The power of group coaching for women
A white paper on the power of group coaching for women.
The world over, women are under-represented in leadership roles, occupying an average of 25% of C-suite roles globally. Organisations are continually looking for impactful ways to redress the imbalance and build strong pipelines of gender diverse candidates.
This white paper dives into our research on the transformative power of group coaching, in-depth insights and practical knowledge, showcasing how organisations can leverage group coaching to enable women to overcome barriers, build strong networks, and accelerate their careers.
Key summary
Group coaching for women is an evidence-based, scalable intervention that supports women’s career progression by addressing both individual development and systemic barriers. Drawing on academic research and Shape Talent’s delivery of women-only group coaching to over 800 women across 40+ countries, the research shows consistent outcomes including increased confidence and self-belief, reduced burnout, stronger leadership identity, enhanced wellbeing, and greater social capital.
Women-only group coaching is particularly effective because women’s careers unfold within gendered organisational and societal contexts. By creating psychologically safe spaces grounded in shared lived experience, group coaching enables peer learning, reflection and belonging, helping women navigate barriers that are often invisible or individualised. When thoughtfully designed and skilfully facilitated, group coaching strengthens leadership pipelines and accelerates women’s progression without framing women as the problem to be fixed.
About the authors
Professor Rebecca J Jones PhD CPsychol
Professor Rebecca J Jones PhD CPsychol is a Managing Consultant, leading coaching services at Shape Talent. She is also a Professor in Coaching and Behavioural Change, having led coaching research and education at Henley Business School for over 8 years. Rebecca’s research interests lie in examining the factors that influence coaching effectiveness, and she works with organisations to create diverse and inclusive workplaces using coaching and psychological theory and research to achieve sustained behaviour change. Rebecca is the author of the books ‘Simplifying Inclusive Leadership’, ‘Key Topics in Coaching Psychology’ and ‘Coaching with Research in Mind’. She has published her research in globally renowned journals and has been cited in the FT, Forbes.com and People Management.
Sharon Peake CPsychol
Sharon Peake is a gender equity expert, a Chartered Psychologist and coach, and the Founder and CEO of Shape Talent. Her research has identified the most significant barriers to women’s career progression and this, combined with her significant corporate experience, has informed the development of the methodology underpinning Shape Talent’s evidence-based solutions: the Three Barriers Model®. Shape Talent’s women’s acceleration programmes have benefited over 800 women, in over 40 countries and across six continents. Sharon is a keynote speaker and has been cited in the Guardian, Metro, Forbes.com, Psychologies magazine, People Management, UNLEASH, Business Leader, Business Reporter and more.
FAQs
What is group coaching?
Group coaching is a structured, time-bound coaching process where individuals work on their own goals within a small group, supported by professional coaches. Participants also act as co-coaches, learning through listening, questioning and reflecting on others’ experiences.
How is group coaching different from one-to-one coaching?
Unlike one-to-one coaching, group coaching combines professional coaching with peer learning. Participants benefit not only from being coached themselves, but also from observing and contributing to the coaching of others, which deepens insight, empathy and learning.
What outcomes can be expected from group coaching?
Research shows group coaching can lead to:
- Increased confidence and self-belief
- Improved wellbeing and reduced burnout
- Greater self-awareness and emotional intelligence
- Stronger problem-solving and communication skills
- Enhanced action-planning capability
- Increased social capital and workplace networks
Why is women-only group coaching effective?
Women’s career progression occurs within gendered organisational and societal contexts. Women-only group coaching creates psychological safety through shared lived experience, enabling women to name, normalise and navigate barriers that are often invisible or individualised.
Does women-only group coaching improve career progression?
Yes. Research reviewed in the paper shows women who attend women-only group coaching demonstrate higher social capital, are more likely to receive pay rises, and report stronger leadership identity, confidence and career focus than those who do not.
Can group coaching reduce burnout and emotional exhaustion?
Yes. Randomised trials cited in the research show significant reductions in emotional exhaustion and burnout for women who participated in group coaching, compared with control groups who did not receive coaching.
Does group coaching help with impostor syndrome?
Yes. Studies referenced in the paper show that women-only group coaching can reduce impostor-syndrome scores and increase self-compassion by normalising challenges and reducing isolation.
How does women-only group coaching support leadership identity?
Group coaching provides a reflective space for women to explore leadership identity in the context of conflicting gendered expectations. Listening to others’ experiences helps women clarify who they want to be as leaders without pressure to conform to narrow or stereotypical leadership norms.
What role does psychological safety play in group coaching?
Psychological safety is critical to effectiveness. It allows participants to share vulnerabilities, learn from others and reflect openly without fear of judgement. High levels of trust and safety are consistently linked to stronger outcomes in group coaching.
How does group coaching build social capital?
Group coaching strengthens social capital by creating trusted peer networks, fostering reciprocity and enabling women to build relationships that support learning, visibility and future career progression.
Is group coaching suitable for large organisations?
Yes. Group coaching is scalable and cost-effective compared with one-to-one coaching alone. When designed well, it enables organisations to support large cohorts while still delivering deep developmental impact.
What makes group coaching effective?
Effectiveness depends on:
- Small, stable group sizes
- Skilled facilitation and time management
- Careful attention to group dynamics
- Coaches with knowledge of systemic gender barriers
- Consistent contracting around trust, safety and confidentiality
What risks reduce the impact of group coaching?
Poor design, large or unstable groups, insufficient coach skill, lack of psychological safety, or treating coaching as gender-neutral can dilute impact and limit outcomes.
Is women-only group coaching about fixing women?
No. The research explicitly rejects a “fix the women” approach. Women-only group coaching works by helping women recognise and navigate systemic and structural barriers, while organisations take responsibility for changing those systems.
How does group coaching align with organisational gender-equity goals?
Women-only group coaching strengthens leadership pipelines, improves retention of high-potential women, supports inclusive leadership development and complements structural interventions such as sponsorship, promotion transparency and bias reduction.
When is women-only group coaching most effective?
Women-only group coaching is most effective when embedded within broader talent or leadership programmes and supported by organisational commitment, sponsorship and structural change.