Coaching Is a Leadership Habit

And next week—we start building it together.

Years ago, I thought I had to have all the answers.

That leadership meant being the expert.

That coaching meant long conversations with a formal structure.

But then I read The Coaching Habit—and everything shifted.

It didn’t tell me to stop leading.

It showed me how to lead with curiosity.

And how to turn everyday conversations into moments that actually moved people forward.

The Moment That Changed Me

I had a direct report—we’ll call her Rachel—smart, capable, but lately… disengaged.

I was worried. So I did what I thought I was supposed to:

Checked in. Asked if she was okay. Gave advice. Tried to help.

She nodded along. Said she was “fine.”

But nothing changed.

Then I tried something different.

Instead of diving in with solutions, I asked:

“What’s on your mind?”

And then:

“And what else?”

She paused. Then opened up about something deeper—self-doubt, burnout, and the fear that she wasn’t growing anymore.

That question—just one—shifted the entire conversation.

Because I stopped fixing and started listening.

That’s what coaching does.

And it’s not about having more time.

It’s about showing up differently in the time you already have.

Why This Series Matters

Starting next week, I’m launching a 7-part Wisdom Wednesday series based on The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier.

Each post will cover:

• One powerful question

• A real leadership moment

• A coaching insight

• A practical way to apply it immediately

This isn’t theory. It’s how leadership actually happens—one question at a time.

If you’ve ever:

• Left a 1:1 feeling like you missed something

• Solved a problem too quickly and regretted it

• Wanted to be more coach-like without becoming “a coach”…

This series is for you.

Coaching as Culture

Coaching is how you develop people without doing all the work yourself.

It’s how you build thinking, not just compliance.

And it starts with how you show up—in the smallest moments.

Want a coaching culture?

Start by leading with better questions.

Your Turn

Next week, we kick things off with the question that opens the door to every great coaching conversation.

But here’s your challenge until then:

• In your next 1:1, pause before you solve.

• Ask: “What’s on your mind?”

• And listen—without rushing to fix.

Then come back next Wednesday.

Because we’re just getting started.

#WisdomWednesday #LeadershipDevelopment #TheCoachingHabit #CoachingCulture #CoachingMindset #GrowThroughLeadership #EverydayLeadership #LeadToLearn