“It’s your fault!” is what an executive client jokingly said to me as he welcomed me to one of our coaching sessions. He had just been nominated for a promotion.
Our work together began when he reached out with a challenge:
“My role requires me to collaborate more with others, and I’m not comfortable doing that. Can you help me?”
We used the Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching methodology, which is designed to make behavioural change measurable and visible, especially in the context of leadership and collaboration. It puts stakeholders at the centre of the process and encourages leaders to engage with them regularly. For someone looking to lead more collaboratively, it’s a highly practical and effective approach.
At first, he was hesitant. The process would stretch him beyond his usual way of working. It asked for transparency, openness to feedback, and visible behaviour change. But he recognised the potential, and committed to the journey.
We started with stakeholder interviews to build a 360-degree picture. What emerged was clear: he was smart, respected, and capable. But he had a tendency to stay quiet in meetings and develop ideas in isolation. Colleagues wanted more visible leadership from him. Not more intelligence, but more presence and engagement.
In our one-on-one sessions, he was anything but shy. He brought insight, humour, and a real drive to grow. Each session ended with a couple of specific actions, small but meaningful changes he’d test in meetings and interactions with peers.
And he followed through. He tried new behaviours, actively collaborated, and showed up differently. Bit by bit, stakeholders noticed the shift. The feedback became consistently positive. Over time, those small changes added up to a big transformation.
Eventually, he was nominated for a promotion. And that’s when he smiled and said: “It’s your fault!”
Of course, it wasn’t. It was his commitment, effort, and willingness to lean into discomfort that created the change. Coaching simply gave structure, accountability, and a mirror.
If you’re in a leadership role and wrestling with collaboration, internally or with partners, ask yourself: What would change if you took the next step and invited a coach into the process?
P.S. If this story resonates and you’re curious about what coaching could do for your leadership journey, I invite you to book a complimentary exploration call. It’s a chance for us to talk, explore your current challenges, and see whether we’re a good fit to work together. No pressure, just a conversation to discover possibilities.