LinkedIn Content Strategy for Executive Leadership Coaches | Netwarm
LinkedIn playbook · Case study
LinkedIn content strategy for executive leadership coaches: how a US executive coach and author reached 92 executives in 3 weeks
We read the reactions on 19 posts from a US executive coach and author. 485 people, 92 executives. Here is what brings buyers, what brings peers, and the 5 posts we’d publish next.
Max Sawyer · Netwarm··12 min read
The creator in this case studyA US executive leadership coach and author
Followers49,870
Posts~6 a week
SellsExecutive coaching, 90-minute leadership sprints, a Manager to Director to Executive mentorship program, and a free weekly live leadership session
PeriodOct 11 – Oct 30
Ideal client: CEOs, CFOs, VPs, directors and HR leaders who want their managers and rising leaders to deliver results, and the rising leaders ready for the next level.The challenge: The coach writes that most corporate trainers have never carried a quota or answered for a P&L. A third of the people who react are other coaches, consultants, speakers and authors. Which posts reach the executives who hire a coach?
Key takeaways
These numbers are from 30 October. Your audience has already moved.
New executives turn Hot every week and others go quiet. Run your free scan to see today’s version, with the names.
1 in 5 readers is a buyer.92 executives reacted in 3 weeks: 19.0% of the 485 people who reacted. 33.2% are coaches, consultants, speakers, authors and advisors.
Strategy and results posts reach 2x more executives per post.They bring 14.3 executives per post, against 6.4 for mindset and self-mastery posts. The « What every CEO and CFO knows » post brought 22.
12 of them keep coming back.They reacted to 3 posts or more, and 6 to 5 or more. Two of them reacted to 17 of the 19.
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Who actually reads you, and what the LinkedIn algorithm changed
The coach posted 19 times between 11 October and 30 October (each post also went out a second time as a repost, not counted here): leadership principles, mindset and self-mastery, strategy and results, and personal stories and program results.
The LinkedIn algorithm shows a post first to the people who reacted to the last ones. Leadership content travels fast among other coaches and speakers, who react generously and hire rarely. We sorted every person who reacted by role.
19posts in 3 weeks
485people reacted
92executives
12came back 3+ times
Audience by roleThe 485 people who reacted, by roleFree
A third of the audience coaches, consults or speaks on leadership. They push reach, and they are peers more than clients. Many of the rest are managers and professionals, some of them future rising-leader clients.
The 92 executives work in finance, IT and tech, healthcare and pharma, sales and business development, and HR.
SeniorityAll people who reactedFree
Founder, owner, C-level19.2%
Director, VP9.3%
Manager13.2%
Independent14.2%
Other44.1%
IndustriesExecutives onlyNetwarm
Finance, IT & tech28.3%
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See all industries and company sizes in your free scan.
A leadership coach can get a lot of likes from other coaches. The useful number is how many executives reacted.
We tagged each of the 19 posts by topic, then measured the share of executives among the people who reacted, and how many executives each post brought.
Your topicsWhat your 19 posts were aboutFree
19posts
Mindset and self-mastery7
Leadership principles6
Strategy, results and HR3
Personal stories and programs3
Topics that attract executivesShare of each topic’s reactions from executivesNetwarm
Personal stories and programs24.7%
Strategy, results and HR22.4%
Leadership principles21.1%
Mindset and self-mastery17.5%
One topic reaches 2x more executives per post than another. See which.See which topics
Shares are close (17.5% to 24.7%), but strategy and results posts reach about 2x more executives per post than mindset posts: 14.3 against 6.4.
Posts that brought the most executivesShare of executives in each post’s reactions1 of 5 open
#1When my daughter was in 5th grade, she was failing math.37.5%
#2What causes people to fail in business and in life?32.4%
#3What every CEO and CFO knows. The no-BS truth that no one will tell you.28.9%
#4Never promote the person who wants the job too much.28.6%
#5The future of HR is here, and it looks nothing like the past.27.8%
For comparison, the SWOT and strategy post had the most reactions of the period (127) and reached 16.3% executives. The quote post reached 9.7%.
