilience, improve self-regulation, and create supportive environments for their teams. When businesses have long working hours within fast-paced industries like finance, consulting and law, coaching can help create sustainable leadership.

8. The most valued forms of workplace support for Australian leaders were reported as Leadership Training (21.7%), Leadership Mentoring (20.5%) and Leadership Coaching (18.1%).
   Coaching is equally valuable as training and mentoring, showing that it’s no longer seen as just a remedial tool but a proactive investment in leader wellbeing and capacity.
9. In 2021-22, about 3.5% (497,000) of the Australian working population experienced a work-related injury or illness.
   A decline from previous years, this statistic suggests a stronger focus on safety and wellbeing. Executive coaching complements this shift by equipping leaders to model resilience and foster psychologically safe teams.
10. Psychological injuries cost Australian businesses up to $39 billion annually.
    With costs this high, leadership coaching that builds resilience and emotional intelligence becomes an essential preventative measure.
11. Around 1 in 6 NSW workers experience poor mental health, which collectively costs approximately $2.8 billion per year to employers.
    In Sydney, where high-performance sectors like finance and law are prevalent, coaching can mitigate stress and burnout by supporting executives in maintaining balance.

12. The ABS is introducing a ‘Measuring What Matters’ report to track wellbeing.
    This upcoming data from the ABS highlights the focus on wellbeing in today’s workforce. Coaching provides organisations with a way to proactively align their leaders’ development with national wellbeing priorities.
13. 72% of respondents in the 2023 ICF HCI Defining New Cultures report acknowledged a ‘strong correlation’ between an increase in employee engagement and coaching.
    Engagement is critical in competitive Sydney industries. Coaching assists leaders in boosting employee interest within their teams.
14. The ICF reported that coaching had high approval from 73% of employees and 78% of high executives.
    This endorsement signals that coaching is not only effective but also well-received across organisational levels, helping to strengthen trust between leadership and employees.
15. Only 27% of Australian team members report that their leaders often create a culture of care.
    Coaching can close this gap by encouraging empathy-driven leadership styles that promote retention and loyalty.

Coaching empowers leaders to survive the pressure and thrive under it, fostering healthier workplaces.

Career progression for Sydney’s executives is highly competitive, with many professionals striving to climb the corporate ladder in industries where leadership roles are limited and highly sought after. In this environment, technical ability alone is not the only aspect needed to advance your career.

Organisations look for leaders with adaptability, resilience, and the ability to inspire innovation. Performance coaching has proven to be a catalyst for leadership growth, with targeted support that accelerates career progression while teaching leaders the soft skills that set them apart.

16. Harvard Business Review highlights that coaching, job rotation, stretch assignments, mentoring, and action learning build executive skills more effectively than traditional programs.
    Sydney’s fast-moving corporate world requires more than textbook learning; coaching ensures executives develop practical, adaptive skills that last.
17. McKinsey emphasises the role of coaching in building resilience and adaptability.
    These skills are vital in Sydney’s tech and finance hubs, where disruption is constant and leaders must pivot quickly.
18. Coaching boosts productivity and innovation.
    For Sydney organisations competing globally, coaching enables leaders to unlock creative problem-solving and innovative concepts.

Coaching can boost confidence to step into a board role or develop adaptability to lead through change. In today’s fast-moving economy, executive coaching gives Sydney professionals the edge they need.

For Sydney’s organisations, leadership is not only a people issue but a bottom-line issue.

Companies that invest in strong leadership practices consistently outperform their peers financially, and coaching plays a central role in building these practices.

19. Deloitte reports that companies with strong management practices (which coaching can support) achieve up to 15% higher financial performance.
    Coaching strengthens these practices, making it a strategic investment for Sydney companies aiming for sustained profitability.
20. 86% of organisations report a return on investment from executive coaching.
    This global figure shows coaching is a proven tool for success, something that Sydney companies competing in international markets can utilise.
21. Executive coaching delivers a median ROI of 788%.
    Based on a Metrix Global study, this figure validates coaching as one of the most financially rewarding investments in human capital.
22. Every $1 invested in a mentally healthy workplace delivers up to $2.30 in returns.
    Sydney businesses increasingly face talent shortages. By creating mentally healthy environments through coaching, organisations can find better retention from happier employees.

The return on investment is not only evident in financial performance but also in employee engagement, retention, and resilience. Sydney’s corporate landscape is becoming increasingly data-driven, and the numbers are clear. Coaching is no longer an optional perk but a high-impact strategy for organisational success.

While Sydney’s corporate landscape is changing, there is still a strong disparity between the number of men in leadership compared to women. Women remain significantly underrepresented in senior roles. Addressing this gap is a social imperative and a business opportunity.

23. While women comprise over a third of management roles (32.5%), there’s a present leadership gap.
    Coaching provides the confidence, strategic skills, and advocacy to help female leaders ascend into more senior roles.
24. Only 19.4% of CEOs and 12.9% of ASX-200 chair positions are held by women.
    This demonstrates the need for executive coaching to accelerate women’s leadership progression. Mentorship, support and connection through executive coaching programs also help female leaders step confidently into their career progression.
25. 84% of HR Professionals recognise the importance of DEI, but only half believe their leaders prioritise it.
    Coaching equips leaders with the tools to champion diversity initiatives, moving from policy to practice. In multicultural Sydney, this means leaders are capable of leveraging diverse perspectives to drive innovation and market relevance.

Executive coaching to help individuals build self-assuredness and develop the skills to thrive at the top. If you’re a Sydney business looking to remain globally competitive and socially relevant, investing in coaching as a tool is a strategic choice.

Executive Coaching is a proven strategy to completely transform not only your executive leaders, but the organisation as a whole. In Sydney’s competitive environment, having this advantage is essential.

From measurable ROI and improved wellbeing, A performance coach can help you create a stronger and more resilient workforce. Coaching transforms organisations from the inside out. Sydney’s executives, CEOs, and HR leaders are already embracing this shift. The question is, are you ready to invest in your leadership potential?

For years, Dr Jodie has been a renowned executive coach helping Founders, CEOs, and Senior Leaders reach their full potential and thrive. Dr Jodie is not only a high-performance coach but a clinical psychologist and bestselling author of The Mind Strength Method, a methodology that’s transforming the mindset of countless individuals.

Dr Jodie partners her scientifically-backed framework with her business expertise. In a tailored program, you’ll learn practical tools to accelerate your performance and leadership style, all in alignment with your goals and values.

Discover how you can elevate your leadership and organisation through Dr Jodie’s executive coaching in Sydney.