What Is the Coaching Leadership Style?

The coaching leadership style is very important to a CEO. I truly value the coaching leadership style, both as a coach and as the one receiving coaching, and as a CEO, it has become one of the best ways to lead my team, since more direct styles are difficult in a multi-layered organization. The coaching leadership style becomes my way to develop each of the team members in the long term. In this article, you can read all you need to know about the Coaching Leadership Style as well as how to do self-coaching, among other things. Let us start with a quick summary.

Leadership is increasingly challenging, leading to a variety of evolving leadership styles and approaches. Traditionally, transactional leaders have adopted the principle of social exchange: rewards swapped for services or behavior. Transformational leaders go further, engaging staff and satisfying their needs at a deeper level (Hicks, 2014). Adopting a coaching leadership style (CLS) means aiming for the latter, helping employees grow and develop personally with their long-term goals in mind (Berg & Karlsen, 2016).

In this article, we introduce CLS and how and when to use the approach. We discuss its advantages and disadvantages compared with other management styles and offer real-life examples.

What Is the Coaching Leadership Style?

Leadership is undoubtedly tricky. And more importantly, it is changing. Leadership strategist Benjamin Laker (2020) writes that while the abilities to set a vision and execute a strategy remain, in the future, leaders will need “a new arsenal of skills and mindsets to lead effectively.”

Businesses are likely to look and operate differently, and the new type of leader will need to be confident in the following scenarios (Laker, 2020):

• Handling worldwide customers and employees
• Practicing humility to serve their leaders, customers, and team
• Embracing technology while caring for employees
• Engaging with the unknown and practicing curiosity

Leaders able to coach are sought after, as they motivate, inspire, engage, and appreciate their teams on the path to success.

What sort of leadership is needed?

Transformational leadership stimulates others intellectually and motivationally and builds a strong following, commitment, and loyalty. Such leaders are often charismatic yet able to focus on the followers’ needs (Chartered Management Institute, 2020).

The transformational leader acts as a role model, inspiring their team, promoting solution-focused thinking, and paying attention to employees’ needs for achievement and growth (Hicks, 2014).

What is the coaching leadership style?

CLS is a valuable leadership theory that “supports and challenges colleagues, intending to help them achieve individual development goals” (Berg & Karlsen, 2016). It works best when managers want to help employees build lasting strengths and when employees are open to feedback and willing to learn.

This coaching style is recognizable through its commitment to partnership and collaboration. Leaders behave as coaches, communicating well, enabling creativity, motivating, and allowing staff the autonomy to make decisions and do a good job. Short-term firefighting is replaced by longer-term strategic thinking (Berg & Karlsen, 2016).

Such leadership is highly valued in today’s workplace, which is often flatter and less hierarchical. It replaces the “I say; you do” approach that is largely unsuited to the modern environment encompassing hot desks, remote work, and flexibility (Eden Project, 2018).

Coaching leadership style examples

There are a variety of well-known leaders that embody the coaching leadership style, including:

• Satya Nadella, Microsoft. When Nadella stepped into the role of CEO at Microsoft, the company was experiencing a period of stagnation. Nadella encouraged employees to embrace a growth mindset. He made himself available to employees for questions, feedback, and support. Ultimately, this coach-like approach shifted the company culture. It also led to a more successful, innovative period in Microsoft’s history.
• David Morley, Allen, and Overy. David Morley was elected Global Managing Partner of international law firm Allen and Overy — and led the company through 2016. Morley made coaching a foundational aspect of the company’s approach to leadership. More specifically, he focused on the benefit of high-value conversations. And the coaching approach? It paid off in a big way. During his time at Allen and Overy, Morley won three successive leadership elections and increased profits by 175 percent.
• Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook. During her tenure at Facebook (now Meta), Sandberg set the bar high for her team. But she also offered the support and resources they needed to reach their goals. And, like any good coach, offered plenty of praise, encouragement, and feedback along the way.

There are four essential elements of a coaching-style dialogue

When I ask leaders to recall some of the best management interactions they have had over the years, very often what they describe sounds a lot like performance coaching.

