July 15-August 19, 2026, Wednesdays 9:00-10:30am Pacific (6 spots remaining)
If you’re interested in participating, please contact me.
OVERVIEW
The Art of Self-Coaching is a course that I launched at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2015 and taught to more than 500 MBA students over seven years. In the Spring of 2020 I taught a public version of the course to several hundred people. In 2024 I began offering a virtual version of the course to small groups of 6 CEOs, and in June 2025 I concluded the 4th cohort of The Art of Self-Coaching for CEOs. In addition, once a year I offer a special cohort of the course to People Leaders and Talent Partners.
My definition of self-coaching is simple: actively guiding our own growth and development, particularly through periods of transition. But self-coaching is not a solitary process–it’s a highly social one. Self-coaching is self-directed, but other people play important roles in the process, from professional coaches like me to peers and colleagues.
And yet if you’re like many of my clients, a dilemma you face is that the people who have your best interests at heart and will be candid with you may not fully understand your professional world. And the people who do understand your professional world may not be candid with you, or they may have agendas that diverge from yours. A key is learning how to develop relationships which fill this gap.
The course consists of six 90-minute class sessions with the full group, as well three 1:1 meetings with me–a pre-course orientation and two coaching sessions to be held during the course. Class sessions will consist of a brief lecture, an extensive 1:1 conversation with a partner, and a full-group discussion. The goals of the course are as follows:
- Provide an introduction to coaching skills and get practice on both sides of coaching conversations.
- Explore a set of readings on six topics of critical importance to senior leaders.
- Get to know a group peers in similar roles. (You’ll have one-on-one conversations with every other member of the group during the course.)
CALENDAR: Class sessions are 90 minutes in length. A 30-minute orientation will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time before the first class sessions. Two 60-minute coaching sessions will be scheduled at mutually convenient times during the course.
2026 SCHEDULE: July 15-August 19, Wednesdays 9:00-10:30am Pacific (6 spots remaining)
FEE: $5,500
COURSE SESSIONS AND READINGS
Preparation: Principles and Tools
- Self-Coaching is SOCIAL
- What I mean by “self-coaching” and why it’s an interpersonal experience.
- How Great Coaches Ask, Listen, and Empathize
- Connect, Reflect, Direct…Then Ask (On Coaching)
- Guides to coaching as a toolkit and methodology.
- Better Conditions for Working Remotely
- Guidelines for Better Virtual Events
- Tips on setting up your workspace for an optimal experience and norms for class sessions.
- The Value of Journal Writing
- Written work isn’t required, but it’s an optional way to get even more out of the course.
- Why Change Is Hard
- Building Blocks (A Tactical Approach to Change)
- The course may prompt an interest in pursuing change, ranging from new habits to new priorities in life.
Session 1: Attention
Session 2: Emotion
Session 3: Happiness
Session 4: Resilience
Session 5: Unhappiness
Session 6: Success
Photo by Seth Anderson.