Best Executive Coaches in Dallas

Dallas Executive Coaching Services

In the heart of Texas, where ambition meets innovation, the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metro area has become one of the country’s most dynamic centers for leadership development and organizational growth. From corporate towers in downtown Dallas to rapidly expanding startups in Plano, Irving, and Frisco, leaders here aren’t just keeping up with change—they’re driving it.

And behind many of those successful transformations? Executive coaches.

Dallas has quietly emerged as a hub for top-tier coaching professionals who blend corporate strategy with emotional intelligence, culture building, and leadership resilience. These experts help executives perform better; they help entire organizations grow smarter and more human-centered.

At Digital Reference, we take pride in curating this list of exceptional Dallas-area executive coaches based on rigorous research, credibility, and real-world impact. Our selection process goes beyond credentials; we review client outcomes, leadership philosophies, and coaching methodologies to ensure professional aligns with modern HR and leadership needs.

Why Dallas is Becoming a Magnet for Executive Coaching

Dallas’s business landscape is as diverse as Texas: home to Fortune 500 giants, booming tech firms, financial institutions, and entrepreneurial ventures that fuel the state’s growth. This diversity demands equally adaptable leadership.

That’s where executive coaches come in. HR professionals and business owners across the Dallas–Fort Worth area are turning to coaches for performance improvement, deeper cultural alignment, leadership maturity, and long-term sustainability.

The rise of hybrid work models, multi-generational teams, and people-first leadership strategies means Dallas executives need both tactical and emotional range. Coaching provides the framework for that evolution.

Our Methodology - Dallas & Fort Worth Executive Coaches

Before featuring anyone in this guide, Digital Reference evaluates professionals across key dimensions:

• Credentials and Experience – Academic background, certifications, and client portfolio.
  
  
• Leadership Impact – Real outcomes achieved in team performance, engagement, and retention.
  
  
• HR Integration – Alignment with organizational development, DEI, and talent strategies.
  
  
• Client Feedback – Testimonials, references, and public reputation on LinkedIn and other professional networks.
  
  
• Distinct Coaching Methodology – Proprietary frameworks or practices that make each coach’s work unique.
  
  

We reviewed dozens of candidates in the Dallas area—freelancers, independent consultants, and firm-based coaches alike—to spotlight those creating measurable, positive change.

🌟Featured Dallas-Area Executive Coaches

Below is our curated list of Dallas–Fort Worth’s standout executive coaches. Each one brings a unique blend of expertise, empathy, and business acumen to the table.

♦️ Sara Sheehan

Founder, Sara Sheehan Consulting
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Sara Sheehan is a leadership strategist who helps executives transform vision into action. With more than two decades of consulting experience, including senior roles at Deloitte, Sara bridges high-level business strategy with the human side of change.

Her Change Leadership model focuses on resilience, adaptability, and collaboration, qualities that Dallas organizations deeply value. She’s known for her structured yet empathetic coaching style, helping leaders navigate transformation confidently.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Expert in organizational change management and executive alignment.
🟢 Regular speaker and thought leader on women’s leadership and transformation.
🟢 Trusted by Fortune 500 clients and rapidly scaling mid-market companies.

♦️ Jason Treu

Executive Coach, Speaker, and Team Performance Expert
🔗 LinkedIn

Jason Treu has built his reputation around one key idea: extraordinary teams require extraordinary trust. Based in Dallas, Jason is known for his practical, research-backed approach to leadership performance. His viral team exercise, Cards Against Mundanity, has been adopted by thousands of teams worldwide to accelerate trust and connection.

His client list includes tech, healthcare, and financial companies across Texas, and his style blends authenticity with measurable business results.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Author of Social Wealth, a #1 best-seller on leadership and relationships.
🟢 Expert in team culture, communication, and psychological safety.
🟢 Frequent podcast guest and conference speaker on leadership psychology.

♦️ Tim G. Williams

Founder, Bonafide Leaders
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Tim G. Williams champions values-based leadership through his firm, Bonafide Leaders. With over 25 years of corporate leadership experience, he guides executives and teams toward integrity-driven decision-making and long-term growth.

Tim’s approach is deeply personal. He combines executive coaching with mentorship, helping clients cultivate competence and character. His emotional intelligence workshop and leadership authenticity are highly sought after across the DFW area.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Specializes in developing emotionally intelligent leaders.
🟢 Veteran corporate leader turned executive mentor.
🟢 Advocates for diversity, purpose, and faith-informed leadership.

♦️ Tara Hesson

Executive Coach and Organizational Consultant
🔗 LinkedIn

Tara Hesson brings a people-first philosophy to leadership development. Known for her approachable yet results-driven coaching style, she helps executives enhance communication, decision-making, and self-awareness.

Her background in corporate HR gives her an insider’s understanding of the pressures today’s leaders face. Tara’s clients often describe her as “the mirror every leader needs”—a trusted sounding board for growth.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Focused on executive confidence and presence.
🟢 Deep HR expertise across multiple industries.
🟢 Skilled in emotional regulation and workplace culture transformation.

♦️ Shaunna Black

Leadership Consultant and Former Fortune 500 Executive
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Few Dallas coaches bring as much real-world executive experience as Shaunna Black. A former senior leader at Texas Instruments, she now helps executives and boards manage change, innovation, and ethical leadership.

Her insights into organizational behavior, with her boardroom experience, make her a trusted advisor to C-suite clients across Texas and beyond.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Board leadership advisor and governance expert.
🟢 Veteran executive in technology and operations.
🟢 Mentor to women in leadership and STEM careers.

♦️ Nihar Chhaya

President, PartnerExec Coaching

🔗 LinkedIn | Website

With clients ranging from Fortune 50 executives to high-growth startups, Nihar Chhaya is one of Dallas’s most recognized performance coaches. A Harvard-trained leadership expert, he combines business acumen with psychological insight to unlock authentic performance.

