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For 22 years, senior leaders from Fortune 1000 companies have brought their hardest problems here — and left sharper than they arrived.

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Find the peer conversation that moves your work forward.The right exchange builds better leaders, closes capability gaps, and cuts through what internal meetings can't.

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Get answers about how Executive Learning Exchange (ELE) works — peer-powered leadership development that fixes real work issues, reverses burnout, and accelerates business value. No programs. No vendors. In the flow of work.

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Executive Learning Exchange (ELE)

This session provided a fresh lens on leadership development—moving from instruction to empowerment, from expert-led to peer-driven.

<blockquote data-start="370" data-end="500">
“How can we swing the pendulum closer to coaching… to elicit wisdom instead of just transferring information?” — <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/ana-bedard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ana Bedard</a>
</blockquote>
That one question reframed the challenge HR leaders face: how to build leadership agility in an era where formal programs often fall short. The answer? Coaching—not just from professional coaches, but through peers practicing real-time feedback, powerful questions, and shared accountability.
The session introduced a scalable model inspired by Lead Belay—where leaders grow through structured, facilitated peer coaching circles. It’s lightweight, trust-building, and rooted in real-world challenges, not theory.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-43061" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Shift-from-Formal-to-Empowered-15-MAY-2025-1.jpg" alt="The Shift from Formal to Empowered: Coaching as the New Learning Paradigm" width="1920" height="1103" />
Key Takeaways:

<ul data-start="1036" data-end="1445">
 	<li class="" data-start="1036" data-end="1122">
Coaching fosters agility, empathy, and self-awareness—more than teaching ever could.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="1123" data-end="1207">
Peer coaching models are cost-effective and scalable across all leadership levels.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="1208" data-end="1287">
Open-ended, clarifying questions expose blind spots and spark deeper insight.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="1288" data-end="1363">
“Pay-it-forward” coaching builds internal capacity without new headcount.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="1364" data-end="1445">
When leaders coach each other, they also transform their own leadership habits.
</li>
</ul>
Practical Actions You Can Take Now:

<ol data-start="1487" data-end="1864">
 	<li class="" data-start="1487" data-end="1557">
Start a small peer coaching pilot using real leadership challenges.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="1558" data-end="1632">
Train managers in clarifying questions and active listening techniques.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="1633" data-end="1716">
Design for “exponential learning”—today’s participants become tomorrow’s guides.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="1717" data-end="1785">
Supplement formal leadership programs with peer coaching cohorts.
</li>
 	<li class="" data-start="1786" data-end="1864">
Encourage leaders to visibly practice coaching skills in team interactions.
</li>
</ol>
<blockquote data-start="1866" data-end="1988">
“The Lead Belay model is a multiplier. You’re building relationships, coaching skills, and agility all at once.” — <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/jane-shlaes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jane Shlaes</a>
</blockquote>
This isn’t just a new method—it’s a mindset shift. For HR leaders ready to empower people instead of just informing them, peer coaching offers a clear path forward.
It’s a practical, human-centered approach that scales leadership development without scaling cost. And more importantly, it creates the kind of connected, reflective leaders we need now more than ever.
Have a takeaway, challenge, or success story to add? Share it with the community on <a href="https://www.ele.llc/idea-exchange" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ELE Idea Exchange</a>.

