The father of evidence-based coaching.
Inducted into the Thinkers50 Coaching Legends in 2024.
Recipient of the British Psychological Society Award in 2007, Harvard University Vision of Excellence Award in 2009, and Australian Psychological Society Workplace Excellence Award in Coaching and Leadership in 2016.
Recognised as the first to conduct a randomised control trial on executive coaching.
As the director of the Coaching Psychology Unit, Anthony (Tony) Grant made significant contributions to the field of evidence-based coaching. His work advocates for “solution-focused” coaching approaches over “self-focused” reflection, emphasising that goal-oriented coaching relationships are crucial for success. This perspective is supported by his research showing that solution-focused strategies are more effective at enhancing well-being and self-insight compared to past or present-focused approaches. Tony’s practical impact on the coaching industry is particularly evident in his development of the “Steps to Solutions” framework, detailed in his 2013 article, which provides coaches with a structured process for implementing solution-focused coaching principles.
Originally trained as a carpenter and a business owner in the UK, Tony migrated to Australia and enrolled at the University of Sydney in 1992, where he received prestigious awards including the University Medal, Australian Psychological Prize, and Dick Thompson Prize. In 2000, he established the world’s first Coaching Psychology Unit, becoming a groundbreaking pioneer in evidence-based coaching. Tony was the first to conduct a randomised control trial on executive coaching and was a founding editorial board member of the International Coaching Psychology Review. He was also a visiting professor at Oxford Brookes University and an honorary research fellow on the Advisory Board of the ISCP International Centre for Coaching Psychology Research.
Tony’s list of publications includes eight books, 27 book chapters, over 70 peer reviewed journal papers and host of academic conference presentations and invited keynotes. Coach Yourself: Make Real Changes in Your Life (with Jane Greene, 2001); Solution-focused Coaching: Managing People in a Complex World (with Jane Greene, 2003); Evidence-Based Coaching Handbook (with Dianne R. Stober, 2006); Eight Steps to Happiness: The Science Of Getting Happy And How It Can Work For You (with Alison Leigh, 2024 – based on the hit ABC TV series Making Australia Happy); ‘The Efficacy of Coaching’ (Chapter 2, The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of the Psychology of Coaching and Mentoring, 2012).
NATIONALITY: British / Australian
“A prolific researcher, and a great teacher. But more importantly, Tony will be remembered as a kind and generous colleague, mentor and friend.”
Faculty of Science, University of Sydney
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