Is your team leading together? Or side by side?
I often write with individual leaders in mind, but this month, I would like to focus on teams.
I’m an accredited team coach, and here’s what I’ve noticed over time.
Executive teams include experienced and capable leaders, but that doesn’t always guarantee collective effectiveness.
This reminds me of a colleague who used to tell me that some boards risked becoming “an incompetent group of competent individuals.”
It might seem a little harsh, but I think it makes the point well: a senior team can have a selection of very talented leaders, but are they focusing enough on collective leadership?
That’s where team coaching can help.
And yet, even as a team coach, I rarely hear people say, “Sarah, we need team coaching.” Why?
- These are experienced leaders, often at the top of their careers. The assumption is that by this stage, all coaching has already been done, and everyone is the finished article. As we know, that’s rarely the case!
- Most teams are too busy responding to (and getting frustrated with) recurring issues without knowing that support exists to bring sustainable improvements to team dynamics.
- Teams can seem effective from the outside. Individual leaders may be strong in their own function, but they may not have enough of an eye on the bigger picture across the organisation.
How do you know when your team needs coaching?
When you’re stuck, or feel like you’re running round in circles:
- The same issues keep coming back to the table, often because there wasn’t genuine buy-in the first time around.
- The real discussions happen outside the room, in smaller groups, and it’s these that end up driving decisions.
- The calendar’s all doing, no pausing. Meeting agendas are heavy on updates from individuals, with little time for shared priorities across the organisation.
What team coaching can offer
At their best, executive teams have a high degree of psychological safety. I love to describe it as having intellectual friction, not social friction. People are comfortable voicing different views and discussing them openly, without eroding trust or damaging the relationships that hold them together.
Team coaching creates a space where leaders can be more than a group of competent individuals. They can step back and reflect on what’s working well, and what’s getting in the way. Every team is different, so we work together to identify what matters most to them. Team coaching allows honest conversations, with time to explore different perspectives, and develop habits that strengthen alignment and trust.
What do you notice in your own team?
You might have a strong group of leaders, but how well are they working together?
If you’re curious about what team coaching could bring to you and your team, let’s have a conversation. I’d love to help.
