In her new book, Strong Ground, Brené Brown extols the virtues of developmental coaching.
“[Coaching sets are] the ROI maker on our transformation investments. Without coaching and other integrated systems that give us opportunities to practice new cognitive skills and continue to challenge the new systems that we are building, we will either default to our old ways or build new systems that are replicas of the old ineffective ones we just tore down…I’ve had a coach for years and can’t imagine my personal or professional life without one. Leaders are the only high-performing professionals who are expected to do their work without coaches. Can you imagine supporting a sports team or athlete who had no access to coaching?“
I’m not sure why coaching is seen as a luxury instead of an investment. People go to the doctor for wellness checks, and to mechanics to do tune-ups that keep the vehicle functioning. Why isn’t it routine for leaders — who often have responsibility for teams of people and substantial budgets — to receive an outside perspective and support to improve?
Coaches can help new professionals and middle managers as well as executives. In fact, they may help the less experienced people more. As you’re looking at upcoming professional development plans, consider coaching for some or all of your team. The results could be transformational for both the employee and your organization.
Quote from Strong Ground by Brené Brown, 2025