There are usually four essential elements of these conversations:

•  Customized to the individual being coached. Different styles of communication work for different people. Everyone has different aspects of performance that need to be focused on. They all have unique habits, wants, and needs. The most effective coaching-style managers tune in to those differences and use them as a guideline for their ongoing one-on-one dialogues with each employee.
• Focused on specific instances of individual performance. I often advise leaders to get in the habit of using describing language, rather than naming language. Like the running coach in the example above, it is so much more helpful when a manager gives an employee specific, concrete actions that can be taken to improve.
• Describes the employee’s performance honestly and vividly. The biggest mistake a manager can make is to hold back on feedback for the sake of preserving the employee’s feelings. Of course, managers should never belittle or bully their team members. But they should also be fully honest and candid in their feedback. Again, using describing language, rather than naming language, goes a long way. Describe the performance you are seeing in concrete, vivid terms. Compare that to the performance you would like to see, based on the expectations you and the employee agreed on at the beginning of the project. Of course, this only works if you are taking the time to establish those expectations from the outset.
• Develops concrete next steps. The worst thing any manager can do is break down all the ways an employee is doing something wrong, only to leave them hanging at the end of the conversation. Don’t leave your employees in a sink-or-swim situation. Help them develop a solid plan of concrete next steps. Strategize and plan together. Building that type of support and trust in your team cannot be overestimated.

10 Characteristics

CLS is recognizable through characteristics and attributes found in the workplace, including the following (Eden Project, 2018; Lee, 2020):

• 360-degree feedback is provided by both management and the team. All staff is encouraged to take constructive feedback and act upon it.
• Leaders become effective communicators, sharing, engaging, and listening to the team.
• Delegation is effective yet deliberate. Employees are allowed to use their strengths and grow their skills and are credited with their successes.
• Leaders help their teams visualize the goals behind what they are doing, serving as both guides and observers. They are comfortable letting go and allowing individuals to run with the work.
• Micro-management is discouraged. Instead, the CLS leader is motivated to enable others to succeed and reach personal and group goals.
• Empathy and awareness are clear in the leader’s actions and communication.
• Collaboration, support, and guidance are evident in the coaching style.
• The autocratic leadership (including top-down decision-making) is replaced by a focus on bringing out the best in people, guiding them toward goals and overcoming obstacles.
• Personal and professional development of employees is encouraged.
• There are more opportunities for individual growth and creative thinking.

There is a clear distinction between CLS and transactional management. The former encourages listening, supporting, and helping, while the latter suggests telling, deciding, and controlling (Berg & Karlsen, 2016).

How to be a coaching leader

Knowing where to start helps you determine what to do next. Begin with a solid understanding of your team’s current work habits and productivity, then create a plan to coach them in a way that addresses issues and teaches proper processes. Follow these steps to become a successful coaching leader:

1. Determine areas of concern

Make time to sit down with your employees and ask open-ended questions that reveal the details of any issues. This way, you’ll be prepared to have productive coaching conversations. Speaking with them personally also helps you understand their perspectives and how they think. For example, some people approach work with different attitudes and goals. When you have a solid understanding of various personalities, it helps shape your strategy.

2. Balance praise and criticism

It is important as a coach to provide helpful feedback so that employees know how to improve and what they should keep doing. It is smart to begin a critique by describing what an individual did well. When you start a conversation on a positive note, it guides the transition into constructive criticism.

When providing feedback, you should speak in a way that feels genuine and compassionate. Ask how they prefer to receive recognition as some people don’t enjoy being in the spotlight while others thrive on public praise.

3. Consider one-on-one sessions

Employees may feel more comfortable speaking and learning from you when they have one-on-one time. Offer this opportunity to them to gauge their level of interest.

4. Research thought leadership

Learning to become an excellent mentor takes time and research. If you’re committed to the cause, you should seek out as much information as possible to improve your coaching skills. You may discover new techniques and trends through professional workshops, business books, online tutorials, and more.

Network with other professionals to see if they’d be willing to share their experiences in coaching with you. Successful leaders learn through trial and error and likely have tips and tricks they’ve learned over the years that would benefit them.

5. Make time to reflect and prepare

At the end of the day, make time to analyze your coaching efforts. Ask yourself questions about the overall process and assess the responses you received during your teaching moments. If you learned something, make note of it so you don’t forget it later. Reflect on any challenges and ways to improve them. Consider sending out an anonymous survey to learn how your employees feel about your coaching leadership.

