Coaching Skills · People Leaders
From expert leader to confident coaching leader.
Leaders spend most of their week in conversations. Small changes in how you ask, listen, and follow through create outsized impact on motivation, ownership, and performance. This track builds professional coaching skills you can use in your next one-on-one.
Why this track
Where this shows up in the work
- 01
A high performer keeps bringing you the decision instead of making it, and you are not sure how to hand it back without seeming to disengage.
- 02
A one-on-one turns into you giving advice for most of the conversation, and the same problem is back again the following week.
- 03
You give feedback that feels clear to you, the person nods and agrees, and then nothing changes.
A fit for
- Current and aspiring people leaders who want less advice-giving and more ownership in their teams.
- Leaders open to practising a different way of asking, listening, and following through.
- Managers willing to try a new question or move in a real conversation, not just discuss the theory.
Not a fit for
- Leaders looking for a one-off motivational talk rather than a skill they practise over time.
- Leaders wanting fixed scripts to memorize rather than a way of listening and asking that adapts to the moment.
- Teams in the middle of a formal performance or disciplinary process, where this is not the right mechanism (see Boundaries below).
Observable outcomes
Ask cleaner questions
in a one-on-one, instead of jumping straight to advice
Contract the conversation
at the start of a difficult conversation, so both people know what it is for
Listen for the real concern
beneath a status update, not just the words on the surface
Give feedback that lands
in a performance conversation, ending in a usable next step
Shift ownership back
when a team member brings you their decision, so accountability sticks
Hold presence
in a high-stakes conversation, without rushing to fix
In their own words
“Together with Maik we hosted an excellent leadership workshop on coaching. Maik did a tremendous job in conveying the proper mindset as well as tools/techniques - I can fully recommend working with him!”
Learning depths
A recommended progression, not a required one
Taster, Workshop, Core, and Pro are a recommended progression: start with a taster to feel the approach, step up to Core when you want sustained practice, and commit to Pro when you are ready to go deeper. It is not a locked sequence. You can enter at the depth that fits your experience and context, and a later depth never requires completing an earlier one first.
The learning loop that runs through every depth
See → Try → Receive feedback → Apply at work → Reflect → Try again
DEPTH 01
Taster
Experience · 2 hours
- What it is for
- A short, hands-on introduction to coaching conversations, so you can feel the difference between telling and coaching before deciding whether to go further.
- What participants practise
- Trying a single clean, open question in a real work scenario and noticing what changes in the other person's thinking.
- Intended change by the end
- A felt sense of what a coaching-style conversation is like, and enough of a taste to judge whether it fits your leadership style.
- Who this depth is designed for
- People leaders who are curious about coaching but have not yet tried it, and want a low-commitment first step.
- What greater depth adds
- The Workshop turns this first taste into a full set of practised coaching moves you can use the next day.
DEPTH 02
Workshop
Apply · 1 day
- What it is for
- A focused day that builds the core coaching moves leaders use most: contracting a conversation, listening for what matters, and asking cleaner questions.
- What participants practise
- Running full practice conversations with peers on real workplace situations, with structured feedback after each round.
- Intended change by the end
- Comfort applying a small set of coaching moves in a real one-on-one, starting the next working day.
- Who this depth is designed for
- Leaders ready to move past a first taste and build a working set of coaching skills in one sitting.
- What greater depth adds
- IntelliCoach Core turns single-day practice into a six-week habit, with weekly live coaching and peer feedback.
DEPTH 04
Pro
Integrate · 12 weeks
- What it is for
- A twelve-week program that integrates coaching into a leader's everyday practice at a professional standard, building on Core.
- What participants practise
- Deeper practice across the full set of coaching competencies in weekly live sessions, applied to the leader's own real leadership situations.
- Intended change by the end
- A professional-level coaching practice that a leader sustains on their own, integrated into daily leadership work.
- Who this depth is designed for
- Leaders who have built the Core habit and want lasting depth across the full coaching skill set.
- What greater depth adds
- Pro is the deepest of the four listed learning depths.
Not sure which depth fits where you are right now? Discuss a starting point with us before committing to a track.
