Helping Leaders Leverage their Strengths: 8 Coaching Approaches and Impact
In a rapidly evolving business landscape, leaders are constantly seeking ways to harness their unique strengths and steer their teams towards success. This article delves into innovative coaching approaches, enriched by the wisdom of seasoned experts, to empower leaders in their quest for impactful leadership. Discover actionable strategies that blend empathy, trust, and strategic communication to unlock a leader's full potential and create a resonating influence in the boardroom and beyond.
- Leverage Empathy and Trust for Accountability
- Guide Tech Leader to Influence Boardroom
- Delegate Tasks to Focus on Strengths
- Balance Strengths with Authenticity
- Use Empathy to Drive Team Performance
- Foster Leadership and Decision-Making Skills
- Translate Strategic Vision into Clear Messages
- Improve Communication for Better Team Engagement
Leverage Empathy and Trust for Accountability
Coaching is truly a partnership, and I see myself as a thought partner as leaders explore their goals, needs, and solutions. One specific situation that stands out was working with a leader who was struggling with an employee's lack of accountability. The leader felt frustrated and uncertain about how to address the issue without damaging the relationship or morale.
We began by engaging in active inquiry--asking open-ended questions to uncover the root of the challenge. Through this process, the leader identified that their own approach to delegation and follow-up might be contributing to the issue. Together, we explored their strengths, including their ability to communicate with empathy and build trust. We leveraged those strengths to create a tailored plan for addressing the situation.
The plan included setting clear expectations, establishing regular check-ins, and fostering an open dialogue with the employee. As we implemented it, the leader grew more confident in their ability to balance accountability with support. The impact was transformative--not only did the employee's performance improve, but the leader also felt empowered to approach similar challenges with a proactive mindset in the future.
This experience reinforced for me how coaching can unlock a leader's potential by focusing on strengths and fostering self-awareness. It's incredibly rewarding to witness those moments of growth and to know that I played a role in helping someone lead with clarity and confidence.
Guide Tech Leader to Influence Boardroom
Every one of the leaders and executives whom I coach completes a world-renowned strengths assessment that I have been using for nearly 20 years. I find it invaluable for assisting my clients to lead themselves and others from a position of self-awareness. One of my clients is an innovative tech genius who asked me to guide him to become more influential in the boardroom. He is an especially strategic and creative thinker with a strong ability to differentiate and to solve problems. A key principle I encourage my clients to apply is "Your strengths are the strongest part of who you are. If you do not lead them, they will lead you." It is equally important for leaders to both unleash their strengths and learn to keep them in hand. This particular leader is beginning to apply his innate ability to differentiate to customizing his messaging for the individual leaders with whom he interacts. He is specifically curbing his deep fascination with the technical details of his solutions and aiming to be more focused on his clients' priorities and applying his problem-solving brilliance to the issues and challenges that matter to them. He is a particularly smart man, who is working on applying his ability to make strategic choices to asking more questions before presenting solutions. This strategic questioning is less about him understanding the issues than it is about his clients' convincing themselves of the value in his solutions. In my opinion understanding strengths is a critical differentiator for coaching effectiveness.
Delegate Tasks to Focus on Strengths
One of the most impactful examples of helping a leader identify and leverage their strengths involved a CEO of a mid-sized logistics company in the U.S. When we first met, the CEO was struggling with delegating effectively and felt overwhelmed managing both strategic vision and day-to-day operations. Through a series of in-depth coaching sessions, I implemented a strengths-based approach rooted in Gallup's StrengthsFinder framework, coupled with insights from my MBA in finance and extensive entrepreneurial experience. We started by identifying his core strengths such as visionary thinking, relationship building, and problem-solving. However, he was underutilizing these strengths because he was bogged down in operational tasks that did not align with his natural talents. By mapping his strengths to key leadership responsibilities, we identified where he should focus his energy and what could be delegated to his team.
I guided him through creating a team restructuring plan including hiring a COO to manage daily operations. I also worked with him to develop communication strategies that leveraged his relationship-building skills to better align his team with the company's vision. Within six months, the impact was remarkable. Revenue increased as the CEO focused on strategic growth opportunities. Employee engagement scores improved reflecting a more cohesive and motivated team. My years of experience in turning around struggling businesses and leading diverse teams allowed me to identify blind spots and guide him with tailored strategies. This transformation reinforced that when leaders operate within their strengths, they unlock their full potential and inspire the same in others.