6. Connect with employees

Coaching requires a high level of trust. If your employees don’t feel that you respect them, they’ll feel guarded and hesitant to listen to your advice. Establish a solid connection with them by engaging in positive interactions. Keep your commentary professional and supportive.

7. Follow up with designated tasks

Once you’ve established trust and taught your team members how to perform well, follow up with their efforts to keep them accountable. Consider scheduling regular follow-up meetings so employees understand that they’re expected to implement what you teach. Think about the ways you might reward employees based on performance to help motivate them to do well.

8. Live a purposeful life

Even when you’re not at work, you should strive to have meaningful interactions with people who may be watching your example. Successful leaders with a coaching style don’t turn off their mindset when they go home.

9. Coach at the moment

Life is full of teaching moments that arise when you least expect them. When you take the time to teach someone through a complex process or define a difficult concept, you are empowering them with valuable knowledge that will enhance their work experience. Be prepared to recognize these moments and practice patience as others learn something new.

When to Use the Coaching Style

CLS is highly effective in environments where people lack the skills or knowledge to reach a shared vision or have become jaded and tired over time (Eden Project, 2018).

Such leadership helps provide direction and motivation while developing a can-do approach that encourages skill development and grows a more robust and effective team.

Coaching leaders are more successful at introducing ways of aligning personal and organizational goals while developing shared accountability and success (Eden Project, 2018).

According to Berg and Karlsen (2016), achieving results in a team environment is incredibly difficult. As one leader told them, “the biggest challenge we face always has something to do with people.”

CLS can help. It is particularly effective at overcoming people-related issues, whether cultural or because of time pressure. CLS supports employees, projects, and organizational culture when the following conditions need to be addressed (Berg & Karlsen, 2016):

People’s perception of control

Individuals with an external locus of control believe that the environment controls their behavior. Others, with an internal locus, see behavior as under their control.

Coaching can help the individual recognize they can change the situation rather than remain passive.

People’s mindset

A learning (or growth) mindset is associated with a desire to develop, learn, and grow. Alternatively, people with a fixed mindset often focus on achievement rather than development.

Coaching can point out the value behind adopting a growth mindset for long-term career prospects and workplace enjoyment.

Thinking traps

While commonplace, taking extreme all-or-nothing positions when meeting obstacles or facing new challenges is usually unhelpful.

An experienced coach leader can encourage balanced thinking and point out bias that is unhelpful or damaging.

Differences in departmental cultures

A single project can be viewed in several ways, depending on the bias or needs of the individuals, teams, and departments.

Coaching is crucial for breaking down barriers and developing a culture where team members are encouraged to spend time coaching, mentoring, and teaching each other.

Projects under pressure

As deadlines approach, time pressure can be a powerful force in leadership.

A well-trained leader with appropriate coaching skills does not fall into the traps of over-optimistic estimation, poor planning, lack of resources, or constantly changing goals.

Adopting a coaching leadership style can align activities to business and personal goals and put in place a culture where mistakes are permissible and collaboration is constructive (Berg & Karlsen, 2016).

Advantages and Disadvantages

There are many advantages to using CLS (and even some disadvantages) for the leader, employee, and organization (Berg & Karlsen, 2016; Eden Project, 2018; Lee, 2020).

Advantages:

• Managers are more goal and relationship-oriented with a greater degree of self-awareness.
• Employees spend more time sharing knowledge and engaging in growth and development.
• Staff members display a reduced intention to leave.
• There is a greater awareness of the challenges an organization faces and more creativity in how they can be resolved.
• There are long-term, sustainable performance improvements.
• Although staff development may take time away from routine or project tasks, they benefit from being valued and increasingly related to the environment.
• Staff have an increased sense of competence and receive timely, constructive feedback to continue their development.
• There is more constructive and less judgmental two-way communication and collaboration.
• A supportive environment enables creativity.
• Leaders are recognized for their increased trust and empathy.
• Trust is built through an incremental learning approach rather than a “sink or swim” strategy.
• Leaders trained in coaching help employees find solutions to their problems.