These rules come from what worked on the coach’s own profile, and from the best-performing posts by US executive and leadership coaches over the last 3 months.
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Name the CEO and CFO, then talk results. Executives answer for a P&L. A post that opens on what « every CEO and CFO knows » and ties leadership to results speaks their language.On this profile: the « What every CEO and CFO knows » post brought 22 executives (28.9%), the most of any post. Strategy and results posts average 14.3 executives per post.
Take a stand on a people decision. Who to promote, who to keep, who to let go: these are calls executives make and get judged on. A clear « never do this » gets read by the people who sign off.On this profile: « Never promote the person who wants the job too much » brought 28.6% executives. Across the niche: a post on promoting the wrong person got 1,537 likes and 116 comments.
Tell the personal story behind the method. A father, a daughter failing math, yellow index cards: a real story makes the method believable before it's explained.On this profile: the daughter story brought 37.5% executives, the best share of the period. Across the niche: a coach's story of a cold Wall Street boss got 1,931 likes.
Speak to the stakes at the top. Senior leaders carry a cost the rest of the org doesn't see: the board remembers the name attached to the miss. Naming it shows you've sat in that seat.Across the niche: an executive coach's post on « standing in front of a miss » got 3,720 likes and 294 comments.
Show a client's move, with the numbers. A title, a salary, a deadline: a client story with real stakes shows what coaching changes, without a pitch.Across the niche: a coach's « turned down a $240K VP role » client story got 2,823 likes and 122 comments.
Keep quote and mindset posts for reach. Self-help and quote posts travel among coaches and readers in general. Executives read them, but they rarely react: they want the leadership call, not the affirmation.On this profile: the quote post brought 9.7% executives, and mindset posts average 6.4 executives per post, the lowest of any topic.
When executives read: the best time to post on LinkedIn for executive leadership coaches
We compared the share of executives by the day and the hour each post was published (US Eastern time). With 3 posts per weekday, read the days as a first signal.
Share of executives by posting dayAmong the people who reacted to each postFree
18.5%
Mon
18.5%
Tue
19.5%
Wed
28.1%
Thu
22.6%
Fri
26.7%
Sat
16.7%
Sun
Best time to post, by hourShare of executives among people who reactedFree
20.7%
6:00
18.9%
8:00
Thursday is the best day: 28.1% executives and 13 per post over 3 posts, then Friday (22.6%, 11 per post). Sunday is the weakest share (16.7%), though its 3 posts got a lot of reactions.
Most posts went out between 6:00 and 8:00 Eastern (20.7%), slightly ahead of 8:00 to 10:00 (18.9%). Keep the early slot, and give Thursday and Friday to the results and people-decision posts.
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5 posts ready to publish to target executives
Each post follows the rules above, in the coach's voice. Check every detail and swap in your own stories before posting.
1Ready to postResults and management
What every board knows about your managersRule 1: name the CEO and CFO, then talk results, on a Thursday. Modelled on « What every CEO and CFO knows », 22 executives.
Hook
What every board knows. The no-BS truth about your managers that no one will tell you.Most of your managers can tell you how busy their team is.Few can tell you how their team makes the company money.Ask them. Ask: "How does what your team did this week show up in our numbers?"Watch what happens.▪️ Some talk about activity. Meetings held. Tickets closed. Reports sent.
▪️ Some talk about effort. Long hours. Hard weeks.
▪️ A few talk about results. Customers kept. Revenue protected. Costs cut.Those few are your future executives.The rest are not bad people. Nobody ever taught them to think like an owner. They were promoted because they were good at the job, then left alone with a title.I was hired many times to turn operations around. The pattern was always the same. Busy managers. Missed numbers. Good people walking out the door.The fix was never a motivational speech. It was teaching managers one thing: get results so people can stay employed.No results = no customers. No customers = no money. No money = no jobs.CEO, CFO: when did you last ask your managers that question?Your partner in success — Joe Murphy
Visual · Text cardBold text on a dark background: « How does what your team did this week show up in our numbers? » Nothing else.Check before postingKeep the turnaround line only if it matches your real career; add one real example if you have it.
