Looking to Hire a Strong Leader? You’re Not Alone.
Organizations today face a persistent leadership shortage. Strong leaders are hard to find, and most companies lack a succession plan robust enough to keep pace with growth and change.
This isn’t speculation. In a recent study, more than half of CEOs identified attracting and retaining top talent as their number-one concern over the next five years.
Frankly, I didn’t need a study to tell me that.
During my 15 years as a senior leader, leadership capacity was almost always my top priority. There were short windows when my leadership team felt stable—but inevitably, change would hit. A resignation. A promotion. A reorganization. Suddenly, the leadership bench was thin again.
And when leadership capacity is thin, growth stalls.
The Cost of a Leadership Gap
When organizations lack leadership bench strength:
- Hiring slows or stops altogether
- Leaders have no time to develop themselves or their teams
- Succession planning becomes reactive instead of strategic
- Long-term planning gives way to constant firefighting
The result is higher turnover, slower growth, and burned-out leaders.
The Real Solution: Prioritize Coaching
The solution is simple—but difficult to execute.
Organizations must prioritize leadership coaching at every level.
Consistent coaching and leadership development improves retention. Higher retention builds bench strength. And strong bench strength creates stability and growth.
According to the 2025 Global Leadership Forecast¹, high-potential leaders and individual contributors are significantly more likely to leave without intentional, high-quality coaching:
- 3.7× more likely to leave within a year if their manager doesn’t provide regular growth and development opportunities
- 3.1× more likely to leave if they don’t feel they’re progressing at an acceptable pace
- 2.7× more likely to leave if their manager is not an effective coach
By now, you may be thinking:
“I understand the value—but I don’t have time to coach. And neither do my leaders.”
My answer to that is:
You don’t have time to not coach.
When I say coaching is difficult to execute, I don’t mean it’s complex. It’s hard because it requires protecting time in an already overloaded schedule.
I struggled with this too. I wasn’t perfect—but with consistent, practical systems, I improved retention, strengthened my leadership pipeline, and reduced recurring leadership gaps.
Three Practical Ways to Make Leadership Coaching Happen
1. Schedule Coaching a Year in Advance
For every employee I led, I scheduled coaching and development conversations well ahead of time—before calendars filled up.
My process was consistent:
- At the six-month mark in a role, we held a development planning session
- We identified competencies, focus areas, and documented a development plan
- Immediately afterward, I scheduled follow-up development sessions for the next 12 months
Why this works: Leaders often deprioritize their own development. Scheduling early signals commitment and creates accountability.
2. Anchor Coaching to a 3–5 Year Career Plan
For every leader I managed, I understood their three-to-five-year career aspirations. I kept those goals in mind when assigning work, offering feedback, and discussing development—and I repeated them back periodically.
Why this works: Many leaders in the trenches don’t regularly think that far ahead. Time passes quickly, and suddenly they feel behind—or they develop unrealistic expectations about growth. Having the conversation early creates clarity, sets boundaries, and allows you to actively help them progress.
More importantly, showing long-term commitment to their growth sets you up for a lasting relationship, allowing you to become more than a short-term mentor.
3. Coach the Small Moments Daily
Coaching doesn’t need to be a formal event.
Instead of relying solely on scheduled sessions, I focused on
- Quick calls, emails, or messages when I saw something done well—or an opportunity to improve
- A deliberate ratio of roughly two positive moments for every one improvement opportunity
- A simple, consistent feedback model to keep coaching actionable
Why this works: Daily coaching builds confidence, accelerates learning, and keeps development active—even when formal sessions are spaced out.
You may believe your leaders don't need the consistent reinforcement, but trust me, they do!
Summing it Up
Strong leaders aren’t found by chance and often aren't already built, ready for you to hire them. They’re developed through consistent, intentional leadership coaching.
Organizations that commit to this don’t just retain talent—they build a sustainable leadership pipeline. And a strong leadership pipeline is the linchpin to long-term results.