Disadvantages:

• Longer delivery times for tasks and goal completion may initially result from investing in staff training and development.
• It takes more time and energy, especially in the early stages, before results are seen.
• Transformational leadership can be tough to implement in a high-pressure, get it done now culture. Results-driven companies want timely, predictable results.
• It is difficult to implement if staff are unwilling to receive or fearful of negative feedback.
• There is additional time required to learn how to give effective, clear, and actionable feedback.
• Managers must be prepared to spend more time with their staff.
• Leaders and staff require training in the new coaching style.

Overall, CLS is a change in focus. Rather than simply targeting results, its goal is to empower individuals and teams to be the best versions of themselves.

Coaching leaders must learn to communicate well and move away from a hierarchical approach to one of engagement (Lee, 2020).

3 Real-Life Examples

There are many wonderful examples of famous coaching leaders throughout history.

Mahatma Gandhi empowered an entire nation by raising their motivation and self-belief. Apple’s Steve Jobs used a shared vision to lead a technological revolution that impacted the world (Eden Project, 2018).

We look, in brief, at three real-life examples of coaching leadership (Scoular & Scoular, 2019):

Berkeley Partnership

Partners at this international management consultancy have all received training in coaching. It makes them better equipped to serve their clients and respond to unclear, ill-defined problems.

They offer more value by recognizing that they don’t always have to provide the answer, yet can support clients as they find the right solution.

Microsoft

When Satya Nadella took over as CEO at Microsoft, the company had lost its momentum. The culture was stagnating, and the managerial mindset was fixed. Nadella shifted their mindsets from know-it-all to learn-it-all.

He began by talking and listening to everybody and showed his ability to support rather than judge. Staff was encouraged to learn from mistakes rather than avoid or hide from them.

Allen & Overy

When David Morley introduced coaching as a vital element of the firm’s leadership culture, he involved his colleagues in the idea of high-value conversations. The aim was to make the most of those 100 or so conversations they had each year that were of particularly high value.

Berg and Karlsen (2016) gathered real-world coaching quotes that provide valuable insights into the benefits staff observe from a move to CLS and transformational coaching:

1. Coaching can improve project managers’ degree of self-understanding, self-awareness, and knowledge of how their teams think.

• • “Coaching helped me to realize that a manager does not need to be the best at everything.”
  • “Employees may have several unique competencies that can be used in the organization.”
  • “Through coaching I have become more aware of several things, such as the importance of listening to others and not just make my own decisions.”
  • “Not everything has to go through the project manager. Employees can find the answers themselves by helping each other. They can use a form of colleague coaching.”

2. Coaching can help leaders become more capable of self-management.

• • “Coaching helped me to control my own temperament as a leader.”
  • “Coaching helped me to become more aware of my own situation, to take control of my own life, but also to teach my employees to lead themselves.”

3. Coaching can help employees and leaders manage their time better.

• • “Coaching helped me to become tougher. Now I am more conscious of which invitations to accept. It is easier to be tough, if I know that I am so kind that others can exploit me. Then you can also lose respect.”

4. Good leadership must be embedded in daily work practices.

• • “Building relationships is important, and I use dialogue and meetings on this so the client doesn’t perceive me as a strict project manager.”

A Look at Other Management Styles + Examples

To be effective within a team and an organization, managers, and leaders must find the right leadership style.

While CLS is powerful and effective, there are other styles and approaches, including the following (Chartered Management Institute, 2020; Goleman, 2000).

Transactional leadership

Dominant in the 1970s and 1980s, this approach relies on an exchange taking place between follower and leader. In return for employee efforts to meet their manager and the organization’s needs, they receive financial and non-financial rewards.

Transactional leadership contrasts with transformational leadership (including CLS), where leaders engage followers, giving them autonomy and focusing on their growth and development needs.

While less collaborative than CLS, transactional leadership can still be useful during emergencies or conflicts when there is little time for discussion.

Leadership based on emotional intelligence

Highly effective leaders often know the type and amount of leadership to provide at the right time. While difficult to master, it can be learned and result in high-performing teams.