Never keep the manager everyone is afraid to loseRule 2: take a stand on a people decision, on a Friday. Built like « Never promote the person who wants the job too much », 28.6% executives.
Hook
Never keep a manager just because you're afraid to lose them.On first blush this sounds reckless. Hear me out.🔸 Every organization has one. The manager who hits the numbers, knows every customer, and makes everyone a little nervous. Including you.🔸 Their team is quiet in meetings. Their turnover is high. But the results are there, so nobody says a word.🔸 And the message to everyone else is loud and clear: results matter here, people don't.That could be the most expensive decision you never made.Because the good people don't complain. They leave. One by one. And the exit interviews never say the real reason.Leadership is about serving others, not yourself. A manager who gets results by burning through people isn't getting results. They're borrowing them from next year.So here's the test. Ask yourself: if this person resigned tomorrow, would their team be relieved?If the honest answer is yes, you don't have a star. You have a problem with a good quarter.Coach them. Give them a clear deadline to change how they lead. And if they won't, make the call.Your partner in success — Joe Murphy
Visual · Text card« If this person resigned tomorrow, would their team be relieved? » in bold on a plain background.Check before postingAdd a real situation from your turnaround years if you have one, without naming the company.
The yellow index cards, years laterRule 3: the personal story behind the method, on a Thursday. Follows on from the daughter story, the best share of executives of the period (37.5%).
Hook
A few weeks ago I told you about my daughter, failing math, and the yellow index cards.So many of you wrote to me about it that I want to tell you what I learned from it as a coach.When she said "Daddy, I am so stupid," the problem wasn't math. It was a belief.And I see the exact same thing in executive suites.A new VP who secretly believes they don't belong in the room.
A director who was told once they're "not strategic" and never stopped believing it.
A CEO who thinks asking for help is a sign of weakness.Smart, accomplished people. Running on a belief someone handed them years ago.The yellow cards worked for my daughter because of two things:1. She said the words out loud, every single morning. Even when she hated it.
2. I backed every card with a skill. "I am a genius" came with how a genius actually studies.That's the method I use with leaders today. A new belief, and the behavior that proves it. Every day. Until the results show up.The belief without the behavior is a poster on a wall.The behavior without the belief doesn't last.What's the one belief that's holding back someone on your team?Your partner in success — Joe Murphy
Visual · PhotoA real photo of the yellow index cards, or a fresh set written for an executive (« I belong in this room »).Check before postingAsk your daughter before sharing more of her story, and keep only the executive examples that match clients you have really worked with.
The 4:30 AM question executives don't ask out loudRule 4: speak to the stakes at the top, on a Friday. Modelled on an executive coach's « standing in front of a miss » post (3,720 likes).
Hook
The higher you go, the fewer people will tell you the truth.Your team tells you what they think you want to hear.
Your peers are competing for the same seat.
Your board wants answers, not doubts.So the hardest questions get asked alone. At 4:30 AM. In the car. In the shower."Am I the right person for this job?"
"Is my team telling me the real story?"
"What happens to me if this quarter misses?"I've worked with executives at every level. Almost all of them carried at least one of those questions. Almost none of them had said it out loud to anyone.That's not a weakness. It's the job.But carrying it alone has a cost. You get cautious when you should be bold. You protect your seat instead of making the call. And your people feel it.The best leaders I know have one thing in common: somewhere, they have a place to say the hard question out loud. A mentor. A peer group. A coach.Not to get the answer handed to them. To think clearly enough to find it.Who do you say the hard questions to?Your partner in success — Joe Murphy
Visual · PhotoAn early-morning photo from your own 4:30 AM routine (coffee, notebook), no text.Check before postingKeep the claims about clients general; don't describe any client in a way they could recognise.
The Promotion TestThe lead magnet pick, offered for a comment on a Thursday. Built from « Never promote the person who wants the job too much » (28.6% executives) and the niche's leader vs manager cheat sheets.
Hook
Before you promote anyone this year, run them through these 5 questions.A few weeks ago I wrote: never promote the person who wants the job too much.Many of you asked me the obvious follow-up: "So how do I tell?"Here's the test I use with executives before a promotion decision:1. Can they describe what they will do for the people they'll lead, not just for themselves?
