The best leaders often see themselves as coaches. A coach is always watching for untapped strengths, looking for areas to strengthen, being open with people about what needs work, guiding them to become their best, is mindful of interpersonal relationships within the team, and so on.
Most importantly, a coach does this with compassion, courage and even vulnerability. Even difficult conversations come from a place of empathy and wanting others to succeed and thrive. A coach is never the star, but is often the true MVP of a high performing team.
As a leader, understanding how to coach a team for high performance starts with doing the inner work to fully understand and accept your own unique strengths, passions and areas for growth. We can only lead from where we are. When you do the work to lead yourself with full acceptance, compassion, courage and clarity, you become the kind of leader that can coach others to greatness.