Coaching New Leaders: A Relational Process of Integrating Multiple Identities

The transition to a new leader role requires identity work. New leaders are likely to experience anxiety, threat, and conflict related to valued aspects of their identities. These identity challenges are particularly salient in the experiences of new leaders from minority and non-dominant groups. We address this challenge by proposing a narrative coaching framework that is practical and amenable to empirical testing. Specifically, we propose a framework of coaching principles and narrative practices that can support leaders through the identity transitions of separation, liminality, and the integration of a new leader identity. In doing so, this paper provides actionable practices for coaching new leaders as well as directions for research on coaching and leader development.