About us
About us
SMG is Australia’s premier leadership development advisor. Since 1998, we’ve partnered with exceptional talent to elevate leadership skills and unlock organisational potential.
BEYOND FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE
C-suite executive coaching and mentoring
SMG works with C-suite executives whose decisions, behaviour and relationships shape performance beyond their own function. Coaching and mentoring strengthen leadership capability, judgment and effectiveness across the executive team and wider organisation.
The C-suite context
Leading beyond the function
Leading beyond the function
Organisations appoint C-suite executives for their deep functional expertise, then expect them to contribute well beyond it. They must balance accountability for their function with collective responsibility for strategy, culture, decisions and performance across the organisation.
The shift requires a broader perspective, strong relationships, and the confidence to challenge, influence, and support decisions that serve the organisation. An SMG coach or mentor provides independent space to test thinking, examine behaviour and apply development to live priorities.
Support shaped around the executive
Support shaped around the executive
The form of support depends on the executive’s role, context, objectives, and the required outcome.
Executive coaching. A structured, goal-oriented engagement focused on leadership capability, behaviour, effectiveness and performance. Executive mentoring. Independent counsel, perspective and practical insight from relevant senior leadership experience.
A blended engagement. A deliberate combination of behavioural development and experienced leadership counsel, moving between questions, challenge, feedback, perspective and advice.
Preparing for or transitioning into C-suite
Establishing priorities, understanding the organisation and building confidence in a new or expanded executive mandate.
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Moving from functional to enterprise leadership
Broadening perspective beyond one function and contributing to strategy, culture and performance across the organisation.
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Strengthening strategic judgment and decision-making
Testing assumptions, balancing competing priorities and making sound decisions under pressure and uncertainty.
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Contributing to executive team effectiveness
Building the presence and influence to challenge constructively, align around shared priorities and strengthen collective accountability and performance.
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Influencing the CEO, Board and stakeholders
Building effective relationships and communicating with credibility to the CEO, Board, peers and other priority stakeholders.
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Leading execution, transformation and change
Translating strategic priorities into action, aligning people and sustaining momentum through complexity and change.
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WHY SMG
Experience, discipline and context
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 executive team dynamics, cross-functional decisions, organisational complexity and the demands of leading at C-suite level, while bringing structured challenge, evidence-informed practice and accountability.
MATCHING
The right experience and chemistry
SMG begins with a comprehensive brief to understand the executive, 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 executive 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.
How a C-suite engagement works
1
Brief and match
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
Align and assess
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
Challenge and apply
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
Review and measure
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.
Support matched to the executive and the context
Every engagement begins with a conversation about the executive's role, organisational context and the outcome required. SMG can then recommend the appropriate form of support and potential matches.
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Frequently asked questions
When is C-suite coaching or mentoring most valuable?
It can add value when an executive is preparing for or transitioning into the C-suite, taking on broader accountability, navigating complexity or transformation, strengthening executive team contribution, working through important decisions or preparing for succession.
How is C-suite coaching different from CEO coaching?
Both are shaped around the leader’s context. C-suite coaching focuses on moving beyond functional expertise and increasing contribution across the executive team and organisation. CEO coaching addresses the distinct whole-of-organisation accountability of the CEO role, including the Chair, the Board, and the external stakeholder context.
Should an executive choose coaching, mentoring or a blended engagement?
The right approach depends on the executive’s objectives and context. Coaching provides structured behavioural development and accountability. Mentoring provides perspective and practical counsel grounded in senior experience. Many C-suite engagements deliberately combine both.
Who can sponsor a C-suite engagement?
An executive may engage SMG directly or the engagement may be sponsored by the CEO, line leader, HR or the organisation. In sponsored work, the parties agree development priorities, success measures and reporting boundaries while protecting the confidentiality of session content.
How is the right C-suite coach or mentor selected?
SMG considers the executive’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 executive and, where appropriate, the sponsor to test the fit.
How is impact measured?
Progress is reviewed against agreed development goals and success measures. This may include self-assessment, sponsor and stakeholder feedback, 360 assessments, goal review and further triangular meetings. Impact is considered across the executive, role, executive team and organisation.
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