This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored how executive leaders experienced executive coaching programs and how interpretations of self-awareness contributed to the leadership abilities of leaders within organizations across the United States. Twenty participants were selected using criterion and snowball sampling and engaged in-depth interviews. Each interview was transcribed and data was analyzed using NVivo7 software. Four themes emerged. The themes centered on executive coaching experiences, meaning of self-awareness, changed leadership behaviors, and opinions about coaching; leading to the essence of the experience of the phenomenon. The implication for leadership was executive coaching experiences change perceived levels of self-awareness contributing to leadership behavior changes. Selected recommendations include quantitative study with a different population and a longitudinal study measuring sustainability of change.