The Most Powerful Manager in the World

?Who is the Most Powerful Manager in the World?

I want to begin this article with a question: Who is the most powerful manager in the world? Before you continue reading, take a moment—perhaps around two minutes—to reflect on this question. Your thinking process is part of the purpose of this note.

You might find this question unusual. Maybe your mind immediately jumps to the CEOs of multinational corporations, assuming that the most powerful manager in the world is the one leading the most powerful organization. Perhaps you think the most powerful manager is someone with vast resources, capable of making diverse investment choices.

Clearly, there are many possible answers to this question—perhaps as many as there are readers of this note. Each of you has answered from your own perspective, with reasons and evidence that convinced you.

In this note, I want to approach this topic from a perspective aligned with the mindset of coaches. This perspective suggests that the most powerful manager in the world is the one who has the most powerful employees as a team. Now that you are familiar with this viewpoint, consider this: What qualities do the most powerful employees in the world possess?

According to this mindset, the most powerful employees are those who have a plan for their growth, are aware of their goals and aspirations, understand their own values and beliefs as well as those of their colleagues, take responsibility for changing the current situation, take action to achieve their desired state, and continuously develop their skills and performance.

Every manager dreams of having such a team. However, the essential point here is that such a team is built, not found. In other words: “Don’t search; it doesn’t exist. We searched; we didn’t find it!” Instead, we can say, “Build it; it is possible. We built it; it happened!” But who is responsible for building such a team? The answer is clear: the manager.

One effective way to build such a team is to adopt the skills or mindset of a coach. By mastering coaching skills as a manager, not only do you increase your influence and power, but you also cultivate a strong team alongside you. This is where ICF coaching education plays a crucial role, equipping managers with the necessary skills to lead and develop their teams effectively.

Gone are the days when managers were just managers. Today, managers are expected to take on leadership roles to develop their teams more effectively. Additionally, coaching not only helps you grow as a leader but also makes you a more attractive candidate in job interviews. After all, who wouldn’t want to hire the most powerful manager in the world? By adding coaching skills to your repertoire, you become a more powerful manager and rise to the top of the candidate list for an excellent job position.

What is Coaching?

Before we discuss how coaching can help you, we need to define it. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as:

"Coaching is an ongoing partnership between a coach and clients in which the coach helps them think deeply and awaken their inner creativity to achieve their desired results in their personal or professional lives."

Additionally, the ICF states on its website (www.coachfederation.org): "Coaches are trained to listen well, observe, and adjust their approach to meet the unique needs of each client. They strive to draw out solutions and strategies from the client, believing that clients are inherently creative and resourceful. The coach’s role is to provide support to enhance the client’s skills, resources, and creativity."

How Does Coaching Help Managers?

Or more specifically, how does adopting a coaching mindset help a manager enhance the performance of their employees? Coaching is fundamentally about change—change toward better and more desirable outcomes, improved performance, and greater effectiveness. Managing this change is the responsibility of managers.

A study conducted by the Human Capital Institute (HCI) and the International Coaching Federation (ICF) examined the relationship between change management and coaching. The study found that respondents identified coaching-related activities (such as one-on-one coaching, team coaching, and workgroups) as the most helpful methods for achieving change management goals—more effective than in-person or online training programs.

Another major advantage of coaching others is that it allows you to refine your managerial skills. ICF coaching education provides a structured approach to developing these skills, ensuring that managers can guide their teams toward high performance.

Here are five coaching-based techniques that managers can use to become more effective leaders. After each technique, I invite you to reflect on a few questions about yourself. You don’t need much time—just take a brief pause, engage in some silence, and think deeply.

Skill #1: Listen Like a Coach

One of the most crucial skills of a coach is the ability to listen to others. It is essential for managers to understand that coaching is not about the coach—it is about what the client wants. Likewise, to create effective coaching sessions, managers must focus on their employees, listen to their thoughts, needs, and concerns.

Here are some key aspects of active listening:

• Focus on what the other person is saying, not on what you want to say.
• Listen for values, beliefs, and goals in their words.
• Pay attention to tone, emotions, and body language (what they are not saying).
• Check your understanding by paraphrasing and clarifying any ambiguous words.

Reflection Questions:

• Now that you have read about listening like a coach, how do you evaluate your own listening skills?
• What actions can you take to become a more active listener?

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Skill #2: Ask Like a Coach

One of the most effective tools a coach has is asking powerful questions. Asking questions helps clients clarify their thoughts, see their ideas more clearly, and generate more solutions.

Powerful questions lead to reasoning, deeper understanding, and new insights. Sometimes, we don’t give our audience enough time to think and respond. Many of us are used to giving quick answers rather than thoughtful ones, fearing that we won’t be heard if we take too long.

Here are some practical tips for asking powerful questions:

• Ask questions that show you have been listening actively and value the speaker’s perspective.
• Avoid asking questions when you already know the answer—your goal is to help them discover insights.
• Use open-ended questions to encourage deeper thinking.

Skill #3: Build Trust Like a Coach

Leaders must know how to collaborate effectively with their employees, fostering teamwork and mutual support. At the heart of collaboration is trust—creating a safe and supportive environment where respect and reliability are maintained.

Some key points about building trust:

• Show genuine concern for your employees’ future and challenges.
• Encourage and support actions aligned with their goals.
• Maintain composure in emotional situations.
• Demonstrate honesty and integrity.

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Skill #4: Set Goals Like a Coach

Every conversation needs clear goals. Without them, employees may feel lost. A manager should know how to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals to ensure accountability.

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Skill #5: Support Action Like a Coach

Awareness, ability, and motivation are meaningless without action. Coaches encourage clients to take responsibility and implement steps toward their goals.

ICF coaching education helps managers adopt a structured and practical approach to fostering accountability in their teams, ensuring that progress is sustained.

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Being a manager is one of the most complex and challenging roles in an organization. Managers are responsible for their own performance, their team’s performance, and organizational outcomes. Becoming an effective manager requires a shift in mindset—from being a traditional manager to a coach-like leader.

By embracing coaching, managers can step into the role of true leadership. Through ICF coaching education, they gain the necessary tools to drive performance and growth within their teams.

Author: Aziz Mirdar ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) and Coaching Education trainer?at?FCA

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