Last month, we began our talk about coaching with a look at why business owners should shift their mindset from being the person with all the answers to helping others find their own solutions, and how to get started. In this article, we will continue the conversation that started with my co-host Brent and I on The Flywheel Effect podcast and dive into when to use coaching and how leaders themselves can benefit from it.
When to Coach vs. When to Direct
Coaching isn’t always the right approach. When there’s a true emergency, when someone is completely new to a task, or when safety is involved, direct instruction makes sense. But most day-to-day challenges? Those are coaching opportunities.
The rule I follow is if someone has the foundational knowledge to figure something out with guidance, coach them through it. If they’re truly missing fundamental information or skills, teach them directly.
The Double-Edged Sword of Expertise
Being good at everything can make you bad at leading people. When you’ve done every job in your company, when you know the right answer immediately, it’s tempting to just provide that answer every time. But expertise can become a prison. Your team learns to depend on you for decisions, approval, and solutions. You become successful at creating people who can’t function without you.
The alternative is what I call “productive discomfort” — creating space for others to struggle with challenges, to come up with imperfect solutions, and to learn from mistakes. It feels inefficient in the moment, but it builds capability over time.
When you shift from solving to coaching, something magical happens. Your team members start coaching each other, they ask better questions, they take more ownership, and they stop escalating every decision up to you.
This doesn’t happen overnight. It requires consistency and patience. You’ll need to catch yourself when you slip back into “just-tell-them-what-to-do” mode. You’ll need to tolerate some messiness as people work through challenges, but the payoff is enormous: a team that functions and grows without your constant input.
The Mirror of Leadership
Everything I’ve said about coaching your team applies to you, too. The most successful leaders I know all have coaches — not because they’re broken or struggling, but because they recognize that growth requires an outside perspective. They understand that the same blind spots that affect their team members affect them, too.
Think about professional athletes. Even at the highest levels, they have coaches. They have swing coaches, mental performance coaches, strength coaches… They don’t see this as a weakness; they see it as a competitive advantage.
Also by Matt Bernath: Thriving Through Uncertainty
I get it. The idea of having a coach might feel unnecessary. You’ve gotten this far without one, right? You’re successful, profitable, and growing. Why would you need someone else to tell you what to do?
Getting coached isn’t about having someone tell you what to do. It’s about having someone help you see what you can’t see yourself. It’s about being challenged in ways that push you past your comfort zone. It’s about accountability — not just to your team and customers, but to your own growth.
When you invest in coaching — both giving it and receiving it — you’re investing in capacity. You’re building systems and people that can handle complexity without your direct involvement. You’re creating space for yourself to work on the business instead of just in it.
Every hour you spend coaching someone is an hour of future time you’re creating for yourself. Every breakthrough session with your own coach is an increase in your ability to navigate challenges, lead effectively, and make better decisions.
Starting Small
You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. Start with one person on your team. In your next interaction with him or her, instead of immediately providing a solution, ask a question. See what happens.
Find a mentor — someone who’s been where you want to go. Join a peer group where you can share challenges and learn from others facing similar issues. Consider working with a professional coach, even if it’s just for a specific challenge or period.
The goal isn’t perfection; the goal is progress. Every small shift toward coaching creates ripple effects throughout your organization.
The most successful leaders I know have figured out a fundamental truth: Your impact isn’t limited by what you can do personally — it’s multiplied by what you can inspire and develop in others.
Also by Matt Bernath: Letting Go to Grow
When you become a coach-leader, you stop being the ceiling on your organization’s growth. Instead, you become the foundation that supports everyone else’s rise.
The business that can function and thrive without you isn’t one that doesn’t need you. It’s one that represents the best possible expression of your leadership, and that’s a goal worth coaching toward.
For more insights on leadership and building scalable businesses, I invite you to check out The Flywheel Effect podcast. Each episode is packed with practical strategies to help you navigate the challenges of growing your business while developing the people who make it all possible. If you want more information about how VITAL can help, check out these free resources.
