In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, leadership development is more critical than ever. Leading Results, a consultancy specializing in leadership and management, has partnered with Napster to reimagine coaching and make it more accessible, affordable, and impactful. Working with Cooper Parry, a fast-growing accountancy firm that values coaching as part of its culture, this collaboration is demonstrating how AI can transform leadership development at scale.

‍The Challenge

For years, coaching has been recognized as one of the most effective ways to develop leaders. But traditional coaching is costly, time-bound, and often limited to senior executives. Leading Results saw a challenge: how could they make high-quality coaching available to employees at every level, without compromising on integrity or impact?

Anita Douglas, co-CEO of Leading Results UK, explains, “The biggest challenge is scaling coaching in organizations. Traditionally, it’s one-to-one, mostly for senior executives, not widely available. As a coach, I might meet someone monthly- but what about the moments in between, when support is needed right here, right now? That’s where AI complements human coaching, acting less as ‘AI coaching’ and more as a performance partner, accessible 24/7, beyond diaries and schedules.”

‍The Solution

Partnering with Napster and leveraging its Touchcast platform provided the answer. Together, they created AI-powered coaches designed to offer on-demand support, available anytime, anywhere.

"We’re a people business, and the people at Napster are fantastic to work with. They are accommodating, adaptable, and agile. Their technology is sophisticated and versatile. Not only can it be used for AI coaching, but also for creating AI mentors that carry organizational knowledge. And because it’s based on Microsoft Azure, it’s safe and robust from a due diligence perspective." Anita Douglas, co-CEO of Leading Results UK

For Cooper Parry, the rebels of accountancy, rapid growth meant they needed a way to scale coaching without losing the disruptive culture that sets them apart. “We’re nothing like the typical ‘suited and booted’ accountants,” says Claire Davis, head of performance, growth & excellence. “Our vibe is more like a tech startup- casual, bold, strength-based. So, the fact we could bespoke the coaches to really reflect our values and culture was critical. Sarah Holland, lead coach, adds: “That’s what we loved about Napster. It wasn’t an off-the-shelf product; we could train it with everything about Cooper Parry: our vision, values, and how we work, so it really feels like it belongs to us.” 

By combining that cultural fit with the scalability of AI, Napster became the perfect solution to take coaching instantly and on demand to more employees, keeping Cooper Parry’s rebellious DNA alive as they grow.

The Impact

The introduction of AI coaches will create a breakthrough moment. Employees will now have access to coaching 24/7, without the barriers of scheduling or high cost.

"What’s revolutionary about this is accessibility," says Douglas. "An AI coach can support people at all levels, instantly, on topics that matter in the moment- from building confidence to handling feedback or navigating client relationships. It democratizes coaching in a way that traditional models never could."

The solution is already sparking new ways of thinking inside organizations. "We are exploring how to create a Leading Results leadership mentor using this platform," Douglas explains. "The adaptability of the Napster team and the multi-use nature of the technology makes this collaboration very exciting. It’s an innovative step in bringing AI into learning and development."

Looking Ahead

For Leading Results, this is just the beginning of a new era in leadership development. By combining Napster’s AI capabilities with their own deep expertise in leadership, they are setting new standards for accessibility, innovation, and impact.

"This is about more than efficiency," Douglas concludes. "It’s about giving more people the opportunity to grow. AI coaching is immediate, relevant, and aligned with our values. It has the power to transform leadership development for organizations everywhere."