“True leadership is not about having all the answers, but about asking the right questions, creating space for others to grow, and embracing the power of curiosity and connection to inspire those around you.” — Catherine Plano
From Command to Curiosity: The New Era of Leadership
Picture this: It’s December 2019, and the world as we know it is about to undergo a profound transformation. Companies were about to face one of the most disruptive periods in modern history, challenging the very essence of how businesses operate. Managers who once climbed the corporate ladder by having all the right answers suddenly found themselves navigating uncharted waters where answers were few, and questions were many.
In the past, success in leadership meant being the expert, the one with the solutions, the person everyone turned to for direction. But today’s landscape is different. Rapid change, digital transformation, and global challenges mean that having all the answers is not just unrealistic—it’s impossible. The modern manager can no longer survive by dictating from the top down; they must learn to lead from the sides, to inspire rather than instruct, and to coach rather than command.
But what does it mean to coach? How do you shift from telling to asking, from directing to empowering? Let’s explore what it really takes to transition from a traditional manager to a transformational coach, and why this shift is more critical now than ever.
The Shift: From Manager to Coach
Think back to when you were a child. Remember the teachers who made the most impact on you? Chances are, it wasn’t the ones who lectured from the front of the room, but those who took the time to listen, to ask questions, and to guide you toward your own answers. This is the essence of coaching—it’s about unlocking potential, not by providing solutions, but by creating the space for others to discover them.
Coaching isn’t just a skill; it’s a mindset shift. It’s about moving away from the old model of command and control and embracing a culture of curiosity and collaboration. This shift is not just happening in one or two forward-thinking companies: it’s becoming the new norm across industries. Managers are now being asked to wear the hat of the coach, to foster environments where learning and growth are not just encouraged but expected.
Take the example of Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, who famously transformed the company’s culture from one of inspection and judgment to one of learning and exploration. Nadella didn’t just talk about coaching; he lived it. He shifted the focus from blame and evaluation to growth and possibility, modelling the behaviour he wanted to see throughout the organisation. By asking questions, seeking input, and embracing mistakes as learning opportunities, Nadella turned Microsoft into a company that didn’t just survive change but thrived in it.
Coaching as Culture: Building Organisations That Learn
But what does coaching look like in practice? And more importantly, how do you embed it into the DNA of an organisation? It’s not enough to hold a few workshops or encourage managers to read a book on coaching. For coaching to take root, it must be woven into the fabric of daily interactions, from team meetings to performance reviews.
Consider the story of Allen & Overy, a leading law firm that made a radical decision to abandon its traditional year-end appraisals. Instead of the dreaded annual review, the firm shifted to coaching conversations, focusing on real-time feedback and personal development. The result? More engaged employees, better client relationships, and a culture that prioritised learning over judgment.
Imagine working in a place where your growth was more important than your mistakes, where your boss asked, “What can we learn from this?” instead of, “Why did this happen?” This is the power of a coaching culture—it transforms not just the way we lead but the way we relate to one another.
The Everyday Coach: Bringing Coaching into Daily Interactions
Many managers hear the word “coach” and immediately think of formal sessions, where someone sits across from you, clipboard in hand, and guides you through a structured process. But coaching isn’t confined to hour-long meetings or special occasions. Some of the most impactful coaching happens in the everyday moments—the quick check-ins, the questions posed during a team meeting, the simple act of listening with curiosity instead of rushing to provide answers.
A simple framework that has gained popularity is the GROW model, developed by Sir John Whitmore. It stands for Goal, Reality, Options, and Will, guiding the conversation from what the individual wants to achieve to the actionable steps they can take. But even without formal models, the essence of coaching lies in a few key principles: ask more than you tell, listen more than you speak, and empower more than you control.
Think of a recent interaction with your team. Did you default to giving instructions, or did you ask questions that helped them find their own way? Did you hold space for them to explore their ideas, or did you rush to correct and direct? Coaching is about shifting the focus from your expertise to their potential, from your knowledge to their growth.
Why Coaching Feels Uncomfortable (And Why It’s Worth It)
For many leaders, coaching feels foreign, even uncomfortable. We’re used to being the experts, to having the answers, and to providing solutions. Coaching requires a different kind of courage—the courage to step back, to resist the urge to fix, and to trust that others can find their own way.
It’s not uncommon to hear managers say, “Coaching feels too soft,” or “I don’t have time for this.” But the truth is, coaching is not about being soft; it’s about being smart. It’s about recognizing that the most valuable skills in today’s world are not technical expertise or flawless execution but adaptability, creativity, and the ability to learn and grow.
One of the most profound examples comes from Nadella’s leadership at Microsoft. When he took over, Microsoft’s culture was one of fear—fear of making mistakes, fear of speaking up, fear of failing. Nadella flipped the script by modelling vulnerability, asking for feedback, and showing that learning was more valuable than knowing. His approach wasn’t about being nice; it was about being effective. It was about understanding that a culture of coaching could unlock the kind of innovation and engagement that no amount of expertise alone could achieve.
Coaching for the Future: Why Every Leader Must Learn to Coach
The days of the all-knowing manager are over. In a world that’s constantly evolving, where new challenges emerge every day, the most successful leaders will be those who can foster a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning. They will be the ones who understand that their role is not to have all the answers but to ask the right questions, to support rather than judge, and to empower their teams to reach their full potential.
Coaching is not just a trend; it’s a necessary evolution. It’s about creating organisations that don’t just survive disruption but thrive because of it. It’s about turning managers into coaches, leaders into learners, and companies into communities of growth.
So, the next time you find yourself tempted to jump in with the answer, take a step back. Ask a question. Hold space for possibility. Because in the end, the true power of leadership lies not in what you know but in your ability to unlock the potential in others.
This is the new era of leadership. This is the power of coaching.