Leadership is a demanding role, as it requires constant adaptation, understanding team needs, and balancing various interests. Many leaders inadvertently face recurring mistakes that can negatively impact team performance and their own effectiveness. Here are three common challenges and my perspective on how coaching skills can help leaders overcome them.
1. Delegating Tasks
Leaders often struggle to trust others with tasks, feeling that they can do them the fastest and best themselves. This leads them into the trap of overworking, which can result in burnout.
A key factor in delegation is also the time required for team development. Leaders who do not take the time to mentor and develop their employees often end up in a vicious cycle – the more tasks they take on themselves, the more burdened they become, while their team stagnates in their growth and does not become more independent. This dynamic further increases the pressure on the leader, who keeps returning to operational tasks instead of directing the team and leading strategically.
How does coaching help? A coaching approach encourages leaders to develop skills in asking questions that build employees’ confidence and ability to solve increasingly complex problems. By teaching team members how to perform tasks effectively, a more independent and motivated team is created, reducing the need for constant oversight.
2. Micromanagement
Leaders who excessively control their team often limit employees’ autonomy, which decreases their motivation. The need for control often stems from a lack of trust and from high work standards. Leaders frequently doubt that tasks will be completed in the way they envisioned, leading to over-control.
To avoid this, leaders need to systematically build relationships based on trust in the consistency and abilities of their employees. At the same time, leaders must let go of the rigid belief that a task is done correctly only if it is executed in a precise way. This shift not only fosters more creativity and responsibility in the team but also relieves the leader, who can then focus on more strategic tasks.
How does coaching help? Through coaching, leaders learn how to better delegate responsibilities and trust their team. Using coaching skills, such as encouraging problem-solving and asking open-ended questions, leaders can foster greater autonomy and accountability in their team members, which increases engagement.
3. Avoiding Difficult Conversations
Leaders sometimes avoid difficult conversations about performance, conflicts, or changes because they perceive them as uncomfortable and emotionally draining. When strong emotions such as fear, anger, envy, or guilt are present, discussions can quickly escalate into tension, which scares many leaders and leads them to delay confrontations. However, such avoidance can lead to longer-term problems that undermine team efficiency and relationships among colleagues.
Leaders who develop emotional stability and intelligence are far more successful in leadership. Firstly, with greater emotional stability, they can maintain calm and thoughtful communication even in the most tense situations, which helps resolve conflicts sooner and more effectively. Secondly, emotionally intelligent leaders are more empathetic, allowing them to better understand employees’ perspectives and feelings, leading to greater trust and team engagement. Thirdly, leaders who can manage their emotions handle stress better and are more resilient to uncertainties, enabling clearer and more decisive leadership even in challenging times.
How does coaching help? Coaching skills, such as active listening and giving constructive feedback, help leaders confidently navigate difficult conversations. This improves team communication and resolves conflicts faster, leading to better relationships and team climate.
Coaching skills are essential for modern leaders as they help them overcome workplace challenges and build successful and engaged teams.