When Coaching Is NOT The Right Solution

Leadership development often incorporates a component of one-to-one coaching as a key tool to help leaders grow, improve skills, and overcome challenges. Yet, coaching is not always the right solution for every leadership challenge. Sometimes, external factors beyond the leader’s mindset or skills create barriers that coaching alone cannot fix. This post explores why coaching may fall short in certain situations and highlights practical alternatives that address external conditions such as work schedules, commute times, and flexibility.

Long daily commute causing stress and fatigue

Why Coaching May Not Work for Every Leader

Coaching assumes that leaders have the capacity and willingness to reflect, learn, and change behaviors. It works best when leaders can dedicate time and mental energy to the process. However, some leaders face overwhelming external pressures that limit their ability to engage fully in coaching. Examples include:

• Demanding jobs with long hours that leave little time for reflection or practice.

• Stressful personal situations, such as caring for a sick family member.

• Excessive commute times that drain energy and reduce available time.

• Rigid work environments that limit flexibility in schedules or responsibilities.

  
  

In these cases, coaching may feel like an added burden rather than a helpful resource. The leader might struggle to apply insights or make meaningful changes because the external environment remains unchanged.

The Impact of External Factors on Leadership Growth

External factors can significantly affect a leader’s performance and development. For instance, a leader spending four hours daily commuting will have less time for rest, family, and self-care. This exhaustion reduces their capacity to absorb coaching lessons or try new leadership approaches. Similarly, inflexible work schedules can prevent leaders from attending coaching sessions consistently or experimenting with new habits during the workday.

Ignoring these external realities risks blaming the leader for lack of progress when the real issue lies outside their control. Recognizing and addressing these factors is essential for effective leadership development.

Alternatives to Coaching That Address External Challenges

When coaching alone is not enough, organizations and leaders should consider adjustments to the external environment. Some practical alternatives include:

• Flexible work schedules - Allow leaders to start or end their day earlier or later to avoid peak commute times. This change can reduce stress and increase available time for coaching and reflection.

• Remote or hybrid work options - Reducing or eliminating the daily commute can free up hours each week. Leaders can use this time for rest, learning, or family care.

• Job role adjustments - Temporarily reducing workload or delegating certain responsibilities can create space for development without overwhelming the leader.

• Support for personal challenges - Providing access to counseling, employee assistance programs, or caregiving support can help leaders manage personal stressors that interfere with leadership growth.

• Time management and prioritization training - Helping leaders organize their day more effectively can maximize the limited time they have for development activities.

These alternatives focus on creating conditions that enable leaders to engage fully with coaching or other development efforts.

Flexible work environment supporting leadership development

Case Example: When Adjusting the Environment Made the Difference

Consider a mid-level leader struggling to extract value from the coaching process due to a four-hour daily commute and family health issues adding to the pressure of delivering results for the organization.

Despite multiple coaching sessions, progress was slow because the leader was exhausted and distracted. For this leader, the shift occurred when their immediate superior initiated a confidential and compassionate discussion focused on sustainable performance.

Subsequently, the organization offered this leader a hybrid work model allowing two days per week remote work, and HR provided critical support, including access to counseling and help in navigating flexible health-related leave options. This holistic response alleviated the leader's personal anxiety to a great degree.

With these environmental and emotional supports in place, the leader gained more energy and focused time. Over several months, the leader showed significant improvement in decision-making and team communication. This example demonstrates that addressing external factors, often with crucial support from management and HR, is the key to unlocking the full potential of coaching and individual performance.

How Organizations Can Support Leaders Beyond Coaching

Organizations aiming to develop strong leaders should assess the whole context, not just individual skills or behaviors. Deliberately designing the organizational context to reinforce desired change offers support for leaders far beyond simply providing a coach. Key strategies include:

• Modeling the behavior from the top.

• Conducting surveys or interviews to identify external barriers leaders face.

• Proactively adjusting environmental triggers such as flexible work arrangements, reduced administrative burden, or even a temporary reduction in critical responsibilities to free up cognitive space for habit formation.

• Ensuring the leader has psychological safety to take risks and learn from mistakes.

• Encouraging open conversations about personal challenges affecting work.

• Providing resources beyond coaching, such as holistic wellness programs.

• Training managers to recognize when external adjustments are needed.

  
  

By taking a holistic approach, organizations create an environment where leadership development efforts can succeed.

Summary

Coaching is a valuable tool for leadership development but not a cure-all. Leaders facing heavy external pressures like long commutes, demanding jobs, or personal challenges may not benefit fully from coaching alone. Adjusting external factors such as work schedules, commute options, and support systems can create the conditions leaders need to grow. Organizations and leaders should look beyond coaching to address these real-world barriers and enable meaningful development.

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At PeopleCompass, our experienced OD practitioners and coaches can help organizations and leaders analyze and adjust both systemic and personal factors needed to make the changes for success. Write to us at info@peoplecompass.in or click here and we will get back to you!