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What qualities make someone a strong coach, including when it’s an informal role ?
What qualities make someone a strong coach, including when it’s an informal role?
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18 answers
Paul Goetzinger MPA
Academic and Career Advisor | Freelance Writer | TRIO Program Director
1094
Answers
Tacoma, Washington
Updated
Paul’s Answer
I have always emphasized the Wooden Pyramid of Success, when it comes to mentoring and coaching individuals around me.
I truly believe that a good coach helps their mentee's realize their full potential by teaching them to be their best selves through specific instruction, demonstration, and repetition, not just by focusing on winning at all costs or controlling others.
I have always felt that managers are doing a disservice to their organization, society, and most of all, themselves, by attempting to control everything and holding others around them back. If they hold others back then success will be limited and the person, who they are coaching, will only utilize a small percentage of their natural talents and skills.
I also feel that other qualities include the ability to provide constructive correction without causing resentment, building trust, cultivating self-discipline in their organization, and demonstrating integrity.
I believe that a strong coach is one who is able to encourage overcoming adversity. I know that many of us might fear adversity, or feel that is a setback or a failure. But, the fact is that failure is only temporary, and adversity is one of the best methods, that I know, that teaches valuable lessons, and enables us to become a stronger and more talented employee. A good coach helps their subordinates view failure as a required part of growth, rather than something to be feared.
Leading by example, is also an important element. A coach, or supervisors, actions and character serve as the primary teaching tool for their organization. I have known individuals, who have had questionable ethics, and ultimately been terrible examples for employees and subordinates. Organizations will be challenged to survive, if good examples are not set by those in charge of maintaining them. A coach without character or integrity has no place in an organization. If these characteristics do not exist, it will ultimately collapse and fail.
I truly believe that a good coach helps their mentee's realize their full potential by teaching them to be their best selves through specific instruction, demonstration, and repetition, not just by focusing on winning at all costs or controlling others.
I have always felt that managers are doing a disservice to their organization, society, and most of all, themselves, by attempting to control everything and holding others around them back. If they hold others back then success will be limited and the person, who they are coaching, will only utilize a small percentage of their natural talents and skills.
I also feel that other qualities include the ability to provide constructive correction without causing resentment, building trust, cultivating self-discipline in their organization, and demonstrating integrity.
I believe that a strong coach is one who is able to encourage overcoming adversity. I know that many of us might fear adversity, or feel that is a setback or a failure. But, the fact is that failure is only temporary, and adversity is one of the best methods, that I know, that teaches valuable lessons, and enables us to become a stronger and more talented employee. A good coach helps their subordinates view failure as a required part of growth, rather than something to be feared.
Leading by example, is also an important element. A coach, or supervisors, actions and character serve as the primary teaching tool for their organization. I have known individuals, who have had questionable ethics, and ultimately been terrible examples for employees and subordinates. Organizations will be challenged to survive, if good examples are not set by those in charge of maintaining them. A coach without character or integrity has no place in an organization. If these characteristics do not exist, it will ultimately collapse and fail.
RikSan Stephens
Human Resources Senior Manager
1
Answer
Hempstead, New York
Updated
RikSan’s Answer
Being a good coach starts with empathy and a genuine willingness to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. That foundation is reinforced by strong listening skills—listening not just to respond, but to truly understand what the person needs in that moment. Sometimes they are looking for specific advice; other times they may need encouragement, perspective, or simply a safe space to think through an issue aloud.
Effective coaching also requires self‑awareness and the ability to thoughtfully reflect on your own experiences. Drawing on past lessons allows you to share relevant insights and offer practical guidance without imposing solutions. In both formal and informal coaching situations, it’s important to balance this by staying focused on the other person’s goals and context.
Finally, being a strong coach means consistently demonstrating care and building trust over time. By creating an environment of familiarity, psychological safety, and respect, you make it easier for people to seek you out, be open about challenges, and engage honestly. That sense of safety is what ultimately makes coaching—especially informal coaching—meaningful and effective.
Effective coaching also requires self‑awareness and the ability to thoughtfully reflect on your own experiences. Drawing on past lessons allows you to share relevant insights and offer practical guidance without imposing solutions. In both formal and informal coaching situations, it’s important to balance this by staying focused on the other person’s goals and context.
Finally, being a strong coach means consistently demonstrating care and building trust over time. By creating an environment of familiarity, psychological safety, and respect, you make it easier for people to seek you out, be open about challenges, and engage honestly. That sense of safety is what ultimately makes coaching—especially informal coaching—meaningful and effective.
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
- The first and most important part of being a strong coach is building a personal connection with the coachee. It’s so important to learn and be curious about who the individual is as well as share who you are - this is what helps you earn the trust and permission to provide advice. It’s also important to listen to understand, not simply listen to respond - make the person feel heard. The last thing I’d highlight is consistency. For a coaching relationship to work it has to be regular - establish a monthly or quarterly time to connect so both parties are accountable and you can monitor growth over time.
