Building Academic Leadership Capacity Through Coaching

AIM The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of coaching in a 12-month leadership development program for nurse faculty and administrators who transition to leadership positions or who aspire to lead. BACKGROUND There is a critical need in nursing education to build leadership capacity. One strategy to foster leadership development is through coaching. Although developmental leadership programs for nurse educators exist, limited empirical data exist in nursing academia examining the effectiveness of coaching on leadership. METHOD The design was qualitative descriptive. Using a semistructured interview guide, participants (N= 12) responded to open-ended questions about their coaching experience. RESULTS Data analysis revealed three themes: encouraging intentional reflection of self and leadership, validating perceptions of challenging professional situations, and strategizing options for action plans and behaviors. CONCLUSION Coaching holds a great deal of promise as a means to develop the next generation of academic nurse leaders.