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Do leaders always respond well to being coached?

Some leaders do and some leaders don’t. In my experience if I get the chance to talk to a leader about their role and the issues that they are faced with I often then get to coach them. However they rarely approach me to ask to be coached, there needs to be some other stimulus that prompts their interest. For example I have never had anybody respond to my website to ask if I would like to coach them personally. This interest usually comes from another source e g person who is currently or has been coached by me referring my services on to them. This can be one of their friends, peers or even reporting staff who recognise that there is a potential benefit to be accrued by them from this coaching. It can also be through me initiating a conversation with them about what I do – but more importantly what they do and what they might be struggling with.
When we have this initial conversation it usually becomes clear to me whether or not a person may be interested in being coached by me or by someone else. The sorts of signs that encourage me come form the leader’s openness, uncertainty, interest in their performance and relationships, flexibility of thinking and interest in their own learning and development and in me, what I do and what I may have to offer them. Signs that discourage me are their over confidence, arrogance, superiority, taking a fixed judgemental view on things, not listening,inflexibility, absolute certainty and a clarity of vision and purpose that cannot be taken – in short some of the classical characteristics of a driving “A” type leader. These characteristics do not mean that this type of leader cannot be helped and coached but more that they are less likely to want to be supported and challenged about their issues, goals and approach. Once I have had the first coaching session with anybody, whether they are a significant leader in an Organisation or not, it is usually clear to me whether or not they are likely to respond positively to me and my coaching style. If they do not “buy into me and my approach” then we are both able to have the discussion about not continuing the sessions without fear of any recriminations.
It should also be said that we are all leaders in our lives and spheres of influence in our work and I treat everyone as such. It is also interesting to note that many Organisations are now taking this approach with their employees and can see the benefits of treating all employees as empowered leaders in their own right.
In practice it is has been very rare that I have cancelled or not completed coaching sessions once we have started. I suspect that this is because any leaders who are reluctant to be coached would not put themselves into this position and start to be coached in the first place.