Today, more than ever, leaders must act as coaches. Employee engagement is at an all-time low, with data showing widespread disengagement. One major factor? The shift to decentralized work environments. Customer-facing employees are under increasing stress, and that stress directly impacts customer interactions. Keeping them engaged isn’t optional—it’s essential.

One of the most effective ways to drive engagement is one-on-one coaching. Face-to-face is ideal, but virtual sessions are far better than a phone call. Coaching is about uncovering potential. Leaders create deeper connections by showing genuine interest in employees’ roadblocks and challenges.

The Power of Inquiry
Insightful, open-ended questions empower employees to discover solutions and seize opportunities. Too often, leaders fall into the trap of fixing problems instead of facilitating discovery. But when employees find their own solutions through guided coaching, the learning sticks—they own it.

Psychologist Daniel Goleman, who popularized emotional intelligence, identified coaching as one of six essential leadership styles in his Harvard Business Review article Leadership That Gets Results. Coaching was shown to have a marked positive impact on performance—yet it remains the least utilized leadership style. Why?

The common excuse is that it takes too much time. The reality? Coaching is an investment, not an expense. When leaders prioritize coaching, employees grow. And when employees grow, so does the business.