7 Key Qualities We Look for in an Aspiring Coaching Supervisor

When we talk with experienced coaches considering the transition into supervision, one of the first questions they ask is: “Am I ready?”

At one level, we always want the coach to be able to assess their own level of readiness and this is a vital part of the equation.

However,  rather than relying solely on a coach’s internal sense of readiness, we invite a broader reflection on what supervision truly demands. Supervision is a different discipline to coaching—it calls for a shift in perspective, an ability to hold complexity, and a depth of professional maturity that comes through sustained experience.

We are custodians of the coaching supervision profession and we want learners to have a powerful experience working with experienced peers.

As such, we also need to ensure that we look for the right qualities in a potential supervisor.

That’s why we always talk through the journey with potential supervisors to ensure it is a next step that suits their current level of coaching development.

But what do we look for in an aspiring supervisor?

Here are the seven key areas we think through when helping someone assess whether they are ready to embark on training as a coaching supervisor.

1. Significant Coaching Experience

First and foremost, supervision requires experience. We are looking for coaches who have spent several years working as a coach. Typically we look for 5+ years of coaching although this is talked through on a case by case basis since some coaches may have experience in related field such as counselling or therapy.

This experience is not about clocking up a strict number of hours but rather we want to see that the coach has been “in the trenches” long enough to understand the many complexities that emerge in coaching.

Supervisors draw on their own stories, successes, and challenges to help other coaches reflect on theirs. Without this breadth of lived practice, it can be difficult to hold the authority and credibility that supervisees expect. This is why we look for coaches who can point to a substantial track record of practice, not just in volume, but in depth.

2. Evidence of Coaching Maturity

Beyond the years, we look for maturity in how a coach has developed. Coaching maturity is about the ability to reflect on one’s own practice, to hold ambiguity, and to recognise one’s own patterns and blind spots.

A mature coach can sit with complexity and facilitate deeper exploration without rushing to solutions. This quality becomes essential in supervision, where the goal is not to “fix” the supervisee but to expand their reflective capacity. We look for coaches who demonstrate self-awareness, curiosity about their own growth, and a willingness to stay with the difficult or the unknown.

3. Professional Accreditation and Standards

As supervision is about upholding the quality of the coaching profession, we look for coaches who themselves are accredited with a recognised body such as the EMCC, ICF, or AC.

Accreditation is not just a badge — it signals that a coach has committed to ethical practice, reflective learning, and continuing professional development.

Supervisors need to model professional standards. Their credibility rests in part on being seen as practitioners who value accountability and alignment with the codes of practice that govern our profession. Without this, it is difficult for supervisors to ask coaches to work within professional frameworks if they do not do so themselves.

4. Breadth and Diversity of Client Work

Another factor we consider is whether a coach has worked across a range of contexts, clients, and settings. Coaches who have only ever worked in one narrow niche may find it difficult to offer perspective when supervising coaches in different areas.

Breadth might include coaching in corporate and independent contexts, working with individuals and groups, or supporting clients from different cultures and sectors.

This diversity enriches a supervisor’s ability to see patterns, draw connections, and offer wider perspectives. When supervisees bring unfamiliar client contexts, a supervisor with broad experience can still engage meaningfully because they understand the underlying dynamics.

5. Capacity for Deep Reflective Practice

At the heart of supervision is reflective practice. We therefore look for coaches who already demonstrate the ability to pause, step back, and explore the meaning of their work — not just what happened, but why it unfolded as it did and what it revealed about them as a practitioner.

Supervision is not about techniques alone. It is about developing a coach’s “internal supervisor” — their ability to self-reflect in action and on action. For this reason, we seek coaches who show a reflective orientation in their work and are not merely focused on outcomes and performance.

6. Ethical Maturity and Courage

Supervisors are often the ones to surface the ethical dilemmas that coaches may not even see. We look for candidates who can hold difficult conversations about boundaries, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, and professional responsibility.

This requires what Michael Carroll calls ethical maturity — the ability to recognise ethical challenges, articulate them, and work through them without either judgement or avoidance. Ethical maturity combines integrity with courage. A supervisor does not need to provide definitive answers but must be willing to raise issues that may feel uncomfortable in service of the coach, the client, and the wider profession.

7. Commitment to Continuing Development

Finally, we look for a sustained commitment to learning. Supervision is not a static role; supervisors must continue their own professional journey, engaging in supervision of supervision, CPD, and reflective writing.

At ICCS, we believe supervisors should embody the very values they encourage in others: curiosity, humility, and a willingness to keep growing. Coaches who see supervision not as a final destination but as a new stage in their professional development are the ones best prepared to thrive in this field.

The Bigger Picture

When we assess readiness for supervision training, we are not looking for perfection. Instead, we are looking for experienced coaches who bring with them a depth of practice, a reflective mindset, and a commitment to professional standards. These qualities form the foundation from which they can develop the additional skills and frameworks of supervision.

For us, the role of a supervisor is not just to support individual coaches but to contribute to the ongoing quality and credibility of the profession as a whole. This is why we take readiness seriously. The coaches who step into supervision carry a responsibility to both their supervisees and the wider field of coaching.

If you recognise yourself in these criteria, we would be delighted to talk with you about the next stage of your journey.