Leadership these days doesn’t just mean setting direction, managing resources, or making decisions. Increasingly it means inspiring, developing, and coaching others. But to lead as a coach, to bring out the best in people, one needs more than technique. You need awareness - of yourself, your style, and of others’.

Many organisations talk about wanting a “coaching culture.” You’ll hear it in strategy documents, leadership speeches, HR’s ‘big plan’ decks. But often, it ends up being workshops, performance reviews, or one off mentor pairings. The flame flickers, then dims. What makes the difference between a culture that sticks and one that drifts?

When Sophie first came to coaching, she was frustrated. She had clear goals: step into leadership, get her team working well together, deliver results. But after three months, she felt stuck. Her coach was encouraging her to “be more structured, plan tighter, keep control.” Sophie tried, but each attempt left her drained and less motivated.