Leader as Coach – Open Programme
Making Everyday Conversations Extraordinary
Become an impactful leader by transforming everyday conversations into stronger relationships and better team results.
Certification
EMCC Accredited
EMCC’S Global EQA Quality Award.
Programme Delivery
Online Sessions
8 online sessions via Zoom, with optional in person networking event at Barefoot HQ.
Fees
£2,500 (Incl. VAT)
VAT added for company funded places.
Who Will Benefit From This Programme?
This programme is suitable for leaders and managers at any level who want to strengthen their leadership through better conversations. It’s ideal for those leading teams directly or indirectly across organisations.
- Designed to help leaders apply coaching skills practically in their day-to-day leadership, not step into full-time coaching roles
- A highly practical programme, with opportunities to practise real conversations and receive tutor feedback
- Focused on developing stronger relationships, increasing engagement, and improving performance across teams
- Grounded in psychology, with simple, applicable tools that create meaningful and lasting change
- Join the Barefoot community, with ongoing insights, support, and connection
Now Enrolling
How The Programme Works – Step By Step
Delivered online over 8 half-day Zoom sessions, the programme includes live tutor-led teaching, coaching practice and regular feedback.
You’ll be guided through a carefully designed blend of coaching theory, practice, reflection and feedback.
Set the foundations for the programme, clarify expectations, and complete a diagnostic to build awareness of your current leadership and coaching strengths.
Explore what it means to lead as a coach, shifting from fixing and directing to curiosity, trust and partnership.
Learn how to ask questions that deepen thinking, unlock insight and help others find their own answers.
Understand what really drives change and how to support ownership, momentum and commitment in others.
Use coaching conversations to navigate career development, challenge, feedback and working relationships with greater confidence and care.
Apply coaching skills at team level to improve engagement, resilience, wellbeing and shared responsibility.
Pause, reflect and embed learning , revisiting tools, refining practice and exploring real workplace experiences.
Connect with the other leaders on the programme, share learning, and build relationships that extend beyond the classroom, hosted at Barefoot Coaching HQ.
(This is an optional event)
Upcoming Programmes
Choose from our upcoming training programmes
September 2026
Course Begins
3rd September
Final Taught Session
14th January 2027
View Programme Schedule
February 2027
Course Begins
2nd February
Final Taught Session
29th June 2027
View Programme Schedule
April 2027
Course Begins
13th April
Final Taught Session
19th October 2027
View Programme Schedule
September 2027
Course Begins
7th September
Final Taught Session
15th February 2028
View Programme Schedule
September 2026 Programme Schedule
| Engagement Session | Thursday 3rd September | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Session 1 | Thursday 24th September | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 2 | Thursday 15th October | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 3 | Thursday 22nd October | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Booster Session | Thursday 19th November | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Session 4 | Thursday 26th November | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 5 | Thursday 10th December | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Booster Session | Thursday 14th January 2027 | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Networking Event (Optional) | Thursday 4th February 2027 | 10 am to 12:30pm |
February 2027 Programme Schedule
| Engagement Session | Tuesday 2nd February | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Session 1 | Tuesday 16th February | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 2 | Tuesday 2nd March | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 3 | Tuesday 16th March | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Booster Session | Tuesday 6th April | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Session 4 | Tuesday 20th April | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 5 | Tuesday 11th May | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Booster Session | Tuesday 25th May | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Networking Event (Optional) | Tuesday 29th June | 10 am to 1:30pm |
April 2027 Programme Schedule
| Engagement Session | Tuesday 13th April | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Session 1 | Tuesday 27th April | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 2 | Tuesday 18th May | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 3 | Tuesday 8th June | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Booster Session | Tuesday 22nd June | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Session 4 | Tuesday 6th July | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 5 | Tuesday 20th July | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Booster Session | Tuesday 14th September | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Networking Event (Optional) | Tuesday 19th October | 10 am to 1:30pm |
September 2027 Programme Schedule
| Engagement Session | Tuesday 7th September | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Session 1 | Tuesday 21st September | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 2 | Tuesday 5th October | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 3 | Tuesday 19th October | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Booster Session | Tuesday 2nd November | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Session 4 | Tuesday 16th November | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Session 5 | Tuesday 30th November | 9:30 am to 1:30pm |
| Booster Session | Tuesday 11th January 2028 | 9:30 am to 11:30am |
| Networking Event (Optional) | Tuesday 15th February 2028 | 10 am to 1:30pm |
The Leader as Coach Diagnostic™
A powerful assessment tool, developed in partnership with Business Psychologists. It aims to highlight a leader’s strengths and development areas.