- A good coach should be empathetic, trustworthy and able to put themselves in their coachee’s shoes. They should give candid feedback with specific examples of areas of success and future focus areas. Coaches should provide learning opportunities for their coachees to develop their skills.
- Listen and provide real opportunity to let the coachee demonstrate skills.
- A good coach should be empathetic, trustworthy and able to put themselves in their coachee’s shoes. They should give candid feedback with specific examples of areas of success and future focus areas. Coaches should provide learning opportunities for their coachees to develop their skills.
- Listen and provide real opportunity to let the coachee demonstrate skills.
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
A strong coach combines empathy, clarity, and trust. They listen first, ask thoughtful questions, and tailor guidance to the individual rather than offering one-size-fits-all advice. Even informally, effective coaches create psychological safety, give honest and actionable feedback, and model the behaviors they encourage. They don’t aim to control outcomes, but to help others think more clearly, build confidence, and grow their own problem-solving skills over time.
A strong coach communicates with transparency and empathy, validates understanding and adapts style to the coachee.
Accessibility, a good listener, and a great teacher.
Always be present when anyone needs you, have a strong communication skills, be patience. Recognizing that growth takes time; allowing others to develop at their own pace without rushing or pushing too hard.
Always eager to help and listen's to concerns.
Being a strong coach is not only someone who has a good understanding of the task that they are coaching on, but also one, that can adapt their communication or coaching style based on the person that they are coaching. That includes learning when someone is a visual learner and finding a way to show them and not just tell them what to do.
A strong coach communicates with transparency and empathy, validates understanding and adapts style to the coachee.
Accessibility, a good listener, and a great teacher.
Always be present when anyone needs you, have a strong communication skills, be patience. Recognizing that growth takes time; allowing others to develop at their own pace without rushing or pushing too hard.
Always eager to help and listen's to concerns.
Being a strong coach is not only someone who has a good understanding of the task that they are coaching on, but also one, that can adapt their communication or coaching style based on the person that they are coaching. That includes learning when someone is a visual learner and finding a way to show them and not just tell them what to do.
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
Being a successful coach, means you have empathy for others. Being approachable and helping others see their own strengths and assets is part of build up both an individual and a team as a whole. Showing your team that everyone has individual strength and providing them a platform to share and use their strengths collectively has made my team the success it is.
Caring about the individual you are coaching. Without care it is just telling someone to do work. But with genuine care (which the apprentice can tell if it is not genuine) there is more participation on each side and instead of just talking to someone it can become a productive discussion.
Communication/being approachable
Curiosity, empathy, care, and being a good and thoughtful listener.
Empathy, Sincerity, Understanding, Story telling, and Communication expertise
Engaging with the human produces better results than 'having the right answer'. Listen, understand where people are, why they have the concerns that they have. If you don't know, talk about how you can learn together.
Great coaches start with listening and asking good questions. A strong coach's job is to help a coachee uncover their own goals and determine themselves how to achieve them.
Caring about the individual you are coaching. Without care it is just telling someone to do work. But with genuine care (which the apprentice can tell if it is not genuine) there is more participation on each side and instead of just talking to someone it can become a productive discussion.
Communication/being approachable
Curiosity, empathy, care, and being a good and thoughtful listener.
Empathy, Sincerity, Understanding, Story telling, and Communication expertise
Engaging with the human produces better results than 'having the right answer'. Listen, understand where people are, why they have the concerns that they have. If you don't know, talk about how you can learn together.
Great coaches start with listening and asking good questions. A strong coach's job is to help a coachee uncover their own goals and determine themselves how to achieve them.
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
Personable - be open for others to ask questions and always open for them to ask any type of question
Knowledgeable - always keeping yourself educated so you can answer questions and help coach others. Always looking for new way to stay ahead of the curve and be able to answer questions and coach others.
Show interest, care, be patient, give. I consider coaching mandatory. I meet experienced SAs or Associates that do not know even how to write a slide; that means no one showed them. It is their managers that haven't done their job.
Someone that can help influence or provide information that would be of value for the team - communication.
Someone who has experience and is well respected. I am always amazed how bright the PwC workforce is. What seems to be lacking is developing "soft" skills. One piece of advise I give is to encourage folks to speak up in every meeting. Speaking up might mean commenting on the topic, coming up with a suggestion or even just asking for clarification on the topic. Speaking up shows that your engaged. As a leader, you want to encourage that.
Knowledgeable - always keeping yourself educated so you can answer questions and help coach others. Always looking for new way to stay ahead of the curve and be able to answer questions and coach others.
Show interest, care, be patient, give. I consider coaching mandatory. I meet experienced SAs or Associates that do not know even how to write a slide; that means no one showed them. It is their managers that haven't done their job.
Someone that can help influence or provide information that would be of value for the team - communication.
Someone who has experience and is well respected. I am always amazed how bright the PwC workforce is. What seems to be lacking is developing "soft" skills. One piece of advise I give is to encourage folks to speak up in every meeting. Speaking up might mean commenting on the topic, coming up with a suggestion or even just asking for clarification on the topic. Speaking up shows that your engaged. As a leader, you want to encourage that.
