Why Your Team Won’t Grow Until You Do
I’ve always said there’s a thin line between executive coaching and team building. To build the team, you first need the foundation of a leader who’s ready to change and wants to see that team develop.
I once worked with an owner who believed a weekend retreat would improve his company's culture. He booked the hotel, brought in a facilitator, and spent two days on trust falls and vision boards. Everyone came back energized—at least for a week. But by month’s end, nothing had really changed. Deadlines slipped. People hesitated to act without his approval. The same frustrations came right back.
The problem wasn’t the team. They were capable. The problem was the owner. He hadn’t dealt with his reluctance to delegate or his habit of stepping in every time something went sideways. The retreat treated the symptoms, not the root cause.
That’s the thin line. Coaching sharpens the leader. Team building strengthens the culture. But unless the leader grows first, the team can’t.
Coaching vs. Team Building: It’s Not Either/Or
Here’s how I see it:
Coaching is about leadership growth.
Team building is about cultural growth.
And you can’t separate them. Coaching forces you to face your blind spots, loosen your grip on control, and actually empower others. Team building strengthens the culture—giving people clarity, confidence, and accountability.
But if the leader refuses to grow, team building falls flat. And without a healthy team, the leader stays stuck in the weeds. They’re two sides of the same coin—and if you want a business that runs without depending on you, you need both.
Why the Team Can’t Outgrow the Leader
I’ve never seen a team rise higher than its leader’s ceiling.
When the owner clings to every decision, the team stops stretching. They wait for permission. They second-guess themselves. Eventually, they just stop trying.
That’s why leadership development has to come first. Coaching isn’t about polishing your “executive presence.” It’s about breaking the habits that quietly hold your business back:
The late-night email checks.
The “I’ll just do it myself” moments.
The need to control every outcome.
Coaching helps you see those blind spots and change them. It builds trust in your team, confidence in delegation, and clarity in your role. And once you grow, your people finally have the room to grow too.
What Happens When the Leader Grows
That shift is evident when it happens. Meetings stop dragging because decisions no longer bottleneck at your desk. Employees bring you solutions instead of problems. People take pride in owning outcomes rather than waiting for marching orders.
But if that shift doesn’t happen, the opposite is true. I’ve seen owners stuck in what I call the “Hub & Spoke” trap—every road leads back to them. Every client issue, every hiring decision, every fire to put out.
Here’s the hard truth: if your business can’t run without you, you don’t own a business—you own a job. And no buyer is lining up to buy your job.
That’s why team growth always starts with leadership growth. When you loosen the grip, your team breathes easier, performance improves, and the business becomes stronger—and more valuable.
How to Know If It’s You (And Not the Team)
So, how do you know if coaching should come before team-building exercises?
Look for the signs:
You still feel like the only one who can do things “right.”
You find yourself checking and re-checking everyone’s work.
You worry more about mistakes than opportunities.
You’ve resisted changes you know are overdue.
If any of those sound familiar, you’re not broken—you’re just human. Most owners start out wearing every hat. But if you keep wearing them, your team will never grow into theirs.
Here’s how to begin shifting the balance:
Start with trust. Trust isn’t blind—it’s built through clarity, accountability, and systems. Give your team clear expectations, then let them own the results.
Commit to coaching. A coach helps you see what’s holding you back, and challenges you to let go of habits that don’t serve your growth.
Build the team on that foundation. Once you’ve shown you’re willing to grow, team-building becomes more than an activity. It becomes a culture.
When leaders go first, the team doesn’t just follow—they multiply their own growth.
Ready to Build a Team that Thrives Without You?
At the end of the day, coaching and team building aren’t separate tracks. They’re two sides of the same coin. One sharpens the leader. The other strengthens the culture. And the bridge between them is you.
If you want a team you can trust, start by becoming the kind of leader they can trust. Grow first, and your people won’t just step up—they’ll thrive. That’s how you build a business that runs on trust, not just your effort.
If you’re ready to see what changes when you grow first, let’s have a talk.
Book a call today and take the first step toward a team—and a business—you can count on.