Coaching Mindset
This is about the way a leader thinks, and the beliefs they hold about themselves and others.
Coaching at Work
This is about how leaders model the qualities of an effective Leader as Coach in the workplace.
Attention & Listening
This is about the environment leaders create to help others do their best and freshest thinking.
Coaching Organisations
This is about a leader’s ability to have effective and impactful coaching conversations.
Curious About The Leader as Coach Programme?
Our free taster session is a relaxed, no-obligation opportunity to experience the Barefoot approach and explore whether Leader as Coach is right for you or your organisation.
Experience what it’s like to learn with Barefoot and get a feel for our warm, practical style.
Explore the coaching mindset and why today’s leaders create space for others to think, grow and perform.
Get a flavour of the core coaching skills – from listening more effectively to asking questions that build trust, ownership and accountability.
See how small shifts in how you lead conversations can make a big difference to engagement and performance.
Ask questions, explore your context, and decide whether it feels like the right fit. No hard sell, just honest conversation.
Why Do Leaders Need Coaching Skills?
Leadership today asks more of conversations than ever before.
In increasingly complex, fast-moving environments, leaders aren’t just expected to direct, they’re expected to engage, involve, and unlock the thinking of the people around them.
The difference between teams that thrive and those that stall often comes down to this: are people told what to do, or are they able to contribute what they know?
This programme helps you shift how you lead, so that everyday conversations become more than updates or instructions. They become moments that build trust, surface insight, and move things forward.
You’ll learn alongside leaders facing similar challenges, in a space that is practical, supportive, and grounded in real work, not theory.
“The role of the manager, in short, is becoming that of a coach.” – Harvard Business Review, 2019.
Enrol NowWhat Our Graduates Say
Hear from coaches who have completed our Leader as Coach programme, and how it is already impacting their leadership.
For many, the programme becomes more than a learning experience, it’s a turning point. A chance to step back, deepen their thinking, and become more intentional in how they lead and coach others.
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers
This programme is suitable for leaders or managers who are ready to take their leadership to the next level. It is the ideal choice for anybody who wants to supercharge their results, by empowering and building stronger and more productive relationships with their team and stakeholders. We have deliberately constructed a programme that is targeted towards building even better leaders rather than turning leaders into full-time coaches.
Whether delegates are directly or indirectly responsible for leading others, our Leader as Coach Programme will enable them to engage and inspire those they work with to achieve better results by making their everyday conversations extraordinary.
This open programme brings leaders from different organisations together to share their experiences of leading in todays complex and hybrid world. The programme is delivered online and consists of 1×2-hour Engagement Session, 5 x half-day taught sessions + 2 x two-hour Booster Sessions.
Delegates will coach inside and outside of the learning environment and are required to complete a minimum of ten hours of workplace coaching to successfully complete the programme.
At the end of the programme, delegates are asked to write and submit a 500-word reflective essay on the impact of their coaching in their organisation.
*For 2025 we are adding an optional in-person networking event at Barefoot HQ.
This programme is accredited by the EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council) at Foundation Level and carries the EMCC’S Global EQA Quality Award. This is an internationally recognised award that demonstrates the quality of the programme content and the high standard of tutoring.

The programme includes 2 x 2-hour Booster Sessions which typically take place at the mid and end point. These group sessions provide valuable space to review coaching progress and take the place of traditional coaching supervision. Group Coaching methodologies are used to help delegates work through live issues or challenges related to their coaching practise. The aim is to have delegates leave feeling better resourced and more confident in their coaching ability.
Delegates receive a welcome back at the start of the programme which contains the following Barefoot Coaching resources:
- Leader as Coach Pocket Book
- Coaching Cards for Managers
- Coaching Cards for Teams
- Picture Coaching Cards
- Values Coaching Cards

Our exclusive Leader as Coach Diagnostic™ is a powerful assessment tool, developed in partnership with Business Psychologists. It aims to highlight a leader’s strengths and development areas in relation to a set of ‘Leader as Coach’ competencies. Organisational-specific norm data is utilised as a helpful way for delegates to benchmark their results against those of their peers. Supporting resources are provided to assist delegates in turning their insights into meaningful actions that benefit themselves, their team and their organisation. It is offered as a standalone product, as well as being a core part of our Leader as Coach Programme, where it provides a helpful measure for demonstrating the impact and return of the programme.
