SMG is Australia’s premier leadership development advisor. Since 1998, we’ve partnered with exceptional talent to elevate leadership skills and unlock organisational potential.
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Unlocking executive excellence
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Executive Coaching
FOR CEOS AT EVERY STAGE
SMG provides CEOs with confidential, independent coaching and mentoring grounded in senior executive experience, behavioural science and organisational context. The work strengthens judgment, leadership capability and effectiveness across the Board, executive team and wider organisation.
THE CEO CONTEXT
The CEO role carries organisation-wide accountability. Decisions have far-reaching consequences. Scrutiny is constant, and the expectations of the Board, executive team, employees, customers, shareholders and other stakeholders must be navigated together.
Effective CEOs need space to test their thinking, examine their behaviour and work through real priorities with someone independent of the organisation. SMG provides that space, together with constructive challenge, experienced perspective and practical accountability.
A structured, goal-oriented engagement focused on leadership capability, behaviour, effectiveness and performance.
Independent counsel, perspective and practical insight from relevant senior leadership experience.
A deliberate combination of behavioural development and experienced leadership counsel, moving between questions, challenge, feedback, perspective and advice.
Where CEO coaching and mentoring can help
Transitioning to CEO
Establishing priorities, understanding the organisation and building confidence in a new or expanded CEO mandate.
Leading through uncertainty and complexity
Applying enterprise judgment, making sound decisions under pressure and adapting as conditions, risks and priorities change.
Navigating Chair, Board and stakeholder relationships
Building effective relationships with the Chair, Board, shareholders, regulators, customers and other priority stakeholders.
Leading the executive team
Creating clarity, alignment, trust and accountability across the executive team to improve collective performance.
Shaping strategy, culture and performance
Connecting strategic priorities with organisational culture, execution, transformation and sustainable performance.
Sustaining personal leadership effectiveness
Strengthening self-awareness, leadership range and resilience to remain effective through the pressure, scrutiny and sustained demands of the CEO role.
WHY SMG
SMG brings together relevant senior executive and commercial experience, professional coaching and mentoring discipline, behavioural science and deep attention to organisational context.
This allows an SMG coach or mentor to understand the realities of Board dynamics, enterprise decisions, organisational dynamics and the personal demands of the CEO role, while bringing structured challenge, evidence-informed practice and accountability.
MATCHING
MG begins with a comprehensive brief to understand the CEO, their objectives, role, organisational context and preferences.
We select potential SMG coaches or mentors based on their credentials, relevant leadership experience, industry knowledge, perspective and working style. Chemistry meetings then allow the CEO and, where appropriate, the sponsor to determine the right fit.
SMG maintains quality through rigorous coach and mentor selection, ongoing supervision, professional development and quality assurance.
1
Each engagement begins with a comprehensive briefing to understand the leader, their role, organisational context and objectives. SMG identifies carefully selected coaches or mentors, followed by chemistry meetings to determine the right fit.
2
The leader, sponsor and SMG coach or mentor align on development priorities, success measures and the engagement pathway. Confidentiality and sponsor reporting boundaries are agreed from the outset. Diagnostics, 360 assessments and stakeholder interviews may be used to understand strengths, behavioural patterns, drivers, motivators and development priorities.
3
The SMG coach or mentor builds a trusted relationship that supports open reflection and constructive challenge. The work centres on real leadership and business priorities, combining feedback, experienced perspective, practical action and accountability. The approach adapts as the leader's needs and organisational context evolve.
4
Progress is reviewed against agreed development goals and success measures. Observable impact is captured across the individual, role, team and organisation. Stakeholder feedback and further three-way reviews may be included to assess progress and understand whether change is sustained.
Every engagement begins with understanding the leader, their role, the organisational context, and the required outcome. From there, SMG shapes the engagement and identifies coaches or mentors with the right experience and fit.
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When is CEO coaching or mentoring most valuable?
It can add value at any stage of the CEO role, particularly during transition, periods of uncertainty or transformation, changes in Board or stakeholder expectations, succession planning, or when the CEO wants an independent sounding board for significant decisions.
Should a CEO choose coaching, mentoring or a blended engagement?
The right approach depends on the CEO’s objectives and context. Coaching provides structured behavioural development and accountability. Mentoring provides perspective and practical counsel grounded in senior experience. Many CEO engagements deliberately combine both.
Who can sponsor a CEO engagement?
A CEO may engage SMG directly, or the Chair, Board or organisation may sponsor the engagement. In sponsored work, the parties agree development priorities, success measures and reporting boundaries while protecting the confidentiality of session content.
How is the right CEO coach or mentor selected?
SMG considers the CEO’s role, objectives, organisational context and preferences, together with the practitioner’s credentials, senior leadership experience, industry knowledge and working style. Chemistry meetings allow the CEO and, where appropriate, the sponsor to test the fit.
How long does a CEO engagement last?
The length and structure depend on the CEO’s needs and agreed objectives. Coaching engagements commonly run for six to twelve months, with the recommended pathway confirmed after the initial brief.
How is impact measured?
We review progress against agreed development goals and success measures. Depending on the engagement, we may use self-assessment, sponsor and stakeholder feedback, 360 assessments, goal reviews and further triangular meetings. We assess impact across the CEO, role, executive team and organisation.
Does executive coaching involve a psychometric tool?
Executive coaching can draw on a range of diagnostic tools to help the leader and coach understand blind spots and development areas. At SMG, we select tools based on the leader’s needs and context rather than relying on a single approach. If you prefer not to use psychometric testing, discuss this with your coach or mentor and together you can agree on an alternative.
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