13 Ways to Use the Coaching Leadership Style With Your Team

coaching leadership style feature

In a previous post, we explored the various coaching styles (democratic, autocratic, etc.) coaches use to support their clients. But did you know coaching itself can be a powerful leadership style?

In this article, we’ll explore how you can use it to help the people you work with grow and improve their performance.

What Is the Coaching Leadership Style?

The coaching leadership style is a people-focused approach that prioritizes individual development and long-term performance over immediate results.

Leaders who adopt this style act as mentors, guiding their team members to identify their strengths, overcome challenges, and achieve personal and professional growth.

Rather than simply giving orders or solving problems for others, coaching leaders ask insightful questions, provide constructive feedback, and create a supportive environment where employees feel empowered to take ownership of their growth.

This leadership style not only builds stronger, more capable teams but also fosters trust and engagement.

The 3 Principles of the Coaching Leadership Style

This leadership style is built on open communication and a genuine desire to see others succeed. Here are the three main principles that drive it.

1. Development

It focuses on the long-term growth of team members rather than short-term results.

This means investing time in identifying the hidden potential, strengths, and weaknesses of each individual. Taking a growth-oriented approach can help team members develop new skills and knowledge to progress in their roles and, ultimately, deliver better results. 

2. Collaboration

Using a coaching leadership style, you can work closely with your team members to exchange ideas and provide guidance.

This creates an environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute. In a collaborative team, success is a shared effort, which leads to better teamwork.

3. Goal-Setting

Leaders can also coach team members to set clear, actionable goals that align their individual ambitions with organizational objectives. By breaking down larger objectives into achievable steps, they can keep each person both motivated and accountable.

Ideally, this lets team members know exactly what’s expected of them, but also gives them freedom to execute their work in the way that best fits them.

What Is an Example of the Coaching Leadership Style?

A great example of this leadership model is Jenna Kutcher, a digital marketer, podcaster, and business coach.

Jenna Kutcher

As a leader, Jenna is big on listening actively to her team members. She welcomes their ideas on how things could be done differently. 

She aims to set new hires up for success through her onboarding process and encourages them to own their vertical. Rather than dictating what to do, she allows them to find their own solutions.

She also looks at them as a whole person, not just an employee, and honors their passions outside of work.

13 Effective Ways to Use the Coaching Leadership Style

Here are 13 ways to implement the coaching leadership style into your day-to-day work with team members, clients, and partners.

1. Use Active Listening

Give your full attention to what team members say and ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand them.

Active listening goes beyond just hearing words. You need to observe nonverbal cues as well, such as facial expressions, body language, and tone. 

Paying close attention to your team will help you build rapport with them and gain deeper insights into their thoughts, feelings, and needs.

If a client or team member hesitates to share their ideas during a meeting, encourage them to speak up. If you’re attentive as they speak, they will be encouraged to contribute more in future discussions.

2. Arrange Regular Check-ins

Bringing your team members together regularly enhances communication, collaboration, and alignment. 

It provides a platform for them to voice their ideas, address challenges, celebrate wins, and ensure their actions align with the team’s overall objectives. It promotes a sense of inclusivity and shared ownership.

For example, you can schedule weekly review meetings where team members share their progress, discuss challenges, and brainstorm solutions together. Alternatively, you can set up a weekly check-in schedule with group coaching clients to fuel their progress.

3. Offer Developmental Coaching

Your aim here is to support the long-term growth of team members beyond just their current performance. 

Developmental coaching helps you identify their individual strengths and weaknesses. Then, you can create a tailored plan for them to enhance their capabilities. 

For example, you can schedule a one-on-one with a team member to create a three-year career plan. This can include areas for improvement and opportunities to develop new skills, even if they’re not directly related to their current role.

4. Practice Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence, or emotional quotient, is the ability to identify and understand emotions in yourself and others. 