The following six styles (often overlapping) all arise from differing degrees of emotional intelligence:

• Coercive leader – requires immediate compliance from their staff
• Authoritative leader – marshals their team toward their vision
• Affiliative leader – aims for harmony through emotional consensus
• Democratic leader – targets consensus through participation
• Pace-setting leader – encourages autonomy and self-direction and expects excellence
• Coaching leader – seeks to develop, coach, and equip others for the future (includes CLS)

In their book Managing, Mintzberg and Oomis-Rovers (2010) suggest that management styles are a practice that can be judged through an art–craft–science triangle. Management styles are considered a balance of the following:

• Art – grounded in intuition and focused on ideas and vision
• Craft – engaging and based on experience
• Science – thoughtful, deliberate, and analytical

Coaching leadership compared to other leadership styles

As mentioned, there are a huge variety of leadership styles. And each has a different view of how to be the most effective leader.

Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular leadership styles — and how each compares to the coaching leadership style:

Transactional leadership style

With the transactional leadership style, leaders look at things through a very “black and white” lens. There are strict rules around how work gets done — and rewards and consequences associated with those rules. Leaders stick to their defined rewards and consequences — regardless of the circumstances.

So, for example, under this leadership style, there would likely be a clear consequence for missing a deadline. And leaders would likely keep that consequence, even if the employee missed the deadline for a valid reason, like a family emergency.

This leadership style varies greatly from the coaching leadership style. The coaching leadership style is more flexible and fluid. While on the flip side, the transactional leadership style is more rigidly structured.

Autocratic leadership style

Under the autocratic style of leadership, all of the power lies with one person — the leader. The leader makes decisions and dictates how and when work gets done. Employees don’t have any input into their role on their team or their professional growth.

The autocratic leadership style also dramatically differs from the coaching leadership style. There isn’t much in the way of collaboration, and no real support. The environment discourages employees from delivering feedback to the leader.

Laissez-faire leadership style

Under the laissez-faire style of leadership, responsibility and power fall on the employee’s shoulders. Leaders take a hands-off approach, letting employees take the lead on decision-making and how and when things should get done.

The laissez-faire leadership style is similar to the coaching leadership style in one way. It relies on leaders trusting their people. However, the similarities end there. With this leadership style, there’s no real relationship, mentoring, or oversight between the employee and the leader. This makes it extremely different from the coaching leadership approach.

Transformational leadership style

The goal of the transformational leadership style is to transform organizations. This may include taking a new approach to the way the organization functions. It’s also focused on inspiring teams to go above and beyond to hit their goals.

The transformational leadership style is arguably the most similar style to coaching leadership. They are both focused on goal achievement and improving performance. However, the transformational leadership style is more focused on organizational transformation. The coaching leadership style is more focused on supporting growth at the individual and team levels.

Pros and cons of a coaching leadership style

Like any approach to leadership, the coaching leadership style offers some major benefits and drawbacks. And those pros and cons extend to both leaders and employees.

Let’s look at some of the biggest pros and biggest cons of the coaching leadership style:

Pros

• This can result in stronger, more trusting relationships between leaders and teams/individuals
• Can help to drive long-term results
• Can help employees and teams realize their full potential
• Can foster a cooperative, collaborative, and supportive work environment
• This can lead to higher employee retention (because employees feel supported)

Cons

• Requires a large time and energy commitment from leaders
• Can take a long time to see results (since it’s focused more on long-term wins vs. short-term wins)
• Only effective if employees engage in the process

When to use a coaching leadership style

There are certain situations where a coaching leadership style is especially effective.

Those situations include:

• When teams are working towards long-term goals
• When leaders need to inspire and motivate employees to perform at a higher level
• When leaders need to build and foster trust with their teams
• When leaders need to align organizational and individual/team goals
• When teams and/or individuals face a professional setback

Key skills for a coaching leadership style

There are leadership characteristics and skills leaders will need to thrive with this coaching model.

So what, exactly, are those skills? Some of the most important skills for a coaching leadership style include:

Development skills

The coaching leadership style is centered around developing employees and teams. So, to be an effective coaching leader, you need development skills. For example, coaching leaders need to be able to visualize long-term goals for their team. They also need to be able to create development plans to help individual contributors, and the team as a whole hit those goals.

Communication skills

Communication is a key part of effective coaching leadership. Leaders need to be able to communicate clearly. They also need to be able to communicate the importance of the goals they’re working towards. This includes communicating each individual’s role in achieving those goals.

