The Executive Coach’s Handbook: Inside Secrets from the World’s Top Executive Coach
John Mattone
John Mattone Global, Inc. (August 2022)

Core concepts and key principles, brilliantly presented

Keep in mind that this is literally a handbook — a volume to be kept near at hand. It offers easy access to invaluable information and insights as well as counsel for those who are an executive coach or aspire to become one. I think much of the material can also be of substantial value to supervisors who have direct reports entrusted to their care. John Mattone defines an executive coach as “a business professional trained not only in business principles, but also in personal leadership coaching.” The executive coach establishes and develops “a relationship designed specifically to help those at the top levels of organizational leadership maximize strengths, address shortcomings, and ultimately perform more effectively. Viewed as gardeners, executive coaches help people “grow,” to become better in terms of professional skills as well as personal integrity.

Mattone begins by responding to four separate but related questions.

1. What is executive coaching?
2. Why is it important?
3. Why do businesses engage internal and/or external executive coaches?
4. Who needs executive coaching?

Mattone then builds upon the foundation previously established, sharing the content of what he characterizes as “Coachng 101”:

o Maximizing the potential for success
o Core concepts
o Tools
o Hot topics and “curveballs”
o Measuring coaching success

In the final section, he explains HOW to become an executive coach or, for executive coaches who are struggling, HOW to increase the value and impact of their services.

John Mattone is a purpose-driven empiricist who has spent decades learning and then practicing the “secret sauce” of high-impact executive coaching. He is also a diehard pragmatist, obsessed with learning what works, what doesn’t work, and WHY. He embraces the opportunity to serve as each reader’s executive coach.

I presume to conclude this brief commentary with a suggestion of my own. Underline key passages and keep a lined notebook near at hand while reading this book so that you can record comments, questions, page references, etc. These two simple tactics will facilitate, indeed expedite frequent review of key material later.