It’s a combination of self-awareness, emotion regulation, empathy, and social skills. Emotional intelligence can help you:

  • Handle complex interpersonal situations
  • Create a positive work environment
  • Achieve the best outcomes in every situation
  • Build strong relationships with team members

For example, if a major partner backs out of a deal, you should acknowledge the disappointment and frustration you and your team or client may feel. Then discuss what you can all learn from the experience.

5. Set Developmental and Business Goals

Work with your team to establish clear, achievable goals that align with each person’s growth and organizational success. 

Effective goal-setting includes:

SMART Goals
  • Ensuring goals are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound)
  • Breaking down long-term objectives into manageable milestones
  • Reviewing and adjusting goals regularly

For example, a marketing specialist can set a goal to master a new analytics tool to enhance their skills and improve the company’s data-driven decision-making.

6. Give Constructive Feedback

Pay close attention to the work your team members deliver and provide input to improve their performance. 

Constructive feedback should be balanced, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement.

For example, after an employee’s presentation, you can give feedback on their delivery. Highlight what they did well and then suggest areas for improvement, like maintaining more eye contact with the audience.

7. Improve Team Performance

Look at how the team functions as a group, not just individual contributions. Review team communication, collaborative processes, team alignment, and overall productivity. 

Let’s say your team is falling behind on their quarterly goals. Instead of addressing individuals, you can bring everyone together to analyze their collective workflow, identify bottlenecks, and develop strategies to improve efficiency.

8. Set Expectations

Before implementing your new leadership style, make sure your team understands what it entails and how it will benefit them.

Clarify that this approach is centered on collaboration and long-term development rather than micromanagement or immediate results.

You may introduce your new way of working with your team during your next team meeting.

This makes it clear that regular feedback and reflective questions aren’t a sign they are doing something wrong but a way to help them grow. This will make them more receptive to the process.

9. Build Trust

Coaching creates an environment where team members feel safe to take risks, share ideas, and even get vulnerable.

If your team trusts you, they will be more open to feedback and more daring to experiment with new solutions.

For example, you may encourage your team to share their lapses during weekly check-ins. This creates a culture of trust where mistakes and lessons can be openly discussed, including your own.

10. Create a Balance Between Praise and Criticism

Use a combination of appreciation and constructive criticism to motivate and guide team members. Celebrate successes and good performance, but also address areas that need development.

For example, if a team member shares a report with you, review it and commend them for their thorough analysis. Then suggest ways to make the presentation more impactful and conversational. 

11. Enhance Employee Experience

Creating a positive work environment that supports growth and job satisfaction. Consider all aspects of an employee’s experience, including:

  • The onboarding process
  • Their daily work
  • Career opportunities

As a top-down approach, you may design policies and practices that enhance their overall work experience.

For example, you can implement a peer accountability program where employees or group coaching clients are paired up to support each other’s development goals. It’s a great initiative to enhance both individual growth and team bonding.

12. Ask Powerful, Introspective Questions

Asking thought-provoking, introspective questions is the best way to stimulate critical thinking, self-reflection, and deeper understanding. 

These questions often begin with “what,” “how,” or “why” and are open-ended to encourage thoughtful responses. They help team members gain clarity, solve problems more effectively, and become more productive.

For example, during a one-on-one meeting or coaching session, you can ask:

  • What aspects of your job excite you?
  • How can we incorporate more of that into your role?
  • What creates stress in your daily work?

These questions help them reflect on their preferences and how they can align them with their daily work routine.

13. Offer Continuous Support

Lastly, empower your team to feel confident in their abilities to overcome challenges and achieve their goals. This may be verbal (such as positive feedback) or tangible support (such as providing resources).

For example, if a team member or coachee doubts their ability to do something, you can remind them of their past successes and provide resources they might need.

Set Up Your Coaching Practice With Ease

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August 2024 and has since been updated for accuracy.

By Sally Ofuonyebi
Sally Ofuonyebi is a Copywriter & SEO Content Strategist for Coaches. She's been writing for over 4 years on topics such as marketing, business, and sales. Her work is featured in publications like Moz, AllBusiness, and Sprout Social.
January 15, 2025

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