Great leaders invest in their team’s development
As leaders, we all want to create an environment where our team members feel engaged, motivated, and inspired to reach new heights. Investing in our team’s development is a surefire way to achieve this, but it takes more than just good intentions. It takes effective coaching! By honing our coaching skills, we can unlock our team’s potential, help them grow and succeed, and build a culture of learning and positivity.
That said, not all of us are born great coaches. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the 10 characteristics that make a great leader coach. Let’s dive in and learn how we can cultivate these skills together.

HOW TO MOVE FROM A GOOD TO A GREAT LEADER
1. Lead like a Multiplier
As great leader coaches, we don’t just lead our teams, we multiply their effectiveness. We understand our team members’ strengths and weaknesses and leverage them to achieve maximum results. By creating an environment that allows our team to thrive and grow, we increase productivity and success.
2. Listen with Empathy
According to renowned psychologist, Daniel Goleman, one of the most important characteristics of a great leader is the ability to listen with empathy. We actively listen and seek to understand our team members’ perspectives. By building stronger relationships with our team members, we improve communication and collaboration.
3. Communicate Profoundly
We craft clear, concise messages that resonate with our team members. Effective communication is essential for success, and as great leader coaches, we use various communication tools to ensure that our team members understand our goals and expectations. This is a skill that is often overlooked so if you want to inspire the team towards a great vision, set yourself up to be a good communicator.
4. Unlock Team’s Potential
We provide opportunities for growth and development, encouraging our team members to take on new challenges and push beyond their comfort zones. By doing so, we unlock their potential, leading to increased confidence and success. That’s how a leader can bring out the best in everyone on the team.
5. Drive High Performance
A great leader coach is committed to driving high performance from their team. We build a high-performance team by creating a culture of high trust, handling constructive conflict effectively, and committing to achieving the collective goal. We set clear goals and expectations, hold our team members accountable for achieving them, provide regular feedback, and recognize their successes, which helps motivate them to continue performing at a high level.
6. Conduct Effective Performance Conversations
We give feedback in a constructive manner that is specific and actionable. By listening to our team members’ perspectives and working collaboratively to develop a plan for improvement, we help them improve.
7. Create Safe Environment
We encourage open communication and foster an environment of trust and respect. By doing so, we create a safe space for our team members to express their ideas and opinions, which leads to increased productivity and success.
8. Develop Teams through Strength-Based Coaching
We identify our team members’ strengths and work to develop them further, providing opportunities for them to use their strengths and encouraging them to take on new challenges that leverage their strengths.
9. Provide Constructive Feedback
We provide guidance on how to improve in areas where our team members may be struggling, focusing on their strengths and providing feedback in a respectful and supportive manner.
10. Challenge Teams to New Heights
A great leader coach challenges their team to new heights. We set ambitious goals and encourage our team members to push beyond their limits, providing support and guidance along the way, which helps them achieve success.
Conclusion
Great leader coaches possess a unique set of characteristics that set them apart from the rest. But they don’t just develop their skills overnight. By investing in leadership coaching, we can train ourselves to become more effective coaches, and foster a positive and supportive work environment where team members feel valued, respected, and challenged to achieve their full potential.
If you’re keen on learning how you can coach your way to leadership success, get in touch with us. We’ll be happy to start a discussion with you.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the role of a leader coach?
The role of a leader coach is to mentor and guide team members towards achieving specific goals. A leader coach helps team members to identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan for improvement. They provide feedback, support, and encouragement, and help team members to overcome challenges and obstacles.
What skills do you need to be a great leader coach?
Great leader coaches possess a range of skills, including empathy, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, a growth mindset, the ability to build strong relationships, a desire to learn and improve, and flexibility and adaptability. They also possess strong communication and listening skills, the ability to provide effective feedback, and the ability to inspire and motivate their team members.
Read more about how you can develop coaching as a managerial capability here.
How can organisations implement leadership coaching programs?
Organisations can implement leadership coaching programs by first identifying the leadership potential within their organisation. They can then establish clear coaching objectives, develop coaching programs, and provide coaching resources and support. Organisations can also seek the help of external coaching experts or invest in coaching training programs for their leaders.
Learn how we can help develop your leaders into coaches here.

Published by BestOfMe Pte Ltd
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