For Dr. Erek Ostrowski, the quality of our reflection is the quality of our coaching. In this episode of The Coach’s Journey Podcast, he describes how intentional, multifaceted reflection produces new understanding and enables us to take action in ways we could not previously envisage.
As well as holding a PhD in Organisational Development and Change, and being a senior leadership and executive coach who founded Verve Coaching, Erek is the author of The Capable Group Coach, which “invites coaches and organisations to embrace the complexity, relational depth, and unique human potential that only group coaching can unlock”.
Erek’s passion for group coaching, which he believes can help us to address a crisis of meaning that is emerging in the workplace, has fuelled his rise to the very top of his field, and in discussion with host Alex Whitton he explains why there is an increasing demand for group coaching from forward-thinking organisations.
The vital importance of experimentation in coaching is a focus of this conversation, and Erek and Alex discuss how coaches can ensure their work is grounded in a solid evidence base while freeing themselves up to be guided by the knowledge that emerges through play and by trying out new things. Erek also speaks sagely about the indispensible value of curiosity in a multifaceted career, and about the tremendous cost we risk if we fail to attend to our gut instincts.
This episode is packed full of wisdom and insight from a true innovator and thought leader, who shares his expertise on how to increase the value of your work by developing a practice that produces impact, meaning and possibility far beyond what takes place in the coaching room.
Erek and Alex also talk about:
• How often practice leads research and the power of learning through doing
• The nuanced approaches required when working in different group coaching contexts
• How shiatsu and embodied work inform Erek’s practice
• The different possibilities that open up when working with a capabilities-based model rather than a competencies-based model
• How to attune yourself to emergent demand, and create something that people really want!
• The benefits of getting involved in scholarship to your positioning in the field of coaching
• The crucial differences between group coaching and team coaching
THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT:
- Systems theory https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/systems-theory
- Organisational theory https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/organisational-theory
- The GROW model https://www.coachingcultureatwork.com/the-grow-model/
- David Kolb, learning cycle - https://www.britishschoolofcoaching.com/kolbs-learning-cycle-in-coaching/
- John Dewey, Learning by doing - https://www.simplypsychology.org/john-dewey.html
- William Bridges, Transition theory - https://wmbridges.com/about/what-is-transition/
- Malcolm Knowles, adult learning theory - https://infed.org/dir/welcome/malcolm-knowles-informal-adult-education-self-direction-and-andragogy/
- The Capable Group Coach, by Erek Ostrowski https://www.routledge.com/The-Capable-Group-Coach-Bridging-Knowledge-and-Practice-for-Transformative-Learning-and-Change-in-Groups/Ostrowski/p/book/9781041158516
- Tony Grant, https://instituteofcoaching.org/author/grant-anthony
- Irvin Yalom, The Theory and Practices of Group Psychotherapy https://www.yalom.com/
- David Drake, https://www.davidbdrake.com/
- Ken Giglio, Mindful Leadership https://mindful-leaders.com/
- Jevons Paradox, https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2025/02/04/g-s1-46018/ai-deepseek-economics-jevons-paradox
BIOGRAPHY FROM EREK
Dr. Erek J. Ostrowski, PhD, PCC, is a senior leadership and executive coach, coaching author and researcher, and founder of Verve Coaching. With over 25 years of experience, he designs and facilitates systemic coaching interventions for senior leaders and organizations navigating rapid change, growth, and scale. His collaborative approach engages leaders in reflection and inquiry that drives business outcomes while fostering a culture of learning and positive change.
Erek’s practice spans healthcare and academic medicine, financial services, entrepreneurial firms, higher education, and creative services. He partners with physician leaders, executives, faculty, founders, and leadership teams, and is widely recognized for his pioneering research on group coaching.
At the University of Pennsylvania, Erek is an affiliated faculty member in the Organizational Dynamics programs, where he chairs the Leadership and Organizational Coaching (LOC) master’s concentration. He co-edited Innovations in Leadership Coaching: Research and Practice and is the author of the newly released The Capable Group Coach (Routledge, 2026).
Erek holds a PhD in Organizational Development and Change and an MA in Human and Organizational Systems, both from Fielding Graduate University. He is a credentialed coach with the International Coaching Federation (PCC) and a certified coach supervisor through Oxford Brookes University.