He’s a contributing writer for Harvard Business Review and is known for helping leaders overcome imposter syndrome and develop authentic influence.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Harvard Business Review contributor on executive performance.
🟢 Leadership coach for top executives nationwide.
🟢 Expert in influence, mindset, and authentic leadership.

♦️ Kim Griffith

Founder, The Wave Process
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Kim Griffith blends neuroscience and leadership coaching through her signature framework, The Wave Process. Her practice helps executives build emotional regulation, clarity, and resilience—all critical traits in high-stakes leadership environments.

Her work bridges HR strategy and human potential, helping organizations build trust and alignment from the inside out.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Certified in mindfulness and resilience training.
🟢 Expert in stress management and emotional intelligence.
🟢 Popular workshop facilitator for corporate wellness.

♦️ LeeAnn Mallory

Founder, Rise Leaders

🔗 LinkedIn

As the founder of Rise Leaders, LeeAnn Mallory partners with organizations to create conscious, ethical leadership cultures. She’s known for her immersive programs that blend purpose, performance, and sustainability.

Her methodology helps executives “rise” into greater awareness and responsibility, essential in today’s people-centered organizations.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Creator of the Rise Leaders Podcast.
🟢 Expert in values-driven leadership and systems thinking.
🟢 Certified coach with deep roots in OD and culture design.

♦️ Brooke O’Shea

Executive Coach and Career Strategist
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Brooke O’Shea is known for her empathetic yet pragmatic approach to executive coaching. She helps leaders clarify their next steps, whether that’s a promotion, a pivot, or a complete reinvention.

Her background in career transitions and leadership development makes her a go-to resource for mid- to senior-level professionals across Dallas.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Specialist in executive career transitions.
🟢 Certified leadership coach and facilitator.
🟢 Focused on confidence, clarity, and purpose.

♦️ Tracy Nowell

Founder, Tracy Nowell Coaching
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Tracy Nowell works with leaders ready to evolve from “managing” to “inspiring.” Her coaching practice emphasizes personal authenticity, psychological safety, and leadership alignment.

She’s widely respected for helping clients navigate burnout and self-doubt while building stronger, more connected teams.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Specialist in burnout prevention and authentic leadership.
🟢 Focuses on confidence and clarity for women leaders.
🟢 Offers 1:1 and group leadership programs.

♦️ Nicole Smith

Founder, IMSMITN Consulting
🔗 LinkedIn | Website

Nicole Smith brings over 20 years of HR and talent leadership experience to her executive coaching practice. Her work focuses on performance transformation and inclusion-driven leadership.

Her coaching helps executives embrace curiosity, accountability, and self-awareness as leadership superpowers.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Veteran HR and DEI consultant.
🟢 Expert in organizational culture transformation.
🟢 Speaker on leadership authenticity and inclusion.

♦️ Maureen Tarantello

Senior Executive and Leadership Coach

🔗 LinkedIn

With a corporate career that spans strategy, operations, and human capital, Maureen Tarantello helps leaders build clarity and direction during transitions. She’s especially skilled at helping organizations shape succession planning and talent pipelines.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Specialist in organizational design and transformation.
🟢 Veteran HR strategist turned leadership coach.
🟢 Strong focus on leadership succession and mentorship.

♦️ Lupe Prado

Certified Coach and Podcast Host, “Coaching for Millennials”
🔗 LinkedIn

Lupe Prado empowers emerging leaders to design fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. Her podcast Coaching for Millennials reaches a national audience, blending personal development with professional growth.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Certified professional coach and facilitator.
🟢 Focus on career transitions and purpose alignment
🟢 Inspires confidence, clarity, and empowerment.

♦️ Tim Wackel

Sales Trainer and Executive Coach

🔗 LinkedIn

A powerhouse in the sales and leadership training arena, Tim Wackel combines humor, insight, and proven techniques to help leaders inspire their teams. He’s worked with hundreds of organizations nationwide, teaching the art of influence and communication.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 National keynote speaker on sales and leadership.
🟢 Expert in presentation skills and storytelling.
🟢 Engaging, practical, and results-driven.

♦️ Vicki Hitzges

Motivational Speaker and Leadership Coach
🔗 LinkedIn

Vicki Hitzges is a Dallas legend in motivational speaking and executive communication. Known for her energy and humor, she helps leaders master the soft skills that drive hard results—trust, communication, and gratitude.

💡 Highlights:

🟢 Former Dallas TV anchor turned motivational speaker.
🟢 Expert in communication and team inspiration.
🟢 Author of Attitude Is Everything and Stuck on Stop!

The Dallas Executive Coaching Landscape

Despite coaches' diverse approaches, there is a shared belief in people-centered leadership. Dallas has become a proving ground for a new generation of executives who understand that emotional intelligence, inclusion, and purpose aren’t buzzwords—they’re business imperatives.

The city’s executive coaching community is a reflection of its economy: fast-moving, ambitious, and deeply relational. Whether you’re leading a corporate division or launching a new venture, the right coach can help you sharpen your strategy and strengthen your humanity.

Closing Thoughts: Why Digital Reference Matters

At Digital Reference, HR and business leaders connect with the right professionals who help organizations thrive. We believe in elevating the human side of work—because strategy alone doesn’t drive success; people do.

👉If you found this list helpful, explore these additional resources to support your business success:

• Executive Coach for Founders: Adam W. Barney
• Best Motivational Speaker Services in the USA
• Best Workforce Planning Consulting Services in the USA
• Best Employee Engagement Consulting Services in the USA‍

Digital Reference — connecting leaders, coaches, and HR innovators to help the future of work grow smarter.