In addition to clear communication, excellent leaders can communicate in a supportive, empathetic way. They can motivate their teams, which requires strong communication skills.

Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is one of the most important elements of effective coaching leadership. Effective coaching leaders need to be perceptive, empathetic, and compassionate. They also need to showcase humility in leadership.

Self-awareness

Effective coaching leaders need to show self-awareness. For example, if their team is struggling, they need to be able to recognize if and when they’re contributing to the problem—and find a solution. (For example, investing in leadership coaching or reading a few leadership books to improve their skills).

This is especially important because it’s a skill many leaders lack. This is particularly true when it comes to coaching skills. For example, in one study cited in a 2019 Harvard Business Review, researchers asked executives to assess their coaching skills. They found that 24 percent significantly overestimated their skills, ranking themselves as above average while their colleagues ranked them in the bottom third of the group).

Accessibility

Athletes need to be able to trust and talk to their coaches. And with the coaching leadership style, employees need to be able to trust and talk to their leaders. This requires a certain level of accessibility and approachability.

The ability to effectively give — and receive — feedback

Feedback is one of the foundational elements of the coaching leadership style. To help their teams grow, leaders need to be able to deliver feedback and constructive criticism. They also need to be willing and open to feedback from their team — even if that feedback is hard to hear.

Steps to employ a coaching leadership style at work

Want to try out a coaching leadership style at your organization? Here’s how to get started:

1. Meet with your team

Before you can effectively coach your team, you need to get to know them better. So the first step is to meet with your team.

Schedule one-on-one meetings with each of your team members. Ask open-ended questions about their career development and career goals. What do they feel are their strengths? Where are they struggling? Are they happy in their current role? If not, what would they like to see change? And where do they ultimately see their career?

You should also ask team-related questions. How do they think the team is currently functioning? What do they think the team is doing well? And where do they think the team is struggling?

Meeting with individual team members will help you get a better handle on where your team currently is. This includes where they are, both individually and collectively. And that information will help you better coach them to where they want to go,

2. Set development goals

Once you’ve met with your team and have a better understanding of where they are and where they want to go, it’s time to set goals.

Create development goals for each team member. You’ll also want to create development goals for the team.

Use the SMART goals system to set development goals. This means every goal should be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Once you’ve created your development goals, meet with your team to get their insight and feedback. Make sure they’re on board with the goals you’ve set for them. And, if not, adjust as necessary until you’re on the same page.

3. Offer feedback and support

Once your team has its goals, you’ll need to be there to coach them along the way. (It is called the coaching leadership style, after all!) And to do that, you’ll need to offer plenty of feedback and support along the way.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Meet with your team members regularly.
• Ask them how they’re progressing towards their goals and if there’s anything you can do to help.
• Offer feedback on what they’re doing well and what they might be able to improve.
• Make yourself available to listen if they have any challenges, questions, or just need to vent.
• Help them rethink their approach if and when they’re struggling.

The more feedback and support you give your team, the better coach (and leader) you’ll be. And the more successful your team will be as a result.

4. Celebrate wins

When a sports team wins a championship, there’s plenty of celebrating—both from the team and the coach.

And if you’re employing the coaching leadership style, you’ll want to do the same thing.

When your team member or a team member succeeds, you’ll want to celebrate those wins. And that includes wins big and small.

There are a variety of ways you can recognize employees for their achievements. For example, it might be casual, like congratulating a team member when they solve a particularly difficult problem. Or it might be more structured, like hosting a recognition meeting each week where you highlight a win for each team member. Or it could be on a larger scale, like throwing a celebration when the team completes a big problem.

How you celebrate your wins is up to you. Just make sure you make celebrating wins a priority.

5. Be willing to adjust your strategy as necessary

The coaching leadership style is all about long-term strategy and success. But to achieve success over the long-term, you need to be willing to pivot and adjust as necessary along the way.

Monitor how your team is progressing towards their goals. If you notice something isn’t working, change it. If, as time passes, do you think another strategy would be more effective in helping your team hit their goals? Give it a try.