2. Can they explain how their team's work shows up in the numbers?
3. Who do they give credit to when things go right?
4. What did they do the last time they got it wrong?
5. Would their peers be glad, or surprised, to see them promoted?If the answers are mostly about the title, the pay or the corner office, wait.If the answers are about people and results, you've found a leader.I've put the 5 questions on one page, with what a strong answer and a weak answer sound like for each one.Comment PROMOTE and I'll send it to you.Your partner in success — Joe Murphy
Visual · Document previewThe one-page Promotion Test: 5 numbered questions, with a strong and weak answer column. crossXcurrent colours.Check before postingMake sure the one-page test exists before posting.
Free forever: unlimited scheduling through LinkedIn’s official API, with images, video and PDF carousels.
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LinkedIn lead generation: lead magnets that work to target executives
Reactions show interest. A request shows intent. The fastest way to find out which executives are working on a leadership problem right now is to give them something useful and see who asks for it.
Among US leadership coaches, these formats get the most requests:
Format 1The leader vs manager cheat sheetA side-by-side playbook for one hard situation (« manager move » vs « leader move »), in the post, that leaders save and share with their team.
Format 2The cohort with a deadlineA program that closes on a date, with the reason it exists. Every comment and DM is someone considering it.
Format 3The free session for oneA paid service given away to one person, with entries in the comments: every entry is a hand raised.
Format 4The free live workshopA 90-minute live session on one leadership problem, with « drop a comment or DM » to grab a seat.
The Promotion Test: 5 questions to ask before you promote anyone
Our pick for you: “The Promotion Test: 5 questions to ask before you promote anyone”Built from the coach's « Never promote the person who wants the job too much » post (28.6% executives). One page, 5 questions on serving others, results and readiness. Offer it for a comment on post 5. Every request is a leader with a promotion decision on the table, which is exactly when the Manager to Director to Executive program fits.With a Reveal link, every person who downloads it is shown by name, with their role and how warm they are. Your first Reveal link is free.Create your free Reveal link
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From reactions to clients
Content brings executives to the profile. It doesn't say when to reach out. Most never comment, so they stay invisible. 12 executives reacted to 3 posts or more in 3 weeks.
On LinkedIn, the right moment to start a conversation is when someone keeps coming back. We call that Hot: 5 or more points over 90 days, where a reaction counts 1, a repost 2, a download or a reply 4.
Hot right now6 executives · not contacted yetNetwarm
6 executives are Hot. See who to message first.See who’s Hot
First messageAn opener for each Hot person, based on the posts they readNetwarm
Hi Mark, I've noticed you've been reading my posts on promotions and results. Is there a promotion decision on your desk right now?Hi Linda, thanks for your reactions on my recent posts. How are your rising leaders handling the year-end pressure?
A first line for each of them, ready to send.See the openers
Netwarm sends nothing for you. It tells you who and when, and you write the message. It also works inside Claude and ChatGPT: ask “Who's Hot today?” and get the list.
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FAQ
Posts that tie leadership to results, stands on people decisions, and the personal stories behind the method. On this profile they bring 22% to 38% executives, and strategy posts reach 2x more executives per post than mindset posts.
For this coach, Thursday (28.1% executives) and Friday (22.6%). Sunday brought the lowest share (16.7%). Most posts went out between 6:00 and 8:00 Eastern.
This coach posts about 6 times a week. The volume works, as long as the results and people-decision posts get the best days.
Look at who reacts, not how many. Group reactions by role, measure the share of your ideal clients per post, and follow the people who keep coming back. A free Netwarm scan does this for you.
Yes. Netwarm only reads public reactions to your own posts. It never logs in as you, never asks for your password, and never messages anyone for you.
How we made this playbook
We read the public reactions on 19 posts published between 11 October and 30 October 2026 (the first 100 reactors of each post), and sorted the 485 people by role. Reposts of the same posts were left out, and comments were not counted, so engagement figures are a floor.
Niche rules come from top posts by US executive and leadership coaches since August, and from the coach's own best posts of the period. Role groups are approximate; a Netwarm scan matches people to your own ideal client.
