Written by Matt Dickerson, Coaching Practice Leader
Matt serves as the Coaching Practice Leader and the champion for action360® at the Catalyst Effect.
“One thing that has not changed is our definition of leadership. A leader is anyone, regardless of title and position, who holds themselves accountable for finding potential in people and ideas, and who has the courage to develop that potential. (Brown, Brene. Strong Ground. Random House, 2025)”
Positional or hierarchical authority has historically informed our definition of leadership. A leader is someone who inhabits a role where they are held accountable for others’ performance. They manage a team of people and guide their execution of tasks toward the completion of established goals.
It has been well-established that all managers are not necessarily leaders and that leadership is more than a title. Individuals at all levels of an organization can demonstrate strong leadership qualities.
But what do they do that helps them show up as a leader among their peers and other stakeholders?
The authors of The Catalyst Effect set out to identify and quantify those behavioral qualities. Jerry Toomer et al. conducted nearly one hundred interviews with leaders across business, the arts, and sports. When they distilled their findings, they discovered trends in those exhibiting strong leadership skills.
Authors of The Catalyst Effect identified four cornerstones of strong leadership, of which one is “Amplifying Impact.” One of the competencies that they isolated in the interviews that falls under this heading is “Mentors and Coaches.”
In effect, their research confirmed that individuals demonstrate their leadership through the consistent mentoring and coaching of others. They prioritize it, they do it frequently, and often, they view it as critical to their overall contribution to the team.
Brené Brown, in her quote above that comes from her most recent book, Strong Ground, takes this concept one step further when she states that courage is needed to develop potential in others.
Courage.
It bears the question, “In what ways is courage needed to develop potential in others?”
A few elements come to mind:
Level of Commitment
People in an organization often do not have the same level of commitment when it comes to investing in others professionally. Frequently, leaders of business are focused mainly on, well, the business. They concern themselves most with what is being produced or accomplished. They prioritize tasks that tie directly to the established needed outcomes. For them, people development is something that happens after all of the “real work” is accomplished.
In these environments, those who prioritize people development often face the headwind of competing priorities. The return on investment for people development is sometimes less tangible, and commonly more long term, than results derived from a focus on the “product.”
Depending on how strong this headwind is, it does take courage to speak up about prioritizing people development. Those doing so can find themselves in the minority and frequently come under criticism for mis-prioritizing their job responsibilities.
Buy Into the Work
In some cases, the would-be beneficiaries of the coaching and professional development do not buy into the work. Perhaps they are apathetic to growth, or they are comfortable doing what they are currently doing. Maybe they are unfamiliar with what good coaching is and how it can benefit them. More often than not, they are wrapped up in the same business-first mentality that exists culturally in their organization.
Courage is required in these situations, too. Leaders attempting to invest time and energy into the development of their team members can face pushback or general uncertainty about the work.
Being Vulnerable
Professional development leads to vulnerable moments for the learner, and it can also be uncomfortable for the coach leader.
Inevitably, all professional development work leads the coach into areas outside of their expertise. They find the limits of their own knowledge and ability. They are faced with a situation where they have to admit they do not know.
In those times, good coach leaders find other resources to fill in the gaps. They delegate some portion of the professional development to someone or something more capable of training in that area.
Admitting your limits can be uncomfortable and can challenge your perception, and the perception of others in your sphere of influence, of your competence and expertise.
Strong developers face these moments with the assurance that they are doing the right thing for the person in whom they have already invested so much.
At The Catalyst Effect, we recognize that well-rounded and self-assured leaders are that way not because they have all of the answers. They are recognized as strong leaders because they, among other traits and competencies, have the courage to prioritize the development of others.