12 Leadership Qualities and How Coaches Can Help

1) Are Courageous

The best leaders innovate and are not afraid to be different, challenge the status quo, make unpopular decisions or take calculated risks.

Great leaders fight for others, for the bigger cause, and do what needs to be done, without shying away from difficulty.

How you, as their coach, can help:

• Help your clients feel heard.
• Be a sounding board that helps your clients fully explore the challenges they face.
• Acknowledge difficulties and reflect successes to them.
• Support (without having an opinion!) your client in assessing and taking calculated risks as needed, making difficult decisions and generally doing the ‘right’ over the ‘easy’ thing.

2) Have A Clear Vision

Great leaders have a vision, and the best leaders can’t help but share that vision with others. And while they think strategically and long-term, they also know how to operate in the present.

How you, as their coach, can help:

Help your client identify their life vision or business vision—and really connect with it.

Questions to ask include:

• What needs to be clearer?
• What areas need developing?
• How will they share that vision with others? Who needs to know?
• What goals will they set and what actions will they take to get there? What needs to be done now/next to move them closer to their vision?

3) Are Authentic

Strong leaders have strong intuition or gut instincts—and follow them. They are congruent, walking their talk. They know and show who they truly are, and are willing to be vulnerable when necessary.

They also have a leadership style—all of their own. They know their shortcomings, but have found strengths and strategies that outweigh their so-called ‘weaknesses’.

How you, as their coach, can help:

• Self-discovery! Help your client explore who they are—and what matters to them.
• In particular, what are your client’s values?
• What qualities do they value most about themselves? Find their top 5 qualities with the Troll Travels – Who am I? Coaching Tool
• How are your client’s values different at work and in life?
• Are they congruent ie. are they living their values?
• Are they showing who they truly are to the world, or are they hiding behind a people-pleasing or other persona?

4) Have Integrity

The best leaders are open and honest, but also understand the political game—and play it ethically. They deal with problems and the elephant in the room. They are reliable and do what they say they will. They understand accountability and take responsibility for results—the good and bad. And they do the right thing, not just the easy thing.

How you, as their coach, can help:

• Hold your clients accountable and challenge any blaming by your client.
• Help them review and strategise how they handle their failures and successes.
• Ask the difficult questions.
• Say what you see. 
• Ask them who needs to be on their side for them to succeed?
  

5) Get Results

Great leaders are determined. And they are usually ‘self-starters’, using their initiative and not waiting to be asked or told. They FIND a way.

In short, great leaders deliver.

How you, as their coach, can help:

• Support the client as they create goals and action plans.
• Track and review goals regularly, changing course as necessary.
• Hold them accountable.
• Help your clients manage their time more effectively, prioritize and work on the highest priorities first.

Brainstorm and ask questions like:

• Where could you go above and beyond?
• What haven’t you thought of yet?
  
• What needs to happen for you to get the results you want? 
• If you were to look back having achieved your goal, how did you get there?

6) Observe and Listen to Themselves and Others

Strong leaders know when to speak and when to listen, when to take action and when to be patient, when to lead and when to follow, when to hold on and when to let go.

They also keep the bigger picture in mind and choose their battles wisely. They have great judgment, paying attention to their own inner ‘nudgings’ and gut feelings as well as helpful suggestions and great ideas from others.

How you, as their coach, can help:

• Ask questions that help your client consider many angles and think ahead.
• Help them make informed and reflective, not reactive, decisions.
• Ask them what they notice, what they heard, and what is unseen but still present.
• What is their intuition, feelings, gut instincts telling them?
• Ask them to take the helicopter view.
• And last, but not least, role model “Level 3 Listening” for them.

7) Know it is Always a Team Effort

The best leaders know that it’s all about people and relationships.

They delegate and know when to ask for help. They think win-win and give credit where credit is due. They say “Thank-you” and “Sorry”. They understand the value of social time and connection. They think win-win.

How you, as their coach, can help:

• Help your clients identify stakeholders and look for win-win solutions for everyone involved.
• What can they do to team-build?
• Encourage them to network and manage upwards and sideways, as well as downwards.
• Help your client identify their strengths and weaknesses, what they love doing, and what they don’t—and delegate accordingly.
  • Complete a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats).

