Written by Lidia Vijga
You’re not just building a product as a startup founder – you’re building a team, a culture, and a future. But here’s the thing: your overall success hinges on knowing when to coach and when to lead. It’s like playing chess and poker simultaneously. You need to develop your pieces (team) while making bold moves (decisions) that can make or break your startup. Mastering this balance is what separates the ‘wantrepreneurs’ from the real deal. So, let’s cut through the noise and get to the heart of what you need to know about leadership vs coaching in the startup world.
Table of Contents
- Understanding the Key Differences Between Coaching and Leading
- The Importance of Knowing When to Coach and When to Lead
- How Effective Leaders Grow Teams Through Coaching
- How to Inspire and Lead Your Team to Success
- Leadership vs Coaching: Finding the Balance
- How to Continuously Improve Your Coaching and Leadership Skills
Understanding the Key Differences Between Coaching and Leading
As a founder, two of the most crucial roles you’ll have are coaching and leadership. Let me explain the differences based on my own experience as a serial entrepreneur.
Definition of Coaching
Coaching is about empowering your team to find their own solutions. On the deep level, leadership coaching means to inspire someone to do better, to grow, to win. It’s not about giving orders or solving problems for them. For me, coach’s main focus is guiding. When coaching, I ask questions that spark thinking and guide my team to uncover answers themselves.
For example, instead of telling a team member how to fix a bug, I might ask, “What approaches have you considered?” This helps them develop problem-solving skills and boosts their confidence. I learned this from some of the most effective coaches at different organizations including one of the highly successful company I worked for before starting my own startup.
Definition of Leading
Leading is about setting the vision and direction for your company. Fundamentally it’s about leading people in that direction. It’s making those tough calls that shape your startup’s future. Great leaders are not afraid to make unpopular decisions if they’re in the best interest of the company. In fact, an effective leader is the one who takes calculated risks, takes the action and admits the mistakes if things go sideways.
For instance, I once had to pivot our entire business model. It was a super risky move, but I knew it was necessary for long-term success. That’s leadership – having the courage to make big moves when needed.
Key Distinctions Between Coaching and Leading
The main difference is in the approach. Coaching means developing your team’s skills and potential. It’s all about a collaborative process where you guide rather than direct. Leading, on the other hand, is about setting the course and making executive decisions.
An effective coach helps a team member work through a challenge. An effective leader is focused on the big picture – planning the strategy, securing funding, or making key hires. Both coach and leader roles are super crucial, but they require different mindsets and skills.
The Importance of Knowing When to Coach and When to Lead
In the startup world, knowing when to be coaches and when to be leaders is like having a superpower. It’s not just about wearing different hats – it’s about knowing which hat to wear and when. Get this wrong, and you’re setting yourself up for a world of pain. But get it right, and you’ll witness remarkable growth in both your team and your company.
Consequences of Confusing Coaching and Leading Roles
I’ve seen founders crash and burn because they couldn’t switch between coaching and leading. When you coach where you should lead, you create a vacuum. Your team is left rudderless, waiting for direction that never comes. I once watched a startup failed because the founder was too busy “coaching” everyone through minor issues while major key decisions were left unmade.
On the flip side, leading when you should coach stunts your team’s growth. You end up with a group of order-takers instead of problem-solvers. I’ve been guilty of this myself. There was a time when I was so focused on driving results that I forgot to develop my team. It backfired spectacularly when I needed them to step up during a crisis, and they didn’t have the skills or confidence to do so.
Identifying Situations that Require Coaching vs Leading
So how do you know which approach to use, where to focus and how to distinguish the difference? It’s all about context. When there’s a fire to put out or a major decision that will shape your company’s future, that’s when you need to turn on a leader. At Decklinks, there was a time when we had to decide whether to pivot our entire product or to stick with it and double down on distribution. That wasn’t a time for consensus-building – it was a time for decisive leadership.
Coaching comes into play when you’re developing your team’s skills and problem-solving abilities. For instance, in the situations where a team member is struggling with a technical challenge, effective coaches don’t just give them the answer. Just like a mentor, a great coach asks questions that guide the team members to the solution. With this mentoring approach, it takes more time upfront, but it pays off in spades when your team can handle complex problems without your constant input.
How Effective Leaders Grow Teams Through Coaching
Let’s talk about nurturing your team’s growth through strategic coaching. It’s not just about barking orders; it’s about cultivating talent and creating an environment where your people can thrive. I’ve learned this the hard way, and trust me, it can revolutionize your startup’s trajectory.
Providing Regular Feedback and Support
Feedback isn’t a once-a-year performance review. It’s an ongoing conversation. I make it a point to give feedback in real-time. If someone nails a presentation, I tell them right away. If they mess up, we discuss it immediately so we can course-correct. I learned this from someone who helped me in my career. When I was continuously provided with feedback, I was learning and improving quicker than anyone else. I then realized, how powerful the feedback loop is and what effective coach is capable of doing.
