Coaching Skills for Today's Leaders Overview Course

Module 1: Coaching

• Clarify what coaching is and isn’t (not therapy, counseling, advising, or a substitute for supervision); emphasize confidentiality and a co-creative process centered on the person being coached.
• Differentiate coaching from mentoring and sports coaching, and understand when each approach fits.
• Adopt a leader-as-coach mindset that invites learning, honors values, and focuses on future possibilities.
• Practice conversations that help coachees clarify choices, surface insights, and own solutions.

Module 2: Core Competencies of Coaching

• Develop the core skills emphasized in this course—Active Listening, Powerful Questioning, and Creating Awareness/Accountability.
• Use active listening techniques (paraphrasing, summarizing, sensing emotions and nonverbal cues) while suspending judgment and advice.
• Ask open, perspective-shifting questions; use clean language and metaphors; tailor communication to culture and context.
• Facilitate learning and results by designing actions, setting goals, and managing progress with clear accountability.

Module 3: Application of Coaching Skills

• Model effective coaching leadership: self-awareness, accessibility, trust-building, and strong communication/listening.
• Practice triad role-plays (Coach, Coachee, Observer) to apply active listening and questioning in realistic scenarios.
• Create a short list of coaching goals and an individual action plan with timelines to build your skills.
• Reflect with a wrap-up assessment to capture lessons learned and next steps.