The Leader as Coach Assessment™ is currently undergoing validity testing by MSc students at The University of West England.
The diagnostic consists of 64 indicators across Barefoot’s Four Leader as Coach Quadrants. These are:
COACHING MINDSET
This is about the way a leader thinks, and the beliefs they hold about themselves and others.
COACHING AT WORK
This is about how leaders model the qualities of an effective Leader as Coach in the workplace.
ATTENTION & LISTENING
This is about the environment leaders create to help others do their best and freshest thinking.
COACHING ORGANISATIONS
This is about a leader’s ability to have effective and impactful coaching conversations.
Typically, the diagnostic is completed pre and post-programme. The outputs provide a helpful focus for the delegates’ development whilst they are on the programme.
The diagnostic is available in three formats, Self-Assessment, 180 (Self-Assessment + either Line Manager or Direct Report feedback), or 360 (Self-Assessment + Line Manager + Direct Reports + Peers + Others). For this open programme, learners will complete a self-assessment.

Successful completion of the programme will enable delegates to confidently coach others as part of their day-to-day role using the coaching skills, knowledge and mindset that they learn and practise on the programme. As well as valuable tools and resources, delegates will receive a Barefoot Coaching certificate of completion, which includes the EMCC EQA accreditation logo, and a Barefoot Qualified Leader as Coach digital badge to display on email signatures and on social media. Our digital badge is a demonstration of a delegate’s ability to effectively coach others as part of their day-to-day role, and the EMCC accreditation logo is a representation of the delegate having completed an internationally recognised and robust coach training programme.
- Develop the skills needed to build and sustain cohesive, productive and high-performing teams
- Develop greater self-awareness through critical reflection, diagnostics, coaching practise and feedback from tutors and delegates
- Understand why coaching works, the benefits of coaching and the essential attributes of an effective Leader as Coach
- Learn about the psychology of people and the key skills of coaching – listening, asking powerful questions and giving feedback
- Review existing knowledge, skills and experience and apply this to coaching
- Understand your leadership style and be able to adopt a coaching style when it is requiredmore of the time
- Know when to coach and when a different approach is required
- Have impactful coaching conversations in a variety of scenarios and settings (e.g. goal setting, career and difficult conversations, in 1:1s, ‘on the go’, in-person and online)
- Practise coaching inside and outside of the learning environment and receive feedback from tutors and delegates on your strengths and areas for development
- Acquire a range of practical tools and approaches to help you coach your team (1:1 and as a group), your stakeholders and people more senior than you
- Coach your team for increased self-sufficiency and improved engagement, collaboration and results
- Build your coaching confidence and start practising coaching skills from the first session
Minimum 10, maximum 15.
Self-funded: £2,500 incl. VAT*
Corporate-funded: £2,500 + VAT*
*Per Person
Interest-free instalment options available. Terms and conditions apply, speak to a member of the Barefoot Team for more details.
Barefoot ‘Leader as Coach’ cancellation/late changes policy.
To ensure the required minimum number of delegates and minimise disruptions caused by short-notice cancellations, we have the following policy:
All course cancellations must be submitted in writing via email to [email protected]. Verbal cancellations cannot be accepted.
Cancellations or changes made within 14 days of the session start date will result in the full balance being retained.
This policy applies to all online session bookings for the Leader as Coach Programme made via phone or our website (www.barefootcoaching.co.uk). However, we will make every effort to work with delegates to find a suitable solution before enforcing this policy.
We're here to help & answer any questions
Let's Talk! Call 01332 863641
Meet the Tutor Team
Our Team Coaching Practitioner tutors are experienced, expert coaches with backgrounds in team and executive coaching, and deep understanding of team dynamics in practice.
Clare Carpenter
ICF PCC
EMCC EIA Senior Practitioner
Chaya Mistry
ICF ACC
Chartered PR Practitioner
Julia Barry
ICF PCC
Trained Neurodiversity in Coaching
Caz Hawley
ICF PCC
Post Graduate Certificate in Coaching Supervision
Browse Our Courses
ICF Accredited Coach Training
Develop your coaching skills with ICF Level 2 accredited training — blending tools, psychology, and practice, grounded in real coaching experience. Open to all backgrounds, with University of Chester options.