Ask questions like:

• What help do you need?
• Who/what could you delegate?
• Who needs to be appreciated and how?
• What needs to be celebrated?
• What needs to be done to make this situation right?”

8) Respect Everyone

Great leaders respect everyone even (especially) when they don’t agree with them.

The best leaders are also loyal and kind. They know when to be (fiercely) kind and when to put their foot down. And they are forgiving—even if they don’t forget.

How you, as their coach, can help:

• In this day and age it’s essential for leaders to understand and embrace diversity and inclusivity. Do they need to develop a deeper understanding or to get some training?
• Ask questions that explore different sides and perspectives of a situation or relationship.
• Challenge (carefully and with rapport) any lack of respect or labeling you observe.
• Be a role model yourself, setting clear boundaries with your client and walking your talk!

9) Are Resilient, Flexible, and Adaptable

Strong leaders aren’t rigid: in fact, they’re flexible and adaptable both in life—and in their beliefs. They know we are always learning and that life is not ‘black or white.

This means strong leaders are resilient—they know that change is the only constant in life. They roll with the punches, knowing that life is not always pretty, but they don’t let it get them down. They maintain hope while seeing the (sometimes harsh) truth of the situation.

How you, as their coach, can help:

• Ask questions that help your clients move from polarised black and white thinking to “shades of grey”.
• Challenge them on their limiting beliefs.
• With good rapport and after they feel heard, ask questions to help your client reframe difficult situations.
• Help them re-plan goals and actions when things change.
• Remind clients of past successes, their strengths, and the difficulties they overcame.
• Also help clients own and mourn their losses before moving on.

10) Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Great leaders avoid assumptions and check for understanding. They love clarity. They keep everyone up-to-date and are transparent in their communications. They negotiate and handle conflicts proactively.

How you, as their coach, can help:

• Support your client in planning their communications.
• Ask questions to clarify YOUR understanding (so they can practice being clear). 
• Observe their language—highlight judgments, limiting beliefs, assumptions, cognitive distortions etc.
• Ask clients, “Who needs to know?”.
• Support your client in identifying training needs in areas like conflict management, mediation, negotiation, meeting management, public speaking etc.

11) Are Passionate and Enthusiastic

Who doesn’t want to be around someone who is passionate about what they’re doing? The best leaders have an infectious enthusiasm—and usually (but not always!) have a good sense of humor.

How you, as their coach, can help:

• Help your clients figure out what really matters to them and why.
• Identify values, a personal mission statement (whether work or life) that ties up with their vision.
• Help them work and live their values.
• Help them see the funny side of life and situations (only with good rapport).
• Help your clients to celebrate their successes.

Ask questions like:

• How does this fit with your mission and vision?
• What gets you fired up?
• What would it take for you to get really excited about this?

12) Value Themselves

And last but not least, the best leaders don’t wait to reach certain goals before they esteem themselves. Instead, they accept they are imperfect and value themselves now, even while they learn and grow.

They are open to feedback and challenge everyone to be their best (including themselves). This means they are both confident—and humble, or at least humble enough to value others around them.

A Take-Home Message

Before the 1980s, a command-and-control approach was typical in the workplace, with managers giving out work in an autocratic style. Since then, more inclusive, authentic, and collaborative styles have been favored, including transformative approaches such as CLS (Chartered Management Institute, 2020).

Using this approach can directly benefit the leader and their employees, helping them grow their skills and work together more effectively.

Many leaders believe they succeed because they have the skills and experience necessary to coach their employees (Berg & Karlsen, 2016). They believe that establishing trust and giving employees the right skills to be their best is in everyone’s interest, including the organization.

In CLS, learning is critical. And it is most effective when integrated into the work environment, with employees growing through constructive feedback and learning autonomously (Berg & Karlsen, 2016).

Yet, it is not only vital that employees have the opportunity, but they must also be both capable and willing to learn. If they are, CLS rewards them with long-term growth and self-development.

The CLS-trained (and aware) leader builds and uses the team’s strengths to create an environment of creativity that communicates and collaborates effectively, ultimately increasing long-term success for the organization.

Why not review this article and consider how you could embrace this approach through your immediate environment and your clients? Research has confirmed its value for organizations and improved the relationship between coach and coachee (Berg & Karlsen, 2016).