♬ Turn your magic on, to me she’d say… ♬
♬...Everything you want’s a dream away ♬
Coldplay
Leadership can sometimes feel like standing at the edge of a cliff.
You're expected to have all the answers, make tough decisions under pressure, and guide your team through uncertainty, often with very little support yourself. The weight of always needing to be "on" can be exhausting.
The magic you're looking for isn't some external force you need to find. It's already within you. Sometimes you just need someone to help you turn it on.
The lonely reality of leadership
When leaders first come to me, they're often carrying burdens they can't share with anyone else. They might be dealing with:
- A team member whose performance is affecting everyone, but they're unsure how to address it without damaging morale.
- Cultural changes they're trying to implement, but people seem resistant to doing things differently.
- Conversations they keep putting off because they're worried about the reaction.
- The constant pressure to project confidence when internally they're questioning their own abilities.
Do any of these resonate with you?
The isolation of leadership is real. You can't exactly vent to your team about team dynamics. You might not feel able to show vulnerability to your boss about decisions you're struggling with. And it’s not always appropriate to admit to your peers that sometimes you feel completely out of your depth.
The coaching explosion ... and confusion
With LinkedIn showing over 7 million people with 'coach' in their job title (Parsloe, 2021), it's clear that coaching has become a massive industry. However, quantity doesn't always equal quality and not all coaching approaches are created equal.
Recent research provides fascinating insights about what makes coaching effective. Coaches familiar with five or more coaching models tend to achieve much better results compared to those who are limited to just a few methods. Think of it as having a fully stocked toolkit instead of attempting to tackle everything with just one well-worn hammer.
I’ve been sceptical about popular models, such as SMART and GROW, for many years. They do have their place, but a 2020 review found that an excessive focus on goal attainment and reliance on such models may actually have a negative impact on coaching outcomes! This certainly challenges the conventional wisdom that coaching is primarily about setting and achieving specific goals.
Where the magic really lives
It makes sense when you think about it. Real leadership development isn't about ticking boxes or following rigid frameworks. It's about unlocking what's already there and developing the self-awareness to choose different responses.
The magic isn't in learning new management theories or memorising communication models (although these also have their place). It's in recognising patterns that may be holding you back and understanding that your leadership success happens through the conversations you have and the relationships you build.
Every interaction either positions you as inspiring and credible, or it doesn't.
The power of the long game
Another key research finding is that long-term coaching is significantly more effective than short-term interventions. Sustainable leadership development isn't a quick fix; it's an ongoing journey of growth and refinement.
When leaders engage in extended coaching relationships (over at least a six-month period), they have time to practice new approaches, reflect on what works, and authentically integrate learning into their daily leadership practice. The real transformation happens in the space between sessions, as leaders apply insights to real situations and then explore what they’ve learned.
And here's something that might surprise you: online and remote coaching can be just as effective as face-to-face coaching. Of course, this opens possibilities for more flexible, accessible support that fits around busy leadership schedules.
Turning potential into practice
The magic happens when you start connecting your day-to-day conversations to your bigger leadership goals.
Those employee engagement strategies you're developing will only work if you have regular engaging conversations with your team. That culture change programme you're leading will succeed or fail based on how you communicate it, how you handle resistance, and how you model the changes yourself. That difficult team member situation is an opportunity to demonstrate the kind of leader you want to be.
Effective coaching helps leaders:
Reveal the thinking patterns keeping them stuck. Often, we're our own biggest obstacle without even realising it.
Develop emotional intelligence to read situations more accurately and respond more effectively.
Build practical strategies that work in your specific context.
Transform conversations you've been avoiding into opportunities for stronger relationships and better outcomes.
The STREETCREDS coaching approach
The most effective coaching is grounded in creating conditions where excellent conversations happen naturally. My coaching is underpinned by my STREETCREDS framework, which helps you to do just that. Building your confidence to have the right conversations, in the right way, at the right time. When you can do that, everything else becomes possible.
Everything you want really is a dream away
The leader you want to become, the team culture you want to create, the results you want to achieve - none of it is as far away as it might feel.
Sometimes we just need someone to believe in our potential before we can see it in ourselves. Someone to challenge us when we're settling for less than we're capable of. Someone to support us when the path forward feels unclear.
But with over 7 million people calling themselves coaches, the key is finding someone who brings both depth and breadth to their practice. Someone who understands that sustainable change takes time and the most powerful insights come from exploring what's beneath surface goals.
The magic was always there. The question is:
Are you ready to turn it on?
What's your next step?
Everything you want to be as a leader really is closer than you think. Sometimes you just need the right support to help you reach for it.
Hi, I’m Sarah Harvey. I provide executive coaching and leadership mentoring. My STREETCREDS framework has helped hundreds of leaders transform their communication and build stronger, more effective teams.