Unlocking the Potential of Teams Through Coaching
If you think about the best manager you’ve ever had, chances are they didn’t just tell you what to do — they helped you discover what you were capable of. They listened, asked thoughtful questions, and made you feel seen and trusted. That’s the power of coaching — and for managers today, it’s nothing short of a superpower.
Why Coaching Matters
People don’t just leave jobs; they often leave managers. Studies by Gallup show that managers influence up to 70% of the variance in a team’s engagement. That means how you show up — your words, tone, and approach — shapes how your team feels, performs, and grows.
Coaching brings a different kind of energy to leadership. Instead of focusing solely on results and reports, coaching opens a space for curiosity, reflection, and ownership. It invites people to think for themselves and take responsibility for their own growth. When you shift from “What went wrong?” to “What can we learn from this?”, you’re not just solving a problem — you’re building capability and confidence.
Beyond Managing: Leading Through Coaching
Traditional management often revolves around directing, monitoring, and fixing. Coaching, on the other hand, is about guiding, questioning, and empowering. It takes humility to pause, listen, and resist the urge to jump in with solutions. But the payoff is worth it: teams that feel trusted perform better, innovate more, and stay longer.
Research by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the Human Capital Institute (HCI) shows that organizations with strong coaching cultures report engagement levels more than 70% higher than average. Coaching builds trust and accountability — the very fabric of thriving teams.
The Harvard Business Review also notes that leaders who coach their teams outperform their peers by 20–30%. Not because they’re the smartest in the room, but because they know how to bring out the best in others. Their real strength lies in helping others solve problems, not solving for them.
Lessons from Great Leaders
The world’s most admired companies have proven how transformative coaching can be:
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- Google’s Project Oxygen revealed that the #1 skill of great managers is coaching. When Google trained its managers to coach, engagement and retention soared. (Google Re: Work – Project Oxygen)
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- Microsoft’s Satya Nadella turned a culture of fear into one of curiosity by encouraging leaders to become “learn-it-alls” instead of “know-it-alls.” That shift sparked collaboration, innovation, and record-breaking growth. (Harvard Business Review: The Transformation of Microsoft)
- Adobe replaced annual performance reviews with Check-In — a coaching-based feedback model that encourages continuous conversations. The change reduced voluntary turnover by 30% and saved about 80,000 manager hours each year.
(Adobe Blog – Lessons Learned with Check-In)
These stories remind us that coaching isn’t a feel-good buzzword — it’s a practical, proven approach to leadership that drives results and strengthens culture.
The Heart of Coaching: Everyday Competencies
Coaching doesn’t require grand gestures or endless sessions. It begins in the everyday moments — in how you listen, question, and respond.
Here are a few core competencies every leader can develop:
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- Active Listening: Give people your full attention — it tells them they matter.
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- Powerful Questioning: Ask questions that help others think, not just answer.
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- Feedback as Dialogue: Make feedback a conversation, not a verdict.
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- Psychological Safety: Create a space where people can speak up without fear.
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- Growth Mindset: Encourage learning over perfection.
Even small changes can make a big difference. Replace “Why did you do that?” with “What might work better next time?” Try listening 70% of the time and speaking 30%. End your one-on-one with “What’s your next step?” These small moments quietly build trust — and trust builds teams.
The GROW Model: A Simple Tool with Lasting Impact
When you’re ready to bring coaching into your conversations, the GROW model offers a great starting point:
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- Goal: What do you want to achieve?
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- Reality: What’s happening right now?
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- Options: What could you try?
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- Will: What will you do next?
It’s simple but powerful. Instead of telling someone what to do, you walk with them as they figure it out. That sense of ownership transforms performance — because people rarely resist what they help create.
Reflection: The Starting Point for Coaching Leadership
Before coaching others, pause and look inward.
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- Do you tend to jump in and fix things too quickly?
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- Do you listen to understand, or to respond?
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- Do you give your team room to think aloud and make decisions?
Coaching begins with self-awareness. The more you reflect on your own leadership habits, the more naturally coaching will flow into your interactions. And over time, it shifts the culture around you — from compliance to commitment, from fear to growth.
The Way Forward
Great managers don’t just manage tasks — they nurture potential. Coaching turns everyday interactions into opportunities for growth and connection. It reminds your team that you believe in them, not just for what they do, but for who they can become.
At Vital Solutions Africa, we partner with organizations to help leaders unlock that potential through coaching. Our leadership programs and customized training sessions are designed to build real, lasting capability — not just in individuals, but in entire teams.
Because when managers learn to coach, everyone wins — the leader, the team, and the organization.
Interested in building a coaching culture within your organization?
Contact us at info@vitalsolutionsafrica.com to explore how we can help your leaders unlock their superpower.
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