Workplace Coaching
Our workplace coaching offer develops leaders and teams through practical tools, psychology, and real coaching expertise — building cultures of trust, resilience, and performance across every organisation.
Leader as Coach
Our Leader as Coach programme equips leaders with coaching skills to inspire, engage, and empower. Blending theory with practice, it transforms everyday conversations into opportunities for growth.
Team Coaching Practitioner Programme
This dynamic programme blends advanced learning on group and team dynamics with practical coaching experience — empowering you to coach teams confidently. Accredited with 40 ICF CCE points.
Certificate in Coaching for Grief & Loss
This pioneering programme builds the skills, insight, and empathy to coach clients through grief and loss in all its forms. Accredited with 40 ICF CCE points.
Certificate in Coaching Supervision
This university approved programme equips experienced coaches to become professional supervisors, guiding others with reflective, ethical, and practice-based methods. Accredited with 40 ICF CCE points.
Coaching Supervision
Our open group supervision offers practising coaches a reflective, structured space to refresh, align ethically, and gain perspective. Put 10 hours of Coaching Supervision towards ICF Core Competencies.
121 Coaching
Our bespoke one-to-one coaching unlocks personal and professional potential, fostering lasting transformation through a trusting, confidential relationship — far beyond a transactional experience.
Women in Life and Leadership
This transformative programme supports women in organisations to thrive professionally and personally, overcoming barriers like people-pleasing and impostor syndrome while challenging norms and unlocking growth.
Leader as Coach
Our Leader as Coach programme equips leaders with coaching skills to inspire, engage, and empower. Blending theory with practice, it transforms everyday conversations into opportunities for growth.
Group Coaching
This dynamic short course equips accredited coaches to facilitate group coaching, supporting shared learning in safe, confidential environments. Accredited with 14 ICF CCE points.
Team & Group Coaching
Our team and group coaching programmes help organisations unlock collective potential, fostering collaboration, challenge, and shared learning — complementing one-to-one coaching for systemic impact.
Psychology Of Coaching At Work
Join Andy Chandler, CEO of Barefoot Coaching, in this on-demand session exploring applied psychology in coaching — equipping leaders, coaches, and HR/L&D professionals with practical tools to boost performance.
Up & Running: Build your Coaching Business
This year-long programme supports accredited coaches to launch, manage, or grow their coaching business, learning from experienced coaches and successful business owners. Accredited with 40 ICF CCE points.
Coaching Skills Foundation Programme
A welcoming, foundation-level course introducing coaching techniques for personal and professional growth. No prior experience needed — open to anyone curious to explore coaching.
Women’s Development Programme
This dynamic programme empowers women to overcome people-pleasing and impostor syndrome. Through high-energy group coaching, participants build confidence, assertiveness, and the skills to thrive personally and professionally.
From Our Coaching Hub
Here’s a glimpse of what we’re reading, writing and thinking about right now, from lightbulb moments to things that make us pause.
Coaching Young Men Growing Up in the Manosphere
In recent years, many parents, educators and coaches have found themselves asking a quiet but unsettling question:What is...
Supporting High-Potential Women at Work: 5 lessons from Leadership Coaching
At Barefoot Coaching we’ve been coaching senior female leaders and high potential women across the globe for over...
A Review of The Broken Rung, by Ellingrud, Yee and Martínez
While girls outperform boys at school and college, upon entering the workforce the balance tips against women. This...
The Psychology Behind the Barefoot Coach Training Programme: Part One
“It is the relationship which heals, the relationship which heals, the relationship which heals.” - (Rogers, 1957) Foundations:...
Reflective Writing and Authenticity: Writing essays that truly reflect you
One of the most valuable aspects of the Post Graduate Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching is the...
Structure, Smarter Research and Support: Writing with confidence
Essay writing at postgraduate level isn’t just about what you know — it’s about how you structure, evidence,...
From Overwhelm to Clarity: Why Barefoot Write Club helps you get (re)started
If you’re enrolled on the PG Certificate in Business and Personal Coaching, chances are you’re juggling study alongside...
Grief Doesn’t Stay at Home: Why Workplaces Need the Courage to Acknowledge Loss
Grief Awareness Week (2–8 December 2025) invites us to recognise something profoundly simple yet often overlooked: grief comes...