You Cannot Change the System Without Looking Inward First: Three California Preparation Programs with Coaching That Makes a Difference

Numerous studies of leadership preparation programs cite coaching as a critical and underutilized support that can accelerate leadership development and contribute to leader retention. While many leadership coaching models focus on reflection and problem solving, this study investigates coaching centered on leaders’ identities as necessary components to address complex equity issues. Additionally, we explore how leader preparation programs train and support coaches themselves to reflect on their identities. Employing a metasynthesis of three larger studies of leader preparation, this study reports on themes present across multiple data sources including: interviews with leadership candidates, coaches and instructors; observational field notes; and document analysis. Findings reveal how coaches and coachees interrogated their identities to do equity and justice-oriented work. Specifically, coaching models across leader preparation programs required both coaches and coachees to bring their whole selves to the work, make themselves vulnerable, utilize tools of inquiry and apply those tools to specific leadership competencies. Further, the impact of leadership coaching is both personal and professional, while also having systemic implications for schools. Implications for state policy include dedicating funds to prioritize coaching for equity in leadership preparation. For practice, this means embedding coursework that centers identity, race, and Anti-Blackness, and redesigning coaching to intentionally address both historical and present-day realities. Programs can leverage existing resources to train equity-focused coaches while intentionally investing time and training to support sustained, transformative leadership development, ensuring that both aspiring and practicing leaders benefit from meaningful leadership coaching.