Esther Derby
Leadership coach for leaders at all levels, including tech leaders
| Hourly rate range | $160 to $275 an hour |
|---|---|
| Focus areas | Leadership developmentTeam performanceTransitions and new rolesTech and engineering leadersLeadership and team buildingPresentation skills |
| Works with | Managers, Executives and Engineers |
| Also coaches | Business coach and Speaking coach |
| Based in | Minnesota, United States |
| Practice | Esther Derby Associates |
Esther Derby is a leadership coach who works with leaders at all levels, from team leads and managers to those running a department or enterprise. She helps them build settings where people and teams do good work. Her coaching draws on systems thinking and organizational change. She has spoken professionally since 2000 and has given keynotes in the US and around the world. She also offers a self-paced online workshop on self-leadership. She is based in Minnesota.
What Esther helps with
Esther works with leaders on how they lead themselves and how they shape the setting their teams work in. She focuses on lasting, systemic change over quick fixes.
- Leading yourself before leading others
- Building a team setting where people take initiative and feel safe to take risks
- Seeing systems and widening your options for action
- Navigating organizational change
- Making technical leadership decisions visible and aligned with business goals
- Moving from senior technical contributor to leader
- Understanding problem solving styles in yourself and others
- Helping people speak up in your organization
Who Esther works with
Esther coaches leaders at every level. That includes team leads, managers, and people who lead a department or an enterprise. She also works with technical and engineering leaders. Some of her clients are coaches who want support with organizational change.
How Esther works
Esther's coaching rests on two ideas. People are creative and whole. She helps clients grow their self-awareness, see the systems around them, and widen their options for action. Her method blends systems thinking, empathy, and deep organizational insight. It aims at lasting, systemic change. Every engagement starts with a free first conversation.
Background and qualifications
Esther has spoken professionally since 2000. She has given talks and keynotes across the US and around the world. Her online library holds over 300 posts, over 40 podcasts, and many videos, sorted by topic such as leadership and management, teams, organizational change, and systems and complexity. She also teaches workshops, including Problem Solving Leadership, and she has written books. She works under the name Esther Derby Associates.
Esther Derby pricing
Programs and services
- One-on-one leadership coaching
- Free first conversation
- First, Lead Yourself, a self-paced online workshop with nine modules
- Problem Solving Leadership workshop
- Speaking and keynotes
Esther Derby reviews
The CoachVouch take
Esther pairs coaching with a large public library of writing, podcasts and videos on leadership, teams and organizational change.
Best for team leads, managers and technical leaders who want lasting change in how their teams work.
Common questions
How much does Esther Derby charge?
Coaching with Esther runs $160 to $275 an hour. Message Esther from this page for an exact quote.
What does Esther Derby help with?
Esther Derby helps with leading yourself before leading others, building a team setting where people take initiative and feel safe to take risks, seeing systems and widening your options for action and navigating organizational change.
Does Esther Derby coach technical leaders?
Yes. She writes and coaches on tech leadership, including moving from senior technical contributor to leader.
What is the First, Lead Yourself workshop?
It is a self-paced online workshop with nine modules. It is available right away and focuses on self-leadership.
How do I contact Esther Derby?
Send Esther a message from this page. It's free and takes a minute.
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Last updated September 2026. Request a correction.