Coaching for Leaders The Five Things That Get in Leaders’ Ways
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Mar 17, 2026 Leaders often stumble by not asking for help and by relying on knowledge without practice. Overambitious tactics block habit formation, and progress can feel worse before it gets better. People also fail to notice their own gains, so tracking small wins matters.
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Costly Delay From Not Asking For Help
- Dave Stachowiak recounts mishandling a low-performer for a year, saving corrective feedback until the employee's last hour which caused a dramatic, negative exit.
- That failure cost team morale and likely prompted high performers to leave, illustrating the cost of not asking for help early.
Ask For Help From Safe External Peers
- Do find someone safe outside your immediate politics to ask for help so you can get candid guidance without career risk.
- Dave recommends peers in similar roles but outside your organization and built-in peer accountability to normalize asking for help.
Knowledge Is Not Behavior
- Knowledge alone doesn't change behavior; leadership requires practice like driving: classroom plus coached experience behind the wheel.
- Dave urges swapping time for another book with real-time practice of one known technique to build skill.