Abstract
Executive coaching is a professional, leadership development practice that has
evolved as a popular and effective method for providing top-level leaders with a
competitive advantage. This genre of development encompasses several types of
coaching practices. Executive peer advisory groups involving CEOs were the focus of
this study. Specifically, this study focused on coach-led, executive peer advisory groups
as a subgroup of executive coaching. Relationships formed during executive peer
advisory groups can contribute to CEOs’ perceptions of self-efficacy. In this grounded
theory study, a systematic model was devolved to help executive coaches encourage
members of executive peer advisory groups to build sustainable relationships with peers.
Through qualitative research, members of executive peer advisory groups were identified,
observed, surveyed, and interviewed to gain perspective of individual experiences and the
effect of the group on relationships and self-efficacy. The researcher explored (a) the job
demands placed on CEOs; (b) the definitions and purposes of executive peer advisory
groups; (c) the roles of those involved (e.g., coaches, individuals, and groups); (d) the
desired traits and personality characteristics of coaches, individuals, and groups necessary
to form sustainable relationships and build optimal groups; (e) the purposes for
developing relationships in executive peer advisory groups; and (f) the desired outcomes
that may occur from positive peer relationships. The final chapter in this study contains a
model for coaches to apply to executive peer advisory groups to attain optimal
achievement for group members.