From Telling to Coaching: Building Trust and Driving Organisational Success

Do you ever feel like your Leaders’ guidance isn't landing as well as it could?

Or maybe you've noticed that Leaders simply "telling" people what to do isn't achieving the growth they envision.

Shifting from a directive approach to a coaching approach—one that "pulls" rather than "pushes"—can have transformative effects on team dynamics and drive meaningful organisational outcomes. This shift not only builds trust but also empowers team members to take ownership of their roles, leading to greater productivity, resilience, and alignment with organisational goals.

In this edition of Leadership Matters, we're exploring how moving from "telling" to "coaching," prioritising self-awareness, and building on individuals' strengths can lay the groundwork for a high-performing, cohesive team that accelerates your organisation's success.

Why Moving from "Telling" to "Coaching" Matters

Leadership isn't ever just about giving instructions; it's about enabling others to reach their potential in ways that align with broader organisational goals. Moving away from a directive style builds trust by creating space for others to express themselves, ask questions, and take ownership of their work.

Push vs. Pull: What's the Difference?

• Push (Telling): Leaders provide answers, dictate tasks, and outline every step. This may feel efficient but often limits individual initiative and can feel restrictive. Not to mention exhausting for the leader!
• Pull (Coaching): Leaders ask questions, facilitate discussions, and help the team discover their own solutions. This approach builds resilience, accountability, and stronger trust.

Reflect on your Leaders’ style: are they leading with questions or answers?

Inviting team members to explore ideas rather than just follow directives can transform your workplace into a hub of collaboration and growth.

Trust Begins with Self-Awareness

Building trust as a leader begins with understanding how your own habits, biases, behaviours and reactions impact your team and the wider company stakeholders. Self-aware leaders are attuned to how their words and actions influence others, setting an example that naturally inspires trust.

To get started, assess your leadership’s habits:

• Which behaviours encourage trust?
• Are any habits inadvertently distancing them from team members?

Beginning with self-awareness enables you and your leaders to lead with empathy and intentionality, creating a ripple effect that fosters trust throughout the team and the organisation.

From "Me" to "We": Shifting to a Team-First, Results-Driven Mindset

Building trust that impacts organisational success requires leaders to shift from a focus on personal goals to prioritising the team's needs. When you look at challenges through a team lens, you gain deeper insights into dynamics, allowing you to connect with each member's strengths more effectively.

This shift towards a team-first mindset not only strengthens interpersonal connections but also aligns everyone towards shared, measurable outcomes.

Try this: Instead of solving all challenges yourself, involve the team in brainstorming sessions. This not only empowers them but also reinforces team cohesion, builds collective buy-in and creates a unified approach to overcoming organisational challenges, accelerating your company's overall agility and effectiveness.

Over time, this "we" mindset cultivates a supportive, trust-filled environment where everyone feels valued.

Building Healthy Teams through Strengths-Based Leadership

When trust is built on a foundation that respects each person's unique strengths, teams become more cohesive and resilient. Tools like the Strengthscope? Team Wheel (1) can help you identify and leverage individual strengths to understand how each person contributes directly to organisational goals.

• Identify Individual Strengths: Recognise and discuss each team member's unique strengths, empowering them to bring their best selves to work.
• Build Team Cohesion: Use insights from the Strengthscope? Team Wheel to visualise collective strengths and align them with team goals. When everyone sees how they contribute, trust and camaraderie grow.
• Encourage Interdependence: Create an environment where team members rely on each other's strengths. This helps reduce siloed thinking and enhances the team's ability to work cohesively.

Try this: Consider organising a team strengths workshop where each member shares one strength they bring to the team and one area they'd like to develop. This activity reinforces the value of individual contributions within a team context.

(1)??????? Strengthscope? Team Wheel is a tool that visually maps team strengths to show how each member contributes to group goals, can be invaluable in aligning team efforts with organisational objectives.

Recognising Enablers and Blockers of Trust

To build a high-trust environment, it's essential to understand which behaviours support trust and which ones undermine it. Enablers are practices that build trust, while blockers can create friction.

Enablers include:

• Transparent Communication: Regular, open communication shows there's nothing to hide, building trust.
• Clear Expectations: When roles and expectations are clearly defined, misunderstandings decrease, and team members are more empowered, reducing confusion and driving efficiency.
• Psychological Safety: Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas and challenges without fear of judgment.

Common Blockers to Address

• Micromanagement: Overly controlling leadership signals a lack of trust, which can stifle initiative and creativity.
• Inconsistent Behaviour: When leaders act inconsistently, it can cause confusion and lead to distrust.
• Unrecognised Efforts: When individual contributions go unacknowledged, engagement drops, and team members may disengage.

Quick Action Tip: Regularly check in on team dynamics by asking, "What’s helping us work better as a team? What’s getting in the way?”

These reflections help maintain an honest, trust-focused culture.

Practical Steps to Shift from Telling to Coaching

Are you and your leaders ready to move from a directive to a coaching style?

Here are a few ways to get started:

• Lead with Curiosity: Ask open-ended questions that encourage team members to share their insights. For example, “What’s your perspective on this challenge?” or “What would help you feel more supported?”
• Celebrate Process, Not Just Results: Recognise the steps team members take, even if the outcome isn’t perfect. This shows that you value their growth and efforts, which builds trust and fosters a culture of continuous improvement that drives resilience and adaptability across the team.
• Hold Retrospectives: Discuss what’s working, what isn’t, and how the team can better support each other. This builds collective responsibility and strengthens team unity.

Try this: Pick one team meeting this week to practice a coaching approach. Instead of directing, ask questions that encourage discussion and critical thinking. Notice the impact on team engagement and openness.

How Do You Build Trust in Your Team?

Have you made the shift from “telling” to “coaching”? What impact did it have on trust within your team?

Please do share your experiences in the comments—let’s explore how we can all deepen trust, starting with our own self-awareness and behaviours.

Leaders can build a culture of mutual respect, accountability, and high performance by prioritising trust, moving from “telling” to “coaching” and aligning individual and team strengths with organisational objectives.

Key Takeaways

1. Building trust starts with self-awareness and understanding how your habits and behaviour impact others.
2. Shifting from “telling” to “coaching” invites team members to engage actively, strengthening trust.
3. Focusing on individual and team strengths acknowledging enablers and blockers, reinforces a healthy, high-trust culture that supports organisational growth.

Ready to dive deeper?

Join our upcoming interactive session on leadership development, where you’ll discover practical ways to unlock your team’s potential and drive measurable performance improvements.

Click here to Register: Co-Creation Interactive Session – “Developing Leadership that Drives Team Performance”

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