Human Capabilities

We're asking people to lead before we've taught them how.
And then we're surprised when they struggle.

It's something I'm seeing more and more in coaching.

Talented people are promoted because they're brilliant at what they do.

Overnight, they're expected to motivate others, navigate difficult conversations, lead through uncertainty, manage change, and increasingly, help their teams make sense of AI.

Not because they lack capability.

Because nobody has helped them make the transition from doing the work to leading the people doing the work.

An excellent article by Sarah-Jane Last prompted these reflections (linked in the comments). It pulls together the evidence behind a pattern many of us working with leaders see every day.

The leaders I coach don't need more technical expertise. They need the space to build the skills leadership actually demands: human skills.

As AI becomes more capable, these human capabilities become even more valuable.
This is why I believe coaching is no longer a 'nice to have'.

Coaching creates something leaders rarely get in their working week: space to think.
▪️ Space to pause before reacting.
▪️ Space to challenge assumptions.
▪️ Space to develop self-awareness.
▪️ Space to become more intentional in how they listen, communicate and lead.

And here's what I've noticed...

When leaders experience that kind of thinking for themselves, they start creating it for others.
▪️ Their teams feel heard.
▪️ Psychological safety grows.
▪️ Conversations improve.
▪️ Performance follows.

We often talk about investing in technology to prepare for the future.
I think the biggest investment organisations can make is in developing the humans leading through it.

What have you seen make the biggest difference when someone moves from individual contributor to leader?