Top 15 Female Leadership and Executive Coaches
In a recent blog post, I covered 13 great executive coaches whose expertise covers a broad range of topics. We covered a decent split along gender lines with eight men and five women, but I wanted to tip the scales and highlight even more amazing women making a name in the world of executive coaching. My blog, my rules!
Introduction
This blog is a celebration of the top female business coaches empowering women from all walks of life to achieve remarkable success. From personal growth to profitable businesses (and striking the right work-life balance), these coaches have helped small business owners unlock their full potential through decades of experience and a passion for seeing others thrive.
Leadership isn’t a skill you develop overnight. Think of it like this: Even the greatest female athletes need some help reaching their goals — it’s impossible to become Caitlin Clark without experienced coaches to lend a hand along the way. Likewise, there’s an entire season’s worth of grueling tests before you’re ready for the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament or the United States National Team.
With the sports metaphors out of the way, let’s examine the profiles of the 15 top female business coaches and see how these role models can assist you in developing your leadership skill set.
15 Amazing Women Leadership and Executive Coaches
Ali Brown - Empowering Female Leaders
Ali Brown is a trailblazer in the coaching industry. She’s renowned for empowering female leaders to embrace their unique paths. Brown’s coaching philosophy rests on her personal experience building a successful business as an early entrepreneur in the online marketing space.
With her extensive experience, Brown has guided countless entrepreneurs to build successful businesses while maintaining a balanced personal life. Her coaching style emphasizes authenticity and the importance of aligning passion with business goals. She shares insights from her own experience and features other women business leaders on her podcast, Glambition Radio.
Erin May Henry - Finding Success Beyond Boundaries
Erin May Henry — the self-dubbed “Chillpreneur” and business empowerment coach — is dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs break free from their comfort zones. With her guidance, aspiring business owners have conquered challenges and expanded their businesses beyond their wildest dreams.
Her practical approach and valuable insights — which have earned her a place among the top female coaches — stem from years of running her own business. Her latest project aims to build on her work of empowering women leaders by creating a network for learning and collaboration among her clients.
Melitta Campbell - Nurturing Business Growth
As an experienced coach, Melitta Campbell excels in fostering business development. Her approach focuses on helping female entrepreneurs cultivate their own “dream clients,” with an emphasis on overcoming doubts and imposter syndrome.
She understands that building a thriving business requires not just strategic planning, but also a focus on mental health and personal development. Campbell's coaching equips entrepreneurs with the tools to build confidence and gain clients by focusing on their own strengths to turn their visions into reality.
Rachel Rodgers - Empowering Women of Color
Rachel Rodgers has earned a prominent position in the coaching industry for her dedication to empowering women of color. Through her coaching, she uses a holistic approach to help her clients build seven-figure businesses and create a lasting, significant impact in their communities. Her uncanny ability to connect with entrepreneurs enables her to effectively address the challenges of each mentee’s unique path.
Brené Brown - The Power of Authenticity
While primarily known as a researcher and speaker on topics like vulnerability and courage, Brené Brown also offers coaching and leadership programs. Drawing on her extensive research, Brown offers a unique perspective on leadership roles that emphasizes the power of authenticity and human connection. Her coaching empowers leaders to cultivate a culture of trust and belonging within their teams, fostering an environment where people can thrive and innovate.
Sally Helgesen - Leadership as a Skill
Sally Helgesen is an author and business coach known for her work on women's leadership. Helgesen is a respected authority on gender diversity in the workplace. Her coaching approach is rooted in the belief that leadership isn’t bound by gender, and she strives to empower leaders of all backgrounds to reach their full potential.
Helgesen emphasizes that leadership is a skill that can be honed and developed over time. She focuses on self-awareness, helping her clients understand their strengths, values, and personal leadership styles.
Cynthia Pong, J.D. - Getting Out of Your Lane
Cynthia Pong is an award-winning career coach, author, speaker, and hype woman for women of color. Pong heads up Embrace Change, a team of all-BIPOC career and executive coaches. Her book Don’t Stay in Your Lane focuses on how to get the most out of career changes through confidence and authenticity.
Dr. Margie Warrell - Tackling New Challenges
Margie Warrell is an executive coach, author, and speaker who focuses on helping leaders overcome fear and make bold decisions. Dr. Warrell's coaching methodology is deeply rooted in the principles of courage and resilience.
She empowers her clients to step outside their comfort zones, confront their fears, and take bold actions in pursuit of their goals. Through her coaching, leaders learn to embrace uncertainty, make tough decisions, and navigate challenges with confidence.
Valery Navarrete - Undoing Oppression
Valery Navarrete is a consultant, facilitator, speaker, and successful coach with a profound dedication to catalyzing individuals and organizations committed to social change. With 30 years of experience across various sectors — including government, nonprofits, healthcare, mental health, and social innovation — Navarrete brings a wealth of expertise to her coaching practice.
As a mixed-race, Latinx woman of color, Navarrete's passion for fostering connection and addressing issues of privilege and oppression underscores her commitment to building inclusive organizations and communities. Her work is based on the belief that interdependence and positive connections are essential for individual and societal flourishing.
