Deepening Self-Awareness: The Coach's Foundation
What defines an effective leader? It's the ability to see, develop and amplify the potential in other people. To guide others effectively, you must first understand yourself. This introspective work is the foundation of great coaching. A coach with a high degree of self-awareness can create a truly open and nonjudgmental space for their clients.
While UVA’s Organizational Leadership Coaching Program provides vital guidance on the path to an ICF credential, its value lies in engendering self-mastery, precision skill-building and lasting professional impact. The curriculum prompts you to explore your own values, beliefs and hidden biases as you deepen your self-awareness.
Mastering the ICF Core Competencies: Coaching with Precision
Using live practice labs and one-on-one mentorship, UVA’s program provides comprehensive mastery of the ICF Core Competencies. As you move from good intentions to professional precision, you’ll learn not just the "what," but the "how" when embodying a coaching mindset and presence.
This mindset involves active listening and evoking awareness: skills that separate coaching from simple consulting and help you ask powerful questions that let clients discover their own insights. You’ll guide clients as they create actionable plans, navigate change and build resilience, all of which can reduce the burnout so prevalent in the workforce.
Unrivaled Tools and Support: Setting You Apart
The benefits of the program extend to the systems that give you an edge in the marketplace. Certification in the DRiV assessment tool and training in the CSI 2 assessment tool allows you to offer more than conversation; you can provide scientifically validated data on motivations and change styles during hiring, team-building and organizational transitions.
In addition, the program includes one-on-one mentor coaching with an ICF-credentialed Professional Certified Coach instructor. You’ll receive personalized, actionable feedback on your coaching style to ensure that you meet the highest professional standards. Finally, with program completion at the University of Virginia, you’ll carry with you a legacy of excellence and trust.
Your Investment in Future Impact
Ultimately, UVA’s Organizational Leadership Coaching program proves a dual impact: it fosters deep personal growth while preparing you for professional credentials. As you better understand how to coach, you’ll transform into a more insightful, empathetic and impactful leader capable of inspiring sustainable change in others.
Elevate your career, empower others and make a lasting difference. The application deadline for the January 2026 cohort is December 15, 2025.