What Makes Coaching Work – Lessons from 15 Years of Leadership Practice

By Argo Teetlaus

 

Introduction — Coaching Still Matters!

I’ve spent a good part of my career working with leaders who are smart, capable, and genuinely committed.
People everyone expects to deliver clarity fast.

And yet, I still remember one leader who opened our first session with a quiet admission:

“I’m expected to have the answers… but I’m still trying to understand the questions.”

That moment reminded me why coaching works.
Not because the coach knows more.
But because every leader needs a space where they can think — not perform.

Coaching creates progress when three things start working together:
trust, reflection, and accountability.

Simple in theory.
Much harder in real life.

 

1 | Trust — The Foundation for Any Real Change

Every meaningful coaching process begins with trust.
Not the corporate “trust” we put on walls — the real kind, where a leader feels safe enough to be honest about what’s actually going on.

Trust grows when:

• the purpose is clear,

• expectations are transparent,

• and the leader doesn’t need to pretend.

Breakthroughs often come from something small — a moment of clarity, a minor shift, one early win.
Just enough for a leader to think:
“All right… I can move forward from here.”

That’s what trust really does.
It doesn’t make things easy — it makes growth possible.

 

2 | Reflection — The Habit That Shapes How Leaders Show Up

Speed is the default in most organizations today.
But speed without reflection only creates… more speed.

When leaders pause for even 10 minutes to ask themselves:

• What actually happened?

• Why did it happen this way?

• What part of this is mine?

… something surprisingly simple happens:
They see patterns instead of isolated events.

The most impactful leaders I’ve worked with aren’t the ones with the most technical knowledge.
They’re the ones who turn thinking into a habit.
They don’t wait for a crisis. They don’t wait for conflict.
They create space to reflect even when things seem fine.

And sometimes one good question is enough to reset an entire week.

 

3 | Accountability — Where Insight Turns Into Movement

This is where coaching becomes real.

Because insight is easy.
Everyone has insights.
Change happens when a leader says:

“Yes — I will do this. Every week. Myself.”

Accountability is not control.
It’s rhythm.

Many leaders start with something very simple:

• one better conversation,

• one clearer handover,

• one honest piece of feedback.

When they start tracking these moments, the shift becomes visible.
Often within 30 days.

Still, not every story goes this way.
Some leaders fall back into old habits.
And that’s fine — it’s exactly why rhythm matters more than motivation.

 

4 | Patterns That Predict Whether Coaching Works

After hundreds of sessions across different industries and cultures, four patterns show up again and again.

1. Clarity before speed

Teams move faster when leaders first align on purpose.

2. Behaviour follows mindset

No technique works without a shift in thinking.

3. Feedback as fuel, not judgment

Leaders who treat feedback as input — not threat — grow quickly.

4. Leaders become multipliers

A coached leader often starts coaching others.
The culture becomes calmer, clearer, more collaborative.

These patterns hold in Nordic tech firms, Baltic manufacturing, and everything in between.
Human behaviour doesn’t change with geography.

 

5 | Measuring Impact — What Actually Changes

Coaching shifts three layers of leadership:

1. Behaviour

Better listening.
Clearer delegation.
More grounded decisions.

2. Relationships

More trust.
Less friction.
More honest dialogue.

3. Business outcomes

Sharper focus.
Faster decisions.
Stronger client impact.

Organizations that measure coaching see results within 60–90 days.
Not miracles — but meaningful movement.

 

6 | From Insight to Impact — Coaching as Part of the Leadership Cycle

Coaching is not an intervention.
It’s part of the leadership process.

For new leaders, it accelerates integration.
For experienced leaders, it restores clarity.
For organizations, it’s a cultural choice.

When coaching becomes a natural continuation of hiring and onboarding, one thing becomes clear:

Leaders don’t need perfection — they need space to think and space to grow.

That’s why partnerships bridging selection, integration, and development make sense.
And that’s why our collaboration with Arista Executive Search works — it connects the beginning of a leadership journey with what actually sustains it.

 

Conclusion — Coaching as a Leadership Practice

Coaching isn’t a luxury or a trend.
It’s a practical way for leaders to stay grounded in a world that moves faster every year.

It works when:

• trust is real,

• reflection becomes a habit,

• and accountability is honest, not cosmetic.

We don’t always get it right — but we learn.
And that learning is what builds stronger leaders in the long run.

 

Next Steps — If You Want to Explore This Further

If you’re interested in how coaching can support clarity, momentum, or a smoother leadership transition, you’re welcome to explore the way I work or reach out for a conversation.

👉 Learn more about my approach to leadership coaching

👉 Explore how the Pivotly × Arista partnership strengthens leadership transitions