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
I think the key to being a strong coach is to show that you do not know everything. To ask questions. To show that you also do not know all the answers and that the coach can learn something from the coachees.
In my experience, I've found a strong coach is someone who, above all else, demonstrates empathy. They can be your 'safe space' where you can discuss topics that show your vulnerability, which in turn, allows you to be your authentic self.
It is an innate desire to help others grow and an ability/capability to teach. In management consulting, this is not something I have seen often, perhaps because of the lack of time and the competitive nature of the job.
Listening and asking the right questions.
Listening, validating and having the skill to have the person walk though idea by asking questions.
Patience is an important quality. Having the patience to allow the other individual to process and think through the task and allow them to discuss their thoughts provides them with more opportunities for critical thinking and problem solving, even if it requires more time and effort on your part as the coach. Being compassionate to any struggles they may have will also hopefully instill confidence in their abilities to learn and develop and show that growth without feeling like they can't come with an idea or perspective if it could be wrong.
In my experience, I've found a strong coach is someone who, above all else, demonstrates empathy. They can be your 'safe space' where you can discuss topics that show your vulnerability, which in turn, allows you to be your authentic self.
It is an innate desire to help others grow and an ability/capability to teach. In management consulting, this is not something I have seen often, perhaps because of the lack of time and the competitive nature of the job.
Listening and asking the right questions.
Listening, validating and having the skill to have the person walk though idea by asking questions.
Patience is an important quality. Having the patience to allow the other individual to process and think through the task and allow them to discuss their thoughts provides them with more opportunities for critical thinking and problem solving, even if it requires more time and effort on your part as the coach. Being compassionate to any struggles they may have will also hopefully instill confidence in their abilities to learn and develop and show that growth without feeling like they can't come with an idea or perspective if it could be wrong.
Michael Gigliotti
Manager
5
Answers
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Updated
Michael’s Answer
A strong coach is a servant leader. Be willing to lead by example and do the dirty work you expect from your team. This creates buy-in. Buy-in unlocks a coach's ability to teach a team member due to the earned respect. Being open, caring, a great listener are all qualities that a servant leader and great coach exemplify.
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
- Being fully invested in the person you are coaching I’m taking a beyond any self interest. You may have to really be looking at it from what would be good for them in their long-term career in life trading as a safe environment for the individual can be vulnerable with you you can also provide upward coaching as you learn how to best provide them with actionable and usable, advice, or to come up collaborative with future solutions. Or strategies
- To be an effective coach and mentor, it is essential to listen first and understand the individual you are working with. Empathy is key; placing yourself in their shoes helps you adopt the right mindset for coaching. Building trust through investing in the relationship is crucial for success.
- A strong coach never advices directly but raises great questions to guide.
- To be an effective coach and mentor, it is essential to listen first and understand the individual you are working with. Empathy is key; placing yourself in their shoes helps you adopt the right mindset for coaching. Building trust through investing in the relationship is crucial for success.
- A strong coach never advices directly but raises great questions to guide.
Jessica Lanham
Training/Instructional Design
13
Answers
Tampa, Florida
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
A strong coach—formal or informal—shows empathy, listens actively, and builds trust by being approachable and consistent. They ask thoughtful questions that guide reflection rather than giving direct answers, helping others grow through their own insights. Great coaches also observe carefully, give timely and constructive feedback, and celebrate progress, not just outcomes. Even in informal roles, their influence comes from modeling curiosity, patience, and belief in others’ potential.
Katie O'Flaherty
Senior Recruiter
30
Answers
Simsbury, Connecticut
Updated
Katie’s Answer
Being a good coach involves several important qualities and a strong commitment to those you're guiding. It's essential that you be encouraging, honest, transparent, and empathetic. Coaches and teachers have a huge impact on those they're mentoring. It's a rewarding career path!
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
- Makes time for real-time, specific feedback and creates a safe space where team members feel comfortable asking questions. They lead by example, show genuine interest in others’ growth, and use everyday moments to empower rather than just direct.
- Listen first. Maybe give advice next. Not all situations a coachee presents require your solution. Your coachee might just need your ear and a few thoughtful solutions to find their own best answer.
- Being willing to provide a real life perspective backed by a real example
- Listen first. Maybe give advice next. Not all situations a coachee presents require your solution. Your coachee might just need your ear and a few thoughtful solutions to find their own best answer.
- Being willing to provide a real life perspective backed by a real example
Anilkumar Hanchinal
Learning and Development
89
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Anilkumar’s Answer
To be a great coach, you need three important things: enough time and skill to help the person, genuine care and empathy for them, and experience or trust that they value. If you have all these, you can offer coaching that truly makes a difference and might even change someone's life.
Tian Drechsel
Finance and Strategy
7
Answers
Tampa, Florida
Updated
Tian’s Answer
Strong coaches listen first, genuinely care about your growth, and give honest, encouraging feedback.
Even in