The Impact of Leadership Development and Executive Coaching on Administrator Retention

School administrator turnover disrupts instructional continuity, organizational stability, and long-term school improvement. Although leadership coaching and professional learning are increasingly used to support educational leaders, limited qualitative research has examined their influence on administrator retention, job satisfaction, commitment, and leadership effectiveness. This qualitative phenomenological study explored administrators' lived experiences with leadership coaching and professional learning. The study addressed three research questions examining how these experiences influence administrator retention, which aspects are perceived as most valuable for enhancing job satisfaction and commitment, and how leadership development affects leadership effectiveness and the overall professional experience. Data were collected from building- and district-level administrators through interviews, focus groups, surveys, and archival documents and analyzed using thematic analysis with triangulation. Findings revealed that leadership coaching enhanced confidence, self-awareness, reflection, and decision-making, while meaningful professional learning and supportive relationships strengthened job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and retention. The findings support integrating leadership coaching with professional learning to strengthen leadership capacity and promote sustainable school improvement.