The Five Things That Get in Leaders' Ways - Coaching for Leaders Recap

Podcast: Coaching for Leaders

Published: 2026-03-17

Duration: 31 min

Summary

Leaders often struggle not because of a lack of knowledge or resources, but due to personal barriers such as not asking for help and setting unrealistic tactical goals. Addressing these can lead to significant improvements in leadership effectiveness.

What Happened

Dave begins by addressing a common question about what helps leaders thrive, especially in the context of the Coaching for Leaders Academy. He identifies five common barriers that hinder leadership improvement: not asking for help, assuming knowledge drives behavior, setting the tactical bar too high, feeling worse before feeling better, and not noticing improvement.

He shares a personal story about his early management days, illustrating how not asking for help led to a poorly handled team situation. He emphasizes the importance of finding a safe person to seek advice from, which is a practice embedded in the Academy.

Dave discusses the misconception that knowledge alone drives behavior change, using the analogy of learning to drive. He stresses the need for putting knowledge into practice, a core component of the Academy's approach, which focuses on behavior change rather than just acquiring information.

The episode highlights the issue of setting tactical goals too high, which often leads to feelings of failure despite making progress. Dave advocates for starting small with tactics to build momentum and achieve sustainable behavior change.

He also talks about the discomfort that can come with progress, using an example of a leader who felt worse after uncovering a hidden organizational issue, yet ultimately improved the situation by being proactive. This illustrates that feeling worse can sometimes indicate positive progress.

Finally, Dave addresses the tendency not to notice improvement, drawing parallels to how children grow without noticing. He underscores the importance of regularly checking progress against initial goals to stay motivated and recognize achievements.

Key Insights

• Leaders often fail to improve because they do not ask for help, missing out on valuable advice and perspective. Identifying a trusted advisor or mentor can significantly enhance decision-making and team management.
• Knowledge alone does not drive behavior change; practical application is necessary. Just as learning to drive requires practice beyond theoretical knowledge, leadership development involves actively implementing learned skills.
• Setting overly ambitious tactical goals can lead to feelings of failure despite progress. Starting with smaller, achievable tactics helps build momentum and leads to sustainable behavior change.
• Progress can sometimes feel uncomfortable, as uncovering issues may initially seem negative. However, addressing these issues proactively is a sign of advancement and can lead to improved organizational outcomes.