Balance Strengths with Authenticity
One example that stands out is a senior leader I coached during my time at Gymshark. They had recently been promoted and were struggling to find their footing in a role that required them to think more strategically while still staying true to their values. They felt torn between wanting to lead with confidence and worrying about whether they were "good enough" to meet the expectations of the role.
Drawing from my own experience at Apple, where I learned the importance of balancing strengths with authenticity, I guided them through a process of self-reflection. We started with something I'm sure is familiar to many coaches, the GROW model, to clarify their goals and uncover what they naturally excelled at. Through a mix of practical exercises and open conversations, we identified two key strengths: their ability to foster meaningful connections with their team and their talent for seeing opportunities others might overlook.
We worked together to leverage these strengths in tangible ways. For example, they started leading weekly check-ins with their team, creating a space for collaboration and honest dialogue-something that aligned with their values and leadership style. At the same time, they began actively sharing their big-picture ideas with the leadership team, stepping into the more visionary side of their role.
The transformation was incredible. They became much more confident and authentic in their leadership approach, which didn't just elevate their own performance-it inspired their team. Seeing their growth reminded me of why I love coaching: it's about unlocking what's already there and helping someone see their full potential in action.
Use Empathy to Drive Team Performance
I once coached a leader who was struggling with confidence and clarity in decision-making, despite being technically brilliant. Through initial conversations, I realized their strength lay in building trust and connecting deeply with their team, but they weren't leveraging this effectively to drive performance.
The Approach:
1. Strengths-Based Assessment: I started with a CliftonStrengths assessment to identify their top strengths. Relationship-building and empathy stood out, reinforcing what I had observed.
2. Reframing Mindset: Together, we reframed their perception of leadership from "knowing all the answers" to "fostering team collaboration and collective problem-solving."
3. Practical Application: I designed exercises where they practiced leveraging their strengths in team settings. For example, they began holding listening sessions to surface innovative ideas and align the team toward shared goals.
4. Feedback Loops: We created a system for soliciting feedback from team members on how their leadership style was impacting morale and productivity. This helped them see how their strengths positively influenced outcomes.
The Impact:
Within three months, this leader transformed their approach. By leaning into their natural ability to connect with and inspire their team, they improved decision-making by encouraging diverse input and collaboration. This not only boosted their confidence but also increased team engagement and performance by 25% in a six-month period.
This experience reinforced the value of focusing on what leaders already do well and guiding them to use those strengths intentionally to achieve better results. By empowering them to see their unique value, coaching becomes a catalyst for sustainable growth and leadership transformation.
Foster Leadership and Decision-Making Skills
I coached a new marketing manager with strong analytical skills but weak leadership and strategic vision. I used a strengths-based assessment to help her recognize her data analysis abilities while fostering her leadership and decision-making skills. This approach enhanced her performance and improved the team's marketing strategies, showcasing the value of effective coaching in professional development.
Translate Strategic Vision into Clear Messages
I once worked with a leader who was great at strategic thinking but struggled with team communication. I helped them identify this strength by focusing on how they could use their vision to better connect with the team. During our coaching sessions, we discussed ways to translate their big-picture ideas into clear, actionable messages that would inspire and guide their team.
I encouraged them to use regular check-ins and team meetings as a platform to share their strategies, making sure to break down complex ideas into simpler steps. This approach helped them realize that their ability to think strategically was a valuable asset, but it needed to be communicated clearly to motivate their team.
The impact was noticeable—over time, their team became more aligned with the leader's vision, which improved collaboration and morale. The leader felt more confident in their ability to engage with their team and lead with clarity.
Improve Communication for Better Team Engagement
I worked with a mid-level manager who had great technical expertise but struggled with team motivation and communication. Through coaching, I helped them identify their strengths, particularly their ability to strategically problem-solve and provide clear, actionable insights. We explored how they could leverage these strengths to better connect with their team and guide them in a more supportive, engaging way.
The approach I used involved a mix of strengths-based coaching and 360-degree feedback to give the leader a comprehensive view of their impact on the team. We focused on improving communication by encouraging the leader to share their problem-solving process more openly with the team, which made their decisions feel more inclusive. Over time, this shift boosted both the leader's confidence and the team's trust in their leadership. The result was a more collaborative atmosphere where team members felt more empowered and aligned with the leader's vision, ultimately improving productivity and team morale.
