Wavelength Connect – coaching as a thinking and accountability partner to maximise learning

A leadership development programme for the future of business

In today’s fast-changing world, leadership is being redefined. Business models are evolving, hybrid work is the norm, and leaders are expected to navigate uncertainty while driving innovation and purpose. Wavelength Connect is a leadership development programme designed to meet this moment.

This nine-month immersive experience brings together senior leaders and change-makers from across sectors, including the third sector, to explore the future of business. Participants engage with global thought leaders, visit pioneering organisations and reflect deeply on their own leadership. The programme is built around three pillars - inspiration, connection and application - and is designed to help leaders not only think differently but act differently.

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A trusted coaching partnership with the Academy of Executive Coaching

Since 2021, the Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC) has partnered with Wavelength Connect to deliver the “Coaching to Action” element of the programme. This partnership is grounded in shared values and a mutual commitment to helping leaders turn insight into impact.

AoEC is a globally respected provider of executive coach training and developmental support. With over two decades of experience, it is known for its rigorous standards, international faculty and commitment to ethical, impactful coaching. As a trusted business-to-business partner, AoEC works with organisations across sectors to embed coaching cultures and develop leadership capability at scale.

For Wavelength Connect, AoEC provides a carefully curated pool of highly qualified executive coaches - each with deep experience across industries and leadership levels. These coaches are selected not only for their credentials, but for their ability to challenge, support and inspire senior professionals. Participants choose their coach through a chemistry call process, ensuring a strong and trusted relationship from the outset.

To date, the AoEC has delivered 589 coaching sessions to nearly 200 participants from sectors including financial services, government, pharmaceuticals, software, logistics and higher education. These leaders are navigating complex challenges and the coaching provides a space to reflect, reframe and refocus.

Coaching to action – structure and impact

The Coaching to Action component is structured around four 90-minute one-to-one sessions, delivered virtually across the duration of the programme. Each session is designed to:

• provide a confidential space to explore emerging insights
• support the translation of learning into concrete actions
• challenge assumptions and encourage new thinking
• hold participants accountable to their goals and intentions

The coaching is highly personalised. Participants set the agenda, drawing on what has resonated with them from the programme. Coaches act as thinking partners - listening deeply, asking powerful questions and helping leaders stay focused on what matters most.

The structure is intentionally aligned with the programme’s key milestones. Sessions are scheduled after major events such as immersive brand visits and rural retreats, allowing participants to consolidate their learning and apply it in real time. This rhythm of reflection and action helps leaders embed new behaviours and drive meaningful change in their organisations.

As one participant shared, “The coaching allowed me to explore aspects of my own personal motivation that were just not being addressed within my organisation. It helped me turn reflection into action.”

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A catalyst for transformation

Feedback from participants has been consistently strong. Across the 2021–2024 cohorts, over 70% rated the coaching as “really useful” or “invaluable.” Many described it as a critical part of their development, helping them to navigate transitions, build confidence and lead with greater clarity and purpose.

One participant noted, “This element of the course was absolutely critical to allow me to discuss learnings from the course and how to apply them in practice to real workplace discussions.”

Another said, “The coaching helped me reflect on my leadership, the learnings from Connect, and helped me ‘level up’ my thinking from immediate challenges to achieving wider systemic change.”

Why coaching matters in leadership development

Wavelength Connect is more than a leadership programme - it’s a catalyst for business transformation. It challenges leaders to think differently, connect more deeply and act with greater purpose. The Coaching to Action sessions help further the bridge between inspiration and implementation, supporting leaders to embed what they’ve learned and lead with impact.

As Karen Smart, head of consultancy at the AoEC reflects: “Wavelength Connect is doing vital work in helping leaders reimagine their role in a rapidly changing world. The coaching element is where some of the magic happens - it’s where insight becomes action. For senior professionals, having a trusted thinking partner during this kind of journey is not just valuable, it’s essential.”

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