Tara Mohr - Playing Big
Tara Mohr is a recognized expert in leadership and personal development, with a training program that asserts everyone has the potential to lead with purpose and make a positive impact. Through her online courses, Mohr emphasizes what she calls "Playing Big" by breaking through barriers to overcome self-doubt. Her coaching methodology revolves around building the confidence and skill set needed to achieve goals and ambitions, no matter how audacious they may seem.
Elaine Lou Cartas - Entering Your “Zone of Genius”
Elaine Lou Cartas specializes in coaching women of color and allies, with a coaching method that revolves around five key benefits: establishing a support system, identifying and leveraging strengths (what she terms the “Zone of Genius”), providing accountability, strengthening leadership skills, and fostering long-term, sustainable business success.
By offering guidance, structure, and a commitment to aligning business ventures with personal values and well-being, Lou's coaching empowers clients to build thriving businesses while achieving their desired lifestyle and legacy. Her mission is to create a more equitable and sustainable future through coaching that inspires action and persistence.
Susan Scott - Having Fierce Conversations
Susan Scott is a leadership development architect and the author of "Fierce Conversations." She specializes in helping leaders have more effective and meaningful conversations through authentic communication. In Scott’s view, candid conversations are the cornerstone of effective leadership.
With years of experience, she encourages leaders to engage in open, honest, and courageous dialogues with their teams, peers, and superiors. Through these conversations, leaders can address critical issues, provide constructive feedback, and build stronger relationships. Scott’s work equips leaders with the skills and mindset necessary to tackle even the most challenging conversations with empathy and tact.
Atina White - Change Is Possible
Atina White is a leadership and life coach whose work emphasizes that change is possible. White prioritizes working with women of color to unpack and explore the unique societal and professional challenges they may experience.
Her coaching philosophy revolves around the expectations women of color face, and understanding where and how those broad expectations might leave individuals feeling unsatisfied. Through practicing self-awareness and clarifying what we really want, White’s coaching pushes her clients to change their careers and lives for the better.
Dr. Kym Harris-Lee - Getting M.O.R.E. From Your Career
Dr. Kym Harris-Lee encourages authentically sharing one's abilities and taking a unique approach, free from the constraints of conformity. Dr. Harris-Lee acknowledges the distinct challenges women of color often face due to microinequities and empowers them to navigate these obstacles with resilience.
Her coaching approach is twofold: She provides a perspective informed by her own experiences — fostering genuine understanding and empathy — while objectively promoting self-awareness and enhancing interpersonal interactions. Her M.O.R.E. Mindset contains four points: Maximum Self-Awareness, Optimal Optimism, Rich Relationships, and Empathetic Engagement.
Emily Sander - A Coach Who Gets Business
Time for my personal plug! Looking to reach your next level as a leader? I’m Emily Sander, a C-suite executive turned ICF-certified leadership coach. I’ve worked for a variety of companies, from scrappy startups to private equity to established Fortune 500 organizations.
With over 15 years of experience, I know what a difference leadership makes in the corporate world. I’ve been in the trenches with executives facing difficult, high-pressure decisions, helping them navigate their doubts and challenges. With me in your corner, you can harness the skills and mindset you need to maximize your leadership potential.
Click here to schedule a free introductory call to see if my coaching style is the right fit for you.
ForbesWomen - Recognizing Excellence
Another great source for identifying excellent women leaders is ForbesWomen. ForbesWomen’s coverage extends beyond the business world, providing a broad perspective on leadership. ForbesWomen has featured some of the most recognized leadership coaches. These women have been instrumental in shaping the business landscape, and their success stories serve as inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Coaching Yourself
You may have noticed a common theme above — many of the top coaches are also authors. Checking out their written work can be a great DIY way to gain insight into your own leadership and career needs, and get an idea of whether you might be a good fit for their coaching style.
While we’re on the topic, I have a few books of my own. In Hacking Executive Leadership, I cover how you can use divergent thinking to develop confidence in yourself and your leadership style. In my second book — An Insider’s Perspective on the Chief of Staff — I unlock the potential of this versatile, often-misunderstood position. Finally, my latest book On-Ramp to Exit: Your Guide to Navigating the Complete Private Equity Experience provides practical, actionable insights to help readers navigate the world of private equity.
Finding the Right Coach
There are a lot of great coaches out there, and so much information to filter that we’ve only scratched the surface in this article. Finding the right coach for you is an absolute must when embarking on a leadership development journey. The ideal coach understands your unique needs, business goals, and vision. They’ll offer practical advice and support to help you navigate the professional challenges you may face, and help you create lasting change.
For a first step, you might wonder, “What can coaching do for me?” I have a blog on that very topic here. If you’re ready to start looking for a coach, check out my guide to finding the right coach here.
About The Author
Emily Sander is an ICF-certified leadership coach with more than 15 years of experience in the business world and the author of Hacking Executive Leadership. She’s been featured in several print publications, online articles, and podcasts, including CEO Today Magazine, Leading to Fulfillment, and Leadership Powered by Common Sense.
Emily has a passion for helping business leaders reach their full potential. Go here to read her story from seasoned executive to knowledgeable coach. If you want to send Emily a quick message, then visit her contact page here.