Have you ever wondered how to coach when you lead or teach others? You can help others succeed when you use a coach approach in your leadership or teaching.

There are four main ways in which you might coach others. The directive style is more teaching-focused, and you might see this in prepared coach-style classes professional coaches offer. The supportive or co-active approach is much more client or others-centered, where the coach asks questions to guide the person to come to their own insight and ideas. Regardless of the way you coach, coaching is all about helping someone else learn, grow, and become both confident and self-reliant.

If you're not sure how to use a coach approach, I recommend starting with the GROW model, which is well-known and easy to use. This model offers four parts to a basic coaching conversation and works in leadership, teaching, informal conversations, and intentional coaching.

And of course, before you have the conversation, get your mind into a space where you really are genuinely curious. Trying to coach anyone while you have an agenda of your own about their growth is not helpful. Developing curiosity to help means that you are open to learning, and you adopt a beginner's mind toward the person you're coaching.
Here is Your Basic GROW Model for Coaching
G = Goal. What is the goal? What are you tying to achieve? What does it look like, and how will you know when you have it?

R = Reality. Where are you starting from? What is your status right now, related to your goal? What is it costing you to be in the current reality, compared to reaching this goal?

O = Options. What are your options? If you could wake up tomorrow and have the answer, what would it be? What is one tiny way to move toward your goal? What is a giant leap toward your goal?

W = Will. After identifying and exploring options, what will you do? What resources do you have to support your choice? And, what kind of accountability might support your progress?

If you have already been pushing the person you'd like to coach, it's not too late. You can always try again, have a fresh start, and change directions. For more ideas about using a coach approach in your leadership and teaching, and to walk through the steps of the GROW model, listen to this podcast episode.

New Day, performed by Danny Gokey, (P) 2021 Danny Gokey, under exclusive license to Capitol Christian Music Group, Inc., was written by Ethan Hulse, Coby Wedgeworth, and Danny Gokey. Copyright © 2019 Better Than I Found It (BMI) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission; and EGH Music Publishing (BMI) / Be Essential Songs (BMI) / Colby Wedgeworth Music (ASCAP) / Fair Trade Music Publishing (ASCAP) / (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.