The Leader Mindset #55

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All the best,

Andy

Want to Be a Better Coach for Your Team? Follow These 10 Tips

I recently ran a Leader as Coach session with a new group, and I noticed the same frustrations coming up again.

Leaders in all kinds of roles and industries often feel the same way about coaching. Many see it as something meant for underperformers, so high performers end up getting less support. With so much going on, it can seem easier to just do the work yourself.

Coaching is more than just solving problems or helping with development. At its core, it’s about helping employees become more independent, think differently, build confidence, and handle future challenges on their own.

That’s why I believe coaching and delegating are key leadership skills. They help teams work well on their own, instead of waiting for a leader to step in. This change lets leaders spend more time on strategy, talent, and future planning, where they’re needed most.

If you want your team to be more independent, here are ten tips to help you go from being a good coach to a great leader.

1. Build Trust Before You Coach

Coaching begins long before the actual conversation. If people don’t trust your intentions, they’re less likely to be open or take your feedback seriously. Trust gives people the safety they need to learn and grow. Without it, coaching just feels like another task. With trust, it can really make a difference.

2. Coach Your Best People, Too

A common mistake leaders make is to coach only people who are struggling. In reality, coaching your best people often brings the biggest benefits. High performers need new challenges and chances to grow, too.

3. Lead with Curiosity

Experienced leaders often go into coaching talks thinking they already know the answer. That’s normal, but it can stop others from learning to solve things themselves. Instead of giving solutions right away, try asking questions like, What do you think is causing this? Or, what options have you considered so far? Being curious helps people grow.

4. Ask Better Questions

How well you coach depends on the questions you ask. Basic questions like who, what, when, where, and how help you understand the problem. But coaching needs more than that. Deeper questions challenge people’s assumptions, uncover barriers, and spark creative thinking. I believe in this mantra: better questions lead to more innovative solutions.

5. Diagnose the Root Cause

Leaders sometimes try to fix the obvious problem rather than identify the real issue. Performance problems can come from unclear expectations, missing skills, too many priorities, or low confidence. Good coaching means taking time to identify the real cause before seeking solutions.

6. Hold Your Ideas Until the End

It’s hard not to share your own ideas during coaching. But once you give the answer, the conversation shifts from coaching to directing. Let the other person talk first. People feel more ownership when the ideas come from them.

7. Connect on a Human Level

Performance issues are rarely just about the situation. People bring stress, frustration, emotions, and self-doubt to coaching discussions. Great coaches notice this. Showing empathy helps build a connection, which often leads to greater effort and commitment.

8. Be Direct with Feedback

It can be hard, but don’t sugarcoat your feedback. Sometimes leaders make feedback so gentle that the message gets lost. Coaching should be clear. You can be direct and still be respectful and kind. Be honest about what isn’t working, why it matters, and what success should look like next time.

9. Articulate Accountability

Without clear follow-up actions, coaching usually doesn’t lead to lasting results. Make sure everyone knows what will change, what support is needed, and when you’ll check in again. Here’s a simple tip: end the conversation by asking the employee to sum up the action steps and the timeline.

10. Support Without Removing Ownership

While this tip is all the way at #10, it may be the hardest for leaders to learn. When someone is struggling, it’s natural to want to step in and take over. I am doing them a favor. That might solve the problem right away, but it limits development, thus hurting employee confidence and ownership in the long term. Instead, ask, What support do you need from me?

The Real Return on Coaching

The biggest benefit of coaching is TIME. When your team starts thinking for themselves, solving problems, and making better decisions without waiting for you, you get more time back. If you don’t coach, people will keep coming to you with the same issues. Nobody wants that.

Don’t try to use all ten tips at once. Choose one or two that you want to improve and practice them for the next 30 days.

Good luck as you work to become the coach you’ve always wanted to be.

If you have any other times to be a better coach, share them in the comments.

IF YOU ARE SEEKING A NEW LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE THIS YEAR, HERE IS HOW I CAN HELP →

Executive Coaching: Structured coaching programs to accelerate the growth of executive leaders, high potentials and transitioning leaders.

Succession Planning: We help you build a practical succession strategy that identifies and prepares your next generation of leaders.

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If any of these are priorities for your organization, I’d enjoy the conversation.

Connect with me:
LinkedIn: (12) Andy Noon, PhD | LinkedIn | Email: [email protected] Website: Decatur Street Consulting – Leadership development consultant

Andy Noon, PhD

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