Coaching is regarded as part of a leader’s toolkit, but within an organization it can present hidden complexities. Prompting questions about role boundaries, confidentiality, the subjective nature of perspectives, incomplete information and power dynamics, coaching can help develop people but can also breed mistrust. How, then, do organizations set up a safe coaching space for their people? The case explores these tensions through the experience of Sara Delgado, VP of Sales at HealthGuard. As she integrates coaching into her leadership practice, she must navigate organizational pressures, office politics and conflicting loyalties, raising critical questions about what it truly means to lead through coaching.
• Explore the tension between leadership and coaching responsibilities in line management relationships.
• Examine how leaders handle sensitive, subjective information and its impact on responsibilities, both leadership and coaching.
• Analyze the influences of organizational politics, loyalty, and personal ambition on leadership behaviors and relationships.
• Foster perspective-taking to help leaders better understand the competing pressures faced by others.
• Frame best practices for maximising the impact of coaching approaches for line management relationships with clear boundaries and trust.
- Q42025