The Shift from Formal to Empowered: Coaching as the New Learning Paradigm

jane.shlaes

collaborative learning

performance improvement

leadership development

talent development

anton.maletich

missy.gonzales

Coaching

Talent Strategy

Performance Improvement

ana.bedard

learning and development

peer coaching

HR transformation

coaching skills

Coaching Culture

wise2025

leadership agility

agile leadership

scalable learning

coaching mindset

empowered leadership

At the core of a thriving organization is its ability to foster a sense of belonging and engagement among its employees. Peer coaching emerges as a powerful tool in this context, providing a structured yet flexible method to enhance employee retention and cultivate a supportive company culture.  This session provided valuable insights into the power of peer coaching for professional development and organizational growth. At its core, the discussion emphasized a crucial aspect of learning:
<blockquote>"Learning requires vulnerability. Creating psychological safety is vital because without it, people can't be vulnerable enough to learn." -- <a href="https://www.ele.llc/members/kyle-swanson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Swanson</a></blockquote>
This profound statement encapsulates the essence of effective peer coaching. The session highlighted three key takeaways:
<ul>
 	<li>The Importance of Psychological Safety: Establishing a secure and accepting environment is pivotal for successful peer coaching. By fostering a space where individuals feel free to express vulnerability and share without judgment, the stage is set for deeper and more impactful learning interactions.</li>
 	<li>Valuing Diverse Viewpoints: Peer coaching circles are enriched by the variety of perspectives they bring together. Access to different viewpoints not only offers fresh insights but also encourages the exploration of questions that may not arise in a more homogenous group. This diversity catalyzes a more robust learning experience.</li>
 	<li>Commitment to Preparation Enhances Outcomes: The effectiveness of peer coaching hinges on the participants' dedication to the process. Success is facilitated by thorough preparation, which includes reflective thinking prior to sessions, active participation during discussions, and a solid commitment to both provide and receive constructive feedback.</li>
</ul>
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-40779" src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/graph-employee-retention-rates_3-source-MIT-Sloan-2019-Study-1024x512.png" alt="Retention: Hired vs. Acquired Employees" width="612" height="306" />

By focusing on these elements, organizations can harness the full potential of peer coaching, creating a culture of continuous learning and growth. This approach not only enhances individual development but also strengthens team dynamics and organizational resilience in an ever-evolving professional landscape.

Peer Coaching: Empowering Success

Engagement &amp; Culture

dirk.tussing

kyle.swanson

richard.busby

allyson.carter

Change Management

coaching

edward.desrosiers

talent management

learning &amp; development

shelley.smith

kim.ludwig

employee engagement

psychological safety

organizational development

reskilling

employee retention

organizational success

workplace culture

HR Innovation

workplace innovation

rachel.kaberon

Organizational Growth

lauren.marder

RunYourself

Bright Software, Inc.

Did you know that employees who have a coaching manager are eight times more likely to be highly engaged compared to their peers with managers who don’t take a coaching approach? (Source: <a href="https://www.forrester.com/blogs/can-your-managers-also-be-good-coaches/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Forrester</a>)

The human element remains the most pivotal yet challenging aspect in the dynamic landscape of mergers and acquisitions (M&amp;A). As HR Talent Development Leaders, our role transcends traditional boundaries, placing us at the heart of shaping the post-M&amp;A integration experience.

This interactive discussion will provide a platform for sharing insights, experiences, and innovative practices across industries. Together, we will dissect the symbiotic relationship between a sense of belonging, employee engagement, and the successful actualization of M&amp;A value through peer coaching.

Areas to Explore:
<ul>
 	<li>The Impact of Belonging: Delve into how a sense of belonging influences employee retention and integration efficacy after M&amp;A and the role HR leaders play in this dynamic.</li>
 	<li>Peer Coaching Frameworks: Examine diverse peer coaching models effective in M&amp;A contexts, focusing on strategies that promote connection, understanding, and a cohesive company culture.</li>
 	<li>Implementation and Challenges: Collaboratively identify practical steps for instituting peer coaching initiatives, address common hurdles, and strategize on metrics to gauge their impact on engagement and retention.</li>
</ul>
This roundtable is more than a discussion; it's an opportunity to co-create a repository of best practices that can guide HR Talent Development Leaders in leveraging peer coaching to enhance M&amp;A outcomes. Join us in this journey of discovery and innovation, where your experiences and ideas will help shape the future of HR practices in M&amp;A scenarios.

Recommended Reading: <a href="https://www.slalom.com/de/en/insights/10-practices-for-acquired-employee-onboarding-in-m-a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">10 Practices for Acquired Employee Onboarding in M&amp;A</a>

Empowering M&A Success Through Peer Coaching | Building Belonging to Drive Retention and Value Realization

engagement &amp; culture

chris.olson

helping managers

wendy.greeson

manager development

coaching strategy

organizational challenges

manager effectiveness

retention strategies

mica.vaipan

wise2024

Zurich North America

BetterUp

In this dynamic session, we will guide you through the process of creating a scalable peer coaching program to tackle your organization's most pressing challenges. We will demonstrate how to harness internal talent effectively to provide valuable support, ultimately contributing to a sustainable and engaged workforce. With a focus on improving manager effectiveness, increasing employee engagement, and enhancing career satisfaction and retention, this session will delve into the strategic implementation of structured peer coaching as a powerful solution.