Support goes hand in hand with feedback. It’s not just about pointing out what needs improvement. It’s about providing the resources and guidance to make that improvement happen. If I see a team member struggling with a task, I don’t just critique their performance. I ask, “What do you need to succeed here?”
Learning from the great coaches helped me became who I am today. So now that I can implement this mindset of coaching in my team, I can improve their performance and help them succeed in their career.
Empowering Your Team to Take Ownership
Micromanagement is a startup killer. Now, my primary focus is to empower my team to take ownership of their work. This means giving them the authority to make decisions and the space to learn from their mistakes.
For example, I might assign a junior SEO copywriter to lead a small project. Sure, they might stumble a bit, but the growth they’ll experience is invaluable. It’s about playing the long game. By empowering your team now, you’re building a stronger, more capable startup for the future.
How to Inspire and Lead Your Team to Success
Leading a startup (especially if it’s your first one) is like finding your way in the dark. You need courage, quick decisions, and the ability to inspire while managing uncertainty and maintaining composure. But with the right approach and mindset, you can guide your startup from 0 to 1. Now, let’s discuss the essentials.
Communicate Your Vision and Strategy from the Start
Your vision isn’t just some fancy words on a pitch deck. It’s the heart of your startup. I’ve learned that you need to breathe life into it every single day. When I talk about our vision with employees, I make it tangible. I paint a picture of where we’re going and why it matters.
Strategy isn’t just for the boardroom. You need to make sure everyone, from the intern to the CTO, understands your game plan. Break it down into bite-sized pieces that relate to daily work. This way, everyone knows how they’re contributing to the big picture.
Make Tough Decisions in the Best Interest of the Company
Sometimes, you’ve got to make choices that’ll keep you up at night. At DeckLinks, I’ve had to let go of people I considered friends because it was best for the company. It’s not easy, but that’s what leadership is about – doing what’s necessary, not what’s comfortable.
I approach tough decisions by looking at the long-term impact. Will this decision make us stronger in five years? If the answer is yes, I pull the trigger, even if it hurts in the short term. Remember, you’re playing the long game here.
Adapt Your Leadership Style to Different Situations
One size doesn’t fit all in leadership. I’ve learned to read the room and adjust my style accordingly. When we’re in crisis mode, I’m more directive. When we’re innovating, I step back and let creativity flow.
Your team isn’t a monolith. Some people need a push, others need a pat on the back. I take the time to understand what makes each team member tick. This way, I can lead them in a way that brings out their best. It’s not about being everyone’s friend – it’s about getting the best out of your team, whatever it takes.
Leadership vs Coaching: Finding the Balance
I think this is the most challenging part, but it’s also where the magic happens. I’ve learned that mastering this balance is one of the most important skill for scaling your startup and building a team that can take on the world.
Prioritizing Your Time and Energy
Time is your most precious resource as a founder, and effective leaders know that. You can’t do it all, and trying to will only lead to burnout. I’ve learned to ruthlessly prioritize my time based on what moves the needle for our business. If I’m not adding value to a brainstorming session, I’ll straight up leave the meeting. It might seem rude, but it’s more productive than wasting time.
I use the 80/20 rule religiously. 20% of your efforts will lead to 80% of your results. Leaders focus mostly on those high-impact activities. For me, that means spending time on strategic planning, key client relationships, and creating content for our in-bound engine. Everything else gets delegated or eliminated.
Delegating Tasks to Develop Your Team’s Leadership Skills
Delegation isn’t just about freeing up your time; it’s about developing your team. I used to think I had to do everything myself to ensure it was done right. Big mistake. Now, I delegate tasks that stretch my team’s abilities. It might be uncomfortable at first, but it’s how they grow.
When delegating, I’m clear about the expected outcome but give them freedom in how to achieve it. This approach builds problem-solving skills and fosters innovation. Remember, your job as a great leader is to make yourself redundant. If your team can’t function without you, you’ve failed as a leader.
How to Continuously Improve Your Coaching and Leadership Skills
Leadership isn’t a destination; it’s a journey. I’m constantly working on improving all the necessary skills to become a good coach and an effective leader. I seek feedback from my team, take online training programs with a mentor, and learn from other successful and effective leaders in the ecosystem. But the real growth comes from practice and reflection, which leads to your own unique style.
After every major decision or project, I take time to reflect. What went well? What could I have done better? This self-awareness has been crucial in my growth as a leader and as a coach. And here’s my pro tip to all of you who made it all the way to the end of this article. Surround yourself with people who are better than you in different areas. They’ll push you to grow and broaden your outlook in areas where you lack expertise.