Discuss a starting pointSkill strands practised at every depth
Contracting
Setting up a conversation so both people know what it is for. Opening a one-on-one by naming what today's conversation is for, before diving into status updates.
Listening
Hearing the real concern, not just the surface words. Noticing when a quick status update is actually a decision the team member wants you to make for them.
Questioning
Asking questions that open up thinking instead of closing it down. Replacing "have you tried X" with a question that lets the team member find their own next step.
Feedback
Giving feedback that lands and ends in a usable next step. Closing a feedback conversation with one specific, observable next action, not a general impression.
Ownership shift
Handing a decision back so accountability sticks. Naming who owns the decision out loud, and not retaking it at the first sign of friction.
Proof, from the people who noticed
“I have participated in the Leader as Coach programme, facilitated by Maik, both as trainee and supporting the training. I've been immensely enriched both times. Empowering leaders to be better coaches has had good effects across eBay.”
Verified proof: confirmation pending
A publishable quote or case example has not yet been confirmed for this track.
Typical use cases
A team member asks you to just tell them what to do.
Give the answer to keep things moving.
Ask what they have already considered, then decide together whether it is yours to decide.
A direct report brings the same complaint about a peer for the third time.
Offer another piece of advice.
Ask what they want to happen and what has stopped them from raising it directly.
Someone underperforms after a clear conversation about expectations.
Repeat the expectation, louder.
Ask what got in the way since the last conversation, before deciding the next step.
A high performer seems to be coasting.
Assign a stretch project without discussion.
Ask what would make the work feel worth stretching for right now.
A one-on-one keeps running long with no clear outcome.
Let it run, hoping something useful surfaces.
Contract the conversation at the start: what it needs to produce in the time available.
Coach, direct, advise, or shift
Coach
When: The team member has the information and standing to decide, and needs space to think it through.
What to do: Ask questions that help them find their own next step; resist supplying the answer.
A direct report is stuck between two options and asks what you would do.
Direct
When: Safety, compliance, or a hard deadline leaves no room for exploration.
What to do: State the decision clearly and explain why, then move on.
A delivery deadline is fixed by a client contract, with no flexibility left to negotiate.
Advise
When: The team member is missing information or experience you can supply quickly, and coaching it out would waste real time.
What to do: Offer the information or your view plainly, and say clearly that is what you are doing.
A new team member does not yet know which stakeholder to loop in on a decision.
Shift to performance management or a specialist
When: The issue is a conduct, capability, or wellbeing concern beyond what a coaching conversation can address.
What to do: Move the conversation into the organization's formal performance or support process, and involve HR or a qualified specialist.
A pattern of missed deadlines looks like it may be a capability or performance issue, not a coaching gap.
Questions this track gets asked
Who is this track for?
Current and aspiring people leaders who recognize the value of coaching: ambitious people managers, experts moving into leadership, and anyone who wants to influence without relying on authority alone. It suits growth-minded leaders open to challenging their current communication style and willing to practise.
How much time does each depth take?
The taster is two hours and the workshop is a single day. IntelliCoach Core runs for six weeks and IntelliCoach Pro for twelve weeks, each with one two-hour live session per week plus light practice and reflection between sessions.
How are the depths delivered?
All sessions run live online in small cohorts, with participants on video for full engagement. The Workshop depth is also available in-house. The format keeps the learning interactive while staying flexible enough for busy schedules across time zones.
How large are the Core cohorts?
IntelliCoach Core runs with a maximum of sixteen participants so there is room for intensive practice and personal feedback. Smaller cohort sizes keep the practice labs hands-on.
Is IntelliCoach Core accredited?
IntelliCoach Core and Pro do not carry an ICF Level 1 accreditation and do not award an ICF credential. Both are fully based on the ICF core competencies, and delivered by trainers who have delivered certification-grade coach training for about five years. If you want to discuss a path toward a professional coaching credential, we are happy to talk it through.
Do I need to start at the taster?
Not necessarily. Which depth is the right starting point can depend on your prior experience, and that guidance is still being confirmed for this page. Get in touch and we will help you judge the right entry point rather than assume it.
How do I join?
Depths are booked on request. Get in touch and we will help you choose the right starting point, answer your questions, and match you to an upcoming cohort.