The Power of Coaching Skills for Leaders. A Skill Not Just a Mindset
- Jaya Kashyap
- Apr 17
- 5 min read
Coaching is one of the most important leadership skills but many leaders underestimate what it really takes to create a coaching culture. It is not just about learning a few techniques, it is about changing habits, shifting mindsets and creating an environment where coaching feels natural rather than something you have to remember to do.
Unlocking the power of coaching is not something that happens overnight, it is a journey rather than a quick course or a single training session. Our work with emerging leaders at Esendia shows that it takes practice, getting comfortable with a different way of leading and working through the challenges that come up. But when it is done well, it changes the way leaders work with their teams and brings long-term benefits to the whole organisation.
How Leaders Develop Coaching Skills
A lot of leaders start off with enthusiasm for coaching but quickly realise that using it in real conversations is not as easy as it sounds. Coaching is not just about asking good questions, it is about really listening, avoiding the temptation to jump in with advice and giving the other person the space to think for themselves. Making coaching a natural part of leadership takes time, practice and a bit of trial and error.
Learning the Basics
Training is often the starting point, where leaders learn about the core coaching skills like listening, open ended questioning and encouraging people to find their own answers. Many also explore examples of leadership coaching questions that open up thinking and build self-awareness. But knowing the theory is not enough, coaching is a practical skill that only improves with use.
Practising Through Role Play
A good next step is putting coaching into practice in a safe space. Role plays with feedback help leaders get a sense of what works and where they struggle. This is often when leaders first realise the challenges, like sitting with silence, knowing what to ask next or resisting the urge to offer a solution. Trying out different leadership coaching questions during practice helps develop a more confident coaching approach.
Coaching in Real Situations
Once leaders have had some practice they need to start using coaching in everyday situations. This might be in one to ones with their team, with peers or in structured action learning groups where they practise coaching with support from a facilitator. It is only when coaching is used in real conversations that it starts to feel more natural—and when the use of strong leadership coaching questions becomes second nature.
Experiencing Coaching Themselves
One of the most powerful ways to understand coaching is to experience it from the other side. Leaders who have been coached properly themselves often appreciate how valuable it is. It also helps them realise how hard it can be to sit with a problem rather than have someone step in with an answer, which makes them more patient and empathetic as a coach.
Common Barriers Leaders Face When Coaching
As leaders develop their coaching skills, they tend to hit similar challenges. These are not just technical issues, they are habits and mindsets that take time to shift.
Feeling Uncomfortable With Silence
Silence makes a lot of people uncomfortable and leaders often feel the need to fill it with more questions or a suggestion. But silence in coaching is not awkward, it is space for the other person to think. Learning to hold back rather than jumping in is a big step in developing coaching skills.
Knowing What to Ask
Good coaching is not about bombarding someone with questions but about asking the right kind of questions that help them move forward. The challenge is learning to ask leadership coaching questions that open up thinking rather than leading the coachee towards a particular answer.
Holding Back From Giving Advice
Many leaders are used to solving problems, so holding back from offering advice can feel strange. But coaching is about helping others develop their own thinking and problem solving rather than telling them what to do. It takes practice to get comfortable with that shift.
Being Patient and Genuine
Good coaching is not about going through a checklist of questions; it is about being genuinely curious and patient enough to let the other person work things out. Leaders need to develop their own coaching style while staying true to the core principles, and use leadership coaching questions that reflect that authenticity.
Worrying About the Coachee’s Solution
Some leaders struggle with the idea that the coachee’s solution might not be the best one or the one they would have chosen. But coaching is not about pushing an agenda, it is about enabling the other person to take ownership and find their own way forward. That can take some getting used to.
Managing a Coachee Who is Not Engaged
Not everyone responds to coaching in the same way and some coachees might not engage fully at first. Leaders need to learn how to build trust and adjust their approach so that coaching feels helpful rather than something being forced onto the coachee. In such moments, the right leadership coaching questions can be essential in opening up dialogue and creating connection.
Making Coaching a Leadership Habit
Mastering coaching is not about taking one course and ticking a box, it is about finding ways to use it regularly so that it becomes a natural part of how leaders work.
Organisations that want coaching to stick need to do more than just train leaders, they need to give them opportunities to practise, support them in overcoming challenges and make coaching a normal part of how leadership works. Some of the things that help include:
Providing ongoing development rather than just a single training session
Creating spaces where leaders can practise coaching, like action learning groups
Encouraging leaders to share their experiences and discuss what works and what does not
Supporting leaders in working through their coaching challenges
Giving feedback and recognition when leaders use coaching effectively
When coaching is embedded properly, it does not just help leaders get better at developing their teams, it changes the way conversations happen across the organisation. People feel more empowered, more accountable and more confident in their own abilities.
Leadership coaching questions become part of everyday interactions, making problem-solving and growth a collaborative process rather than a top-down directive.
Coaching is not just another leadership skill to learn, it is a way of leading that makes a lasting difference.
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