Throughout this session, we will explore key elements such as:
<ol>
 	<li>Identifying Critical Business and People Priorities: learn how to identify and prioritize the specific business and people-related challenges that can benefit from a coaching approach. We'll explore how to align coaching with your organization's strategic goals.</li>
 	<li>Structuring Coach Recruitment and Development: discover strategies for recruiting and developing internal coaches. We'll discuss the competencies and qualities required for effective coaching, as well as methods to identify potential coaches within your organization.</li>
 	<li>Defining Coaching Engagement Outcomes and Success Measures: establish clear goals and success metrics for your coaching program. We will guide you in defining the outcomes you want to achieve, and how to measure the impact of coaching on manager effectiveness, employee engagement, and overall retention.</li>
</ol>
Join us in this session to gain actionable insights into building a scalable peer coaching solution that not only addresses your organization's biggest needs but also drives meaningful change and growth within your workforce.

Building a Scalable Peer Coaching Solution to Address the Organization’s Biggest Needs: Research followed by Roundtable Discussion

Strategy

Leadership

melissa.versino

CHIE2023

sarah.lewis

scalable solutions

Session Focus: Scaling Coaching for Employee Development in Your Organization
<div class="grid grid-cols-1 gap-3 font-claude-message pr-9 relative overflow-x-auto leading-[1.65rem]">
Title: Scaling Coaching for Exponential Employee Growth and Business Impact
The "Art and Science of Next-Gen Coaching That Scales" session provided a fascinating look at the future of employee development through coaching. No longer just for executives, coaching is evolving to become a scalable, data-driven solution to upskill employees and drive tangible business outcomes across an organization.
Here are three key takeaways from the session:

<ol class="list-decimal pl-8 space-y-2 -mt-1">
 	<li class="whitespace-normal break-words">Next-Gen Coaching utilizes data, AI and technology integrations to identify the right employee populations to target with coaching in order to maximize impact on specific goals like innovation, retention, performance, etc.</li>
 	<li class="whitespace-normal break-words">It goes beyond traditional 1:1 coaching by incorporating diverse modalities like group coaching, AI-guided learning paths, and innovations like ChatGPT to provide personalized development at scale.</li>
 	<li class="whitespace-normal break-words">A core focus is the ability to directly measure and quantify the business impacts of coaching investments, as highlighted by this quote: "If organizations have started flipping the application of coaching on its head, it's come with a very intense drive to be able to measure what none of us could have done effectively before - the direct translation of investments to business impact."</li>
</ol>
The examples of Chevron using Next-Gen coaching to build an innovation culture and Truloe tying it directly to retention and performance metrics were powerful illustrations of this new approach. By integrating with existing HR technologies, applying AI to identify critical populations, and diversifying solutions, coaching is transforming from a niche executive benefit to a scalable catalyst for developing talent aligned to business strategy.
If you're exploring coaching, reskilling, or employee development initiatives, the Next-Gen Coaching framework provides a vision for exponentially maximizing the impacts across your workforce. The future of coaching is data-driven, tech-enabled, and focused squarely on driving measurable outcomes.

</div>
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<div class="flex gap-0.5 -mx-1 -mt-2 text-text-400 justify-between items-stretch">
<div class="flex gap-0.5"></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

The Art and Science of Next-Gen Coaching that Scales

azizeh.constantinescu

shane.bill

jesse.james

effective leadership

leading remote workers

trust

Coaching Conversations

hybrid environment

hybrid workforce

DEIB

inclusive leadership

bryan.burkhalter

jennifer.rainey

kyla.holcombe

Session Focus: Scaling Coaching for Employee Development in Your Organization

In this session, we will explore the art and science of next-gen coaching that scales to support the growth and development of employees while driving business results. Join us to learn best practices, innovative strategies, and emerging trends in coaching for the future.

As organizations continue to face rapid changes in today’s business environment, one of the key challenges they encounter is to provide their employees with the right coaching and development opportunities. While many companies have established coaching programs, they often lack a strategic approach that aligns with the business goals and supports employees’ growth.

In this session, we will explore case studies and research insights for implementing a
strategic coaching approach that can help organizations thinking differently about their coaching efforts to drive business results.

