By: Dave Reynolds of The Rumin8 Group
One of the valuable lessons I’ve learned as a leader is that real progress often starts when we pause and ask a question.
That may sound counterintuitive. Leaders are often trained, promoted, and celebrated for decisiveness. We’re encouraged to deliver solutions, fix problems, and move forward. But the longer I’ve worked in high-growth environments, the clearer it has become: The most impactful leaders tend to focus less on dominating the conversation and more on creating genuine connection through listening and thoughtful questions. And coaching, at its core, is a conversation built on questions.
The Shift From Leader-as-Expert to Leader-as-Coach
For many leaders, the challenging shift is moving from feeling like they need to be the expert, to recognizing they add value by asking questions that unlock what people already know themselves. This shift can be where meaningful transformation begins—both in individuals and across teams.
Top-down leadership, while efficient in the short term, may have limitations. It can create dependence, reduce innovation, and sometimes leave talented people disengaged. The coaching approach, more Socratic than prescriptive, tends to ask more from people. It invites ownership. When leaders create space for others to think, reflect, and contribute, they foster a sense of agency and empowerment that can drive deeper engagement and creativity.
This doesn’t mean being passive. It means being purposeful.
When a leader asks, “What do you think we should do next?” or “What’s getting in the way of progress right now?”—they’re not avoiding responsibility. They’re activating someone else’s thinking. They’re co-creating insight rather than broadcasting it.
Done well, this approach may build stronger, more adaptive teams. People stop waiting for permission and begin participating more actively in their own development. They feel empowered to take initiative, experiment, and learn; building confidence and capability that support collective agility.
Every Conversation Is an Investment
One of the foundational beliefs behind my methodology is that every conversation with a team member is an investment: an opportunity to either accelerate growth or erode trust.
If you treat every one-on-one, feedback loop, or coaching moment as transactional—a task to check off—you’ll likely get compliance at best. But if you treat those moments as relational, as investments in someone’s agency and clarity, the returns can be substantial. People tend to grow into the space you make for them.
And here’s the important insight: most employees already know many of the answers. They just need a consistent, trusting space to articulate them, test them, and commit to action. That’s what real coaching aims to provide—not more information, but more intention.
Ask, Pause, Embrace the Silence
One of the most underused tools in a leader’s toolkit is silence. Not awkward or disengaged silence, but the kind that comes after a meaningful question—the kind that gives someone room to think.
We’re often uncomfortable with that pause. We rush to fill it, to rescue someone, to move the conversation along. But when leaders learn to embrace the silence, they create space for deeper thought and discovery. The real power comes when you resist the urge to provide your own answers and instead allow the other person the time to find theirs.
The pattern looks simple, but it’s powerful:
Ask. Pause. Let the other person find the words.
That’s where clarity often begins.
Build the System, Not Just the Skill
The leaders who have the most sustained impact don’t just become better coaches themselves—they build coaching into the fabric of how their organizations operate. That requires systemization.
You can’t easily scale culture without structure. Consistent questions, regular rhythms, and clear expectations help teams know what to expect and what’s expected of them. Whether it’s a weekly check-in cadence or a shared language for feedback, effective leaders embed coaching habits into the daily operations of their teams.
It’s not about adding more meetings. It’s about transforming the ones you already have into conversations that matter.
Starting Small, Going Deep
If you’re looking to bring more of this coaching mindset into your leadership, you don’t need to overhaul your calendar or learn a whole new vocabulary. You can start with one small shift: commit to asking one better question each day.
It might be:
“What support do you need from me this week?”
“What’s one thing you’d do differently if you were in my role?”
“What’s something you haven’t said yet that you think I need to hear?”
And then—don’t rush. Let the answer emerge. Let the conversation stretch beyond what feels comfortable. That’s where the work often begins.
A Rooted Approach to Growth
In my work with leaders and teams, I often come back to a metaphor from plant biology: the radicle. It’s the very first root that emerges from a seed—small, unseen, but absolutely vital. The radicle grows downward before anything grows up. It anchors the plant and draws in nutrients that allow everything else to flourish.
That image resonates because it mirrors what I see in leadership transformations. Sustainable growth tends to start below the surface. Before teams can scale performance, they need clarity. Before leaders can inspire others, they need to be rooted in purpose and presence.
I’ve come to call this kind of development radicle growth: growth that prioritizes deep foundations over quick wins, and long-term capacity over short-term control. It’s often quiet work at first: asking better questions, holding space in conversations, building systems that align action with intention. But over time, it’s what tends to make the most meaningful difference.
About Dave Reynolds:
Dave Reynolds is a serial entrepreneur who has launched and developed a variety of new products and services over nearly two decades. He is the founder and CEO of The Rumin8 Group, a Growth Consulting firm that assists clients in thinking strategically, facilitating team growth, and navigating important conversations. He is also the best-selling author of Radicle Growth: Transform into an Unstoppable Leader through Mastering the Art of Questions.
With experience in sales leadership, performance management, and succession planning, Dave is focused on growth acceleration and exploring how asking thoughtful questions can lead to effective answers. He resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
