What we notice in the work we do at Coach Global is that leaders and managers are under more pressure than ever. This was a key theme in our recent webinar with Gallup, and it was no surprise to see the data, manager engagement has dropped dramatically since 2022 and is driving the overall decline in employee engagement.

The trend we are seeing is leaders feeling stuck, firefighting operational issues, too busy to step back and get onto what we call the balcony, that bigger picture view where they can think more strategically and start to solve the business challenges they and the organisation are facing.
Most leaders already know strategic thinking matters. They just don’t have the space, because operational pressure crowds it out. Urgent work always has a deadline attached to it, so it is understandable that this type of work will always win over the strategic work that shapes the future, unless someone protects space for it.

And right now, that space matters more than ever. We are living through unprecedented change and uncertainty. What we are noticing is there is a real tension between being stuck in the BAU and having the capacity for strategic thinking. Whether you are an individual or a team, here are a few simple practices that can make a real difference.

1. Block the time

It sounds simple but this is the most important step, the leaders and organisations getting the best outcomes are deliberate about it. They block the time and protect it before anything else fills it, whether that is time for individual self- reflection or time with the team.

2. Get curious

Curiosity brings deeper insight and new perspectives.

Here is some powerful questioning you can experiment with, for yourself or with your team.
• What does success look like for you, two years from now?
• Why is that important?
• What are you, or your team, building towards?
• Imagine you, or your team, having achieved this. What would you see, hear and feel around you?
• What is the biggest barrier to achieving this?
• How might you overcome this?
• What would make the biggest difference, for you or for us?
• Looking at that longer term view, what are the one to three most critical things over the next ninety days?

3. Turn it into action

In coaching, we call this Setting Actions and Generating Accountability. Whether it is for yourself or your team, set specific, time bound actions, who owns what and by when, and follow up consistently. That follow-up, for self or others, is what helps build accountability and keeps the momentum.

This is what coaching as a leadership style looks like in practice. Leaders who protect space to think, lead with curiosity, and hold themselves and their team accountable to real outcomes.

If you would like to learn more about coaching as a leadership style, and our Coaching as a Leadership Style program, please get in touch.