We will focus on moving from a traditional programmatic coaching approach to a scaled, strategic coaching approach that aligns with the business goals today and in the future.

We will cover the utility of scaled coaching to imperatives such as building effective managers to drive performance, building a resilient and future-ready workforce to navigate change + transformation, and fosters a culture with well-being and belonging as core tenets.

Tactically, we’ll discuss best practices to align coaching with business goals, setting up measurable coaching goals, creating a coaching program that is flexible and adaptable, and strategically integrating internal + external coaching resources.
<img src="https://wp.ele.llc/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The-Power-of-Scale.png" alt="The Power of Scale" width="1458" height="817" />
We will also discuss the role of technology in scaling coaching efforts, including the use of AI-powered coaching platforms and other digital tools that can help organizations provide personalized coaching experiences to employees at scale.

You will get fresh ideas for how to scale coaching solutions, including questions such as:
<ol>
 	<li>What are some of the key challenges organizations face in scaling coaching efforts, and how can they overcome them?</li>
 	<li>What are the benefits and utility of a strategic coaching approach, and how can it support the growth and development of employees while also driving business results?</li>
 	<li>How can organizations create a coaching culture that supports continuous learning and development?</li>
 	<li>What role do managers and leaders play in coaching, and how can they be trained to provide effective coaching to their team members?</li>
 	<li>How can technology be used to support coaching efforts?</li>
 	<li>How can coaching be tailored to meet the unique needs of different employees and organizations, such as those in remote or diverse work environments?</li>
 	<li>What are some of the key metrics and indicators of success for coaching programs, and how can organizations measure the ROI of their coaching efforts?</li>
 	<li>What are some of the common pitfalls to avoid when scaling coaching efforts, and how can organizations ensure their coaching programs are effective and sustainable over time?</li>
 	<li>How can coaching be integrated into broader talent management strategies, such as performance management and succession planning?</li>
 	<li>What are some of the emerging trends in coaching, and how can organizations stay up-to-date with the latest best practices and innovations in the field?</li>
</ol>
By the end of this session, you will have a clear understanding of what a strategic coaching approach looks like, and how your organization can implement it to drive business results and support employee growth and development. You will also learn how to measure the effectiveness of your coaching program, so you can continuously improve it and scale it to meet the needs of your organization.

ELE produces this Learning Circle: Retooling Talent Development for the New Normal.

ELE's <a title="ELE's Idea Exchange" href="https://www.learningexecutive.com/idea-exchange/">Idea Exchange</a>: Collaborate online with your peers.

single-event

Your Teams

Learning Circles

Complimentary

online event

complimentary event

dan.stanton

Alter Domus

Session Focus: For Capability Building, Don’t market coaching, market the impact
This session explored the critical role of coaching in supporting new managers and building organizational capabilities. The discussion centered on the challenges faced by fast-growing companies in developing leadership skills and the potential solutions offered by scalable coaching platforms like BetterUp.

<blockquote>
A key insight from the session was captured in this quote: "My leaders, my executive team at the company, they don't really come to me and say we want a coaching solution. What they come to me and say is we've got new managers who don't know what they're doing, they've never had any training, and there's not a program available right now. What can we do to support these managers and limit our risk and exposure?"
</blockquote>
This statement underscores the real-world challenges that many organizations face and the need for practical, impactful solutions.
Key Takeaways:

<ol class="-mt-1 list-decimal space-y-2 pl-8">
 	<li class="whitespace-normal break-words">Coaching is a valuable tool for supporting new managers and addressing gaps in leadership development, especially in fast-growing organizations.</li>
 	<li class="whitespace-normal break-words">Various approaches to coaching (one-on-one, group, team) can be tailored to an organization's needs and budget. The key is to start somewhere and demonstrate impact.</li>
 	<li class="whitespace-normal break-words">To gain support for coaching initiatives, tying coaching outcomes to business results and demonstrating return on investment is crucial. This approach can help secure funding and expand coaching programs within the organization.</li>
</ol>
The session provided valuable insights into implementing effective coaching strategies, emphasizing the importance of data-driven approaches and measurable outcomes. Attendees learned about the potential of scalable coaching solutions to bridge the gap between promotion and formal training for new managers, ultimately contributing to improved retention, productivity, and overall employee experience.

The Art and Science of Next-Gen Coaching that Scales

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