The AC Podcast 282: Why Leaders Need a Coach's Perspective with Jan Doyle
How do you move from telling your team what to do to truly empowering them? In this episode host, Rosie Nice sits down with Jan Doyle, a specialist in leadership coaching and organizational development, to explore what it really takes to embed coaching into teams and organizations. Jan demystifies the idea of a coaching culture, drawing a clear distinction between professional, 'pure' coaching and the everyday coaching approaches leaders and managers can use to unlock performance. At the heart of the conversation is a powerful mindset shift: moving from telling people what to do to asking the kinds of questions that help them think, learn and take ownership.
Jan highlights the conditions that allow coaching to thrive, particularly psychological safety, empathy and a genuine commitment to growth. She explains that when leaders take a coaching approach, feedback lands differently: people are not only more open to hearing it, but they also understand its purpose and see its value for their own development.
Jan shares common challenges such as securing senior management buy-in and overcoming resistance to change and illustrates her points with real-world examples. She also highlights practical strategies and ongoing support that help coaching habits stick, reinforcing her key advice: ask, don't tell. This approach empowers teams, drives growth, and demonstrates that coaching skills have value not just at work, but in personal and professional relationships more broadly.
You will learn:
Β· Why building a coaching culture starts with a shift from directive leadership to curiosity and questions.
Β· How psychological safety, empathy and a coaching style help people recognise the value of feedback for their growth.
Β· Simple, practical ways to embed coaching habits into everyday management and overcome resistance to change.
"It's shifting from telling to asking and applying the principles of coaching without being a true coach: about using that coaching approach in the workplace."
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