At Coaching Australia, we regularly see leaders make powerful shifts when they choose a coaching approach.
Bella was part of our “Coaching as a Leadership Style” programme with HCF. When she began, she described her leadership as directive, carrying pressure to solve everything herself. Performance conversations felt stressful, and outcomes dominated her focus.
Just months later, Bella was more confident, recognised for her leadership, and received an HCF Hero Award.
So — what changed?
Bella began listening with curiosity, asking questions rather than providing answers, and empowering her team to find their own solutions.
In Bella’s words:
“I realised my role isn’t to have all the answers, it’s to create the space for my team to think, to ask the right questions, and to support them in finding their own way forward. That shift has changed everything for me, my team, and even my personal relationships and has been incredibly rewarding.”
The impact for Bella:
- She feels confident and equipped as a leader.
- Her team now asks for coaching conversations.
- Performance discussions have become enjoyable instead of stressful.
- Relationships at work and at home are stronger.
- Her mindset has shifted from directing to asking questions, listening to understand, and seeing her team grow.
One of the biggest findings from Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report is that today’s complex workplaces need leaders to shift from boss to coach. Their research shows coaching techniques can lift performance by up to 28%. Bella’s transformation is a powerful example of this shift in action and of the impact it creates for leaders, teams, and organisations.
