A conversation about leadership

A few weeks ago, I had lunch with Ryan, a VP of Design in Tech, and we chatted about leadership over a nice bowl of pho soup. Ryan asked for my thoughts on modulating between coaching and other leadership tools. Here is what we discussed:
The basic toolkit of leadership includes coaching, mentoring, giving/receiving feedback, setting a vision, holding accountability with self/others.

Coaching, as a core tool of leadership is a reflective inquiry method that allows others to unfold in their own creativity. It can be a very powerful tool when used by leaders in developing and growing other leaders. However, it is not always the right tool to use.

​How do you know when to use coaching versus a different tool?

Here are a couple tips on when to modulate your coaching as a leader:

• Urgency: The more immediate the need, the less likely coaching will be effective. As a reflective inquiry tool, coaching requires that the coachee / client reflect. This takes time and the time it takes depends on the individual and the topic. So, if the situation calls for an immediate outcome or intense moment of focus e.g. a fire drill, coaching is likely not your tool; try being direct and clear.
• Experience: The less life experiences a person draws from, the less likely coaching is your tool. Or, better said, it may need to be augmented with other tools, such as mentoring as reflection time will be longer. In coaching, I guide people using their experiences and truth while in mentoring, I guide people using my experiences and truth. This implies that in coaching, the coachee / client has experiences to draw from in order to find their path. It isn't necessarily about direct/technical experience with a topic, it is more around life experiences. And most of us need time to reflect on our collective life experience in order to draw from it. Mentoring can help fuel a foundation of varied experiences, so that the person has something to test with as they discover themselves through coaching.

Are there other ways you modulate coaching as a leader?