Executive Coaching Glossary
The language of executive coaching in a PE portfolio context is borrowed from several disciplines: organizational psychology, leadership development theory, board governance, and the operational cadence of private equity itself. Some terms have precise academic definitions that practitioners use loosely; others are practitioner shorthand that academics would not recognize. What they share is that they all surface in conversations between operating partners, board directors, and executive coaches when trying to answer the question that matters most: can this CEO actually lead the company through the value creation plan?
These definitions are written from a practitioner perspective --- not textbook abstractions, but the way these concepts get discussed in board evaluations, coaching intake sessions, and 100-day leadership assessments.