Coaching As A Leadership Style

As we’ve been focused on scaling our company over the last two years, there have been a few moments that have keenly challenged and clarified my approach to leadership. Despite the professional services setting, in these challenging moments, I keep thinking back to my professional roots as a high school basketball and football coach.

Taking a coach’s approach to problem-solving and team development has been my key to not getting in the way of our company’s growth. In some ways, it’s second nature, and in others, coaching through challenges feels slower and counterproductive. As I take this approach with my team, it’s instilled confidence, collective and individual growth, reinforced company values, and led to more satisfaction among our team.

Reframing A Coaching Style of Leadership

Coaching as a leadership style is not new, but I do think the term is often overused and misapplied. When I talk about coaching, consider the role of football and basketball coaches–committing to consistent and diligent practice, developing systems for training, drawing up plays, watching film, studying opposing teams, and leading a group collectively in the same direction.

I approach leading our team at AMG in the same way. It’s not about delivering encouragement in a coaching-style or a coaching-style way to lead meetings–it’s the lens through which I see my role in relation to our employees (my team). 

Step Into The Problem

Leading as a coach in problem-solving has fueled growth for our team. Often, executives get and give the advice, “Let your team problem solve on their own and bring you solutions.” Fair advice, but it’s not the approach I take.

Instead, I encourage our team to bring their complex problems to the table. They can bring them to me or any team member at AMG, and we step into the problem together. I encourage them to bring the facts, and we look at the challenge objectively.

One caveat: as our team has matured, there is an organizational understanding that simple problems can, and should, be solved by the individual. The ability and trust to problem-solve individually are developed through the practice of problem-solving together like this. 

Don’t Avoid The Details

As we consider the problem together, we get into the weeds. We talk about potential solutions, shortcomings, obstacles, and client preferences. The time we spend together talking about the details isn’t time wasted, it’s time spent in training. These moments we spend hashing it out are developing problem-solving muscles for our team members.

As an executive, it would be easy to sit back and not engage in these conversations. (I.e., “They can figure it out on their own.) But, as a coach, my involvement, probing questions, and guidance are the plays drawn up on the whiteboard for the team to put into practice.

Hand It Off With Confidence

Ninety-five times out of 100, as we problem-solve, the solution doesn’t come from me. Just like a coach can’t get out on the court and shoot the game-winning three-pointer, I am rarely the one who creates a solution and delivers a result. That’s the way it should be.

I might help draw up the play, but ultimately, I have to place trust in the hands of my team and let them execute. Because I’ve been a part of the discussion (see the Don’t Avoid The Details section above), I can trust that my team knows the external factors that could influence the outcome. I can trust them to act and speak in alignment with our company values. I can trust them to deliver a solution that is in the best interest of the company and the client.

When you lead as a coach, you can hand the problem off with confidence because you’ve been a part of the training.

Don’t Kill The Growth – Keep Coaching

As I said in the introduction, coaching through challenges can feel slower and counterproductive. Taking the time to step into problem-solving with my team is rarely the most efficient approach in the moment. However, I know it’s the approach that is going to deliver long-term efficiency and results.

When you lead your team like a high school basketball coach, you ensure your team is equipped with everything they need to succeed, and you guarantee that you’re not taking on the work yourself. Your team won’t win every game, and mistakes will be made along the way, but you’ll keep on coaching because there’s more to be learned.

The discipline of leading as a coach has been a career-long lesson in delayed gratification. Over time, your team will grow to be keen problem solvers and coaches themselves, and you won’t see the time spent “in the weeds” as time wasted but as time training for peak performance. 

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