Skip to main content

Leaders as coaches and the value of the ‘safe space’

I Stock 650151750

The concept of the leader as coach is resonating with many organisations and leaders, as they recognise that the leadership skills that got us here won’t get us to our next destination. This is because leaders as coaches address many critical leadership capability gaps. Leaders as coaches hold purposeful conversations in the workplace, resulting in greater collaboration, increased awareness and responsibility and overall higher performance from individuals and teams.

Leaders as coaches achieve this by engaging in coaching behaviours such as listening (when a leader is coaching, the team member does most of the talking), using goal-setting to direct and focus efforts and behaviour and creating a reflective space to learn from experience. Leaders as coaches also adopt a coaching mindset; for example, being open and curious, adopting a non-judgemental attitude (they ask rather than assume) and having a growth mindset (they believe people can learn and change).

Published 29 April 2022
Topics:
Article

You might also like

BSc Finance (Sustainable finance) - At a glance

11 February 2021
Discover how finance can be sustainable and how industry leaders are taking a more sustainable approach to their business
Article

Five top tips you need as you step up to senior management

12 October 2020
A promotion is exciting and rewarding, but for many newly-appointed senior managers, it’s daunting.
Article

Never stop learning: Why Level 7 apprenticeships are vital in an era of transformative digital change

5 February 2025
Professor Keiichi Nakata, Head of Digitalisation, Marketing and Entrepreneurship at Henley Business School, explores why Level 7 apprenticeships are vital in navigating the rapid digital transformation of industries. With AI and emerging technologies reshaping business, he argues that leaders must continuously upskill to bridge the gap between strategy and innovation.
Article Leading insights