Coaching: The Leadership Habit You Can’t Afford to Lose

In my experience, most senior managers think they are pretty good coaches. In reality, they’re often just giving advice, offering feedback, or stepping in with the solution.

I am sure that you would agree that pure coaching is something else entirely. It’s about challenging people to think for themselves, make their own decisions, and own the outcome.

We know that when leaders get coaching right, the results are game-changing.

When managers genuinely coach, not just advise, they build confident, capable leaders who step up and own their performance.

It’s not just good for the individual. It’s essential for the business. Especially if you're a growing organisation who will require a succession pool of new leaders.

Companies with a strong coaching culture see 46% higher employee engagement (International Coach Federation). You can't ignore that kind of data when engagement and retention are on the line or if you're building your reputation as an employer of choice.

So, here’s the question. Are your leaders genuinely coaching, or are they just directing from the sidelines? If they’re stuck in advice mode, it’s time to take coaching capability to the next level.

And for any remaining skeptics in your organisation it is important to remember that coaching isn’t just about developing people. Coaching drives performance, builds resilience, and future-proofs your leadership pipeline.

Here are three ways to check if your leaders are brilliant coaches or need some development:

1. They ask rather than tell: Brilliant coaches ask insightful, open-ended questions that encourage critical thinking rather than giving answers outright. If your leaders tend to jump straight to solutions, they might need to refine their coaching technique.

2. Accountability is the norm: Leaders who coach make sure their direct reports leave conversations with a clear plan of action they’ve come up with themselves. If your leaders are constantly following up, chasing progress or complaining that their people haven't done what they said they would do, you have a sign they’re not embedding ownership in their coaching.

3. They admit they don't have all the answers, rather than pretending that they do: Leaders who coach listen more than they talk and stay curious about others’ perspectives rather than constantly steering the conversation. If your leaders dominate discussions or push their ideas, they could benefit from developing more coaching-focused skills.

   
   

If it is time to raise the bar in coaching capability in your organisation, let's talk about our coaching masterclasses for leaders. Email me at richard@twentyoneleadership.com.