The Coaching Habit That Makes Great Leaders with Coaching Expert Michael Bungay Stanier

Are you moving too fast to give advice when the real opportunity is to lead through curiosity?

In this episode, I sit down with bestselling author and coaching expert Michael Bungay Stanier to unpack what it really means to become a more effective leader, coach, and communicator. We dive into the powerful idea that the best leaders are not the ones with the fastest answers, but the ones who stay curious a little longer. Michael shares why letting your team struggle is often the key to their growth, how leaders accidentally become bottlenecks, and why the instinct to jump in with advice can actually limit the people around us. We also explore how coaching skills can transform everything from leadership and delegation to client relationships and sales conversations.

Along the way, Michael breaks down the mindset shifts and practical scripts that help leaders bring out the best in others. We talk about the surprising cost of doing everything yourself, the hidden “advice monster” that shows up in conversations, and how asking the right questions can unlock better thinking, stronger teams, and deeper relationships. He also shares the four paradoxes of great leadership including humble confidence, fierce love, and the ability to care deeply about outcomes while also letting go of control.

Topics We Cover in This Episode:

• Why the best leaders are willing to let people struggle and what that unlocks

• The hidden reason many high performers accidentally become bottlenecks

• How the “advice monster” quietly sabotages leadership and collaboration

• A simple phrase that instantly shifts conversations from advice to coaching

• The surprising way curiosity can improve both leadership and sales conversations

• The four paradoxes that powerful leaders learn to hold at the same time

• Why great conversations often come down to just a few powerful questions

• How staying curious longer can build stronger teams, relationships, and results

If you want to become a better leader, communicator, and coach to the people around you, this conversation is packed with practical insights you can start using immediately. Tune in and see how a few simple shifts in how you ask questions and show up in conversations can completely transform the impact you have on the people you lead.

Resources Mentioned:

Order your copy of Give to Grow

Get the Supplemental materials for Give to Grow

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The Coaching Habit (revised edition) on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0j43EVpR

Learn how to show up fully present and human: MBS.works/best

Head to TheCoachingHabit.com for free book downloads and bonus materials