If your team still comes to you for every decision, every escalated risk, or every next step, it might not be a skill issue. It might be a coaching gap.
Because one of the most underrated skills in CS leadership is this: Coaching.
Not the formal kind. The day-to-day, in-the-moment kind that helps your team grow their thinking, confidence, and ownership.
Coaching Is a Leadership Skill
Your job isn’t to be the fixer. It’s to build a team that knows how to fix, think, and lead on their own.
That means:
- Asking better questions
- Helping your CSMs make smarter decisions
- Shifting from directing to developing
- Giving the right kind of support at the right time
One of the most useful tools I’ve found for this is the Skill-Will Matrix.
How to Coach Using the Skill-Will Matrix
This framework helps you assess where each team member is and how to tailor your coaching accordingly.
It’s based on two key traits:
Skill: Their capability and experience Will: Their motivation, confidence, and drive
When you map your team across these two dimensions, you get four coaching approaches.
High Skill, High Will → Empower + Stretch
These are your top performers. They know what they’re doing and are motivated to keep growing. Your job is to challenge them, not manage them.
How to coach:
- Let them lead high-impact projects or accounts
- Use 1:1s to offer perspective and unblock decisions
- Ask for their input on broader team or strategy topics
- Set stretch goals that push them beyond their comfort zone
High Will, Low Skill → Coach + Guide
They’re motivated but still developing their capabilities. They need structure, support, and time to build confidence.
How to coach:
- Break work into smaller, teachable steps
- Use roleplays to practice key conversations
- Give real-time feedback and positive reinforcement
- Pair them with experienced teammates when possible
High Skill, Low Will → Reignite + Reconnect
They’ve got the talent, but something’s missing. It might be burnout, misalignment, or feeling undervalued.
How to coach:
- Ask questions to uncover what’s going on beneath the surface
- Give them autonomy on work that aligns with their strengths
- Recognize their contributions publicly and privately
- Explore if they need new challenges to feel re-engaged
Low Skill, Low Will → Direct + Support
They need close support to develop both capability and motivation. This might be a new hire, someone in the wrong role, or someone at risk of underperformance.
How to coach:
- Set very clear expectations with short timeframes
- Monitor progress closely and provide frequent feedback
- Reinforce progress and attitude improvements
- Help them connect their work to team and customer impact
Strong CS Teams Start With Strong Coaching
When leaders coach well:
✅ CSMs grow faster and take more ownership
✅ You avoid becoming the bottleneck
✅ Strategic work gets done ✅ Your team becomes more resilient and self-sufficient
But here’s the reality. You can’t coach well if you don’t have support. Leadership is a skill too and it requires reflection, space, and guidance to get better.
Deepen Your Coaching Practice
For a more in-depth look at managing performance challenges with empathy and structure, check out a related blog post: Managing Poor Performance with Impact
It offers a step-by-step framework to help you turn performance issues into opportunities for growth.
Want Help Navigating What’s Next?
📅 Book a consultation call with me here. We’ll talk about what’s working, what’s not, and whether coaching can help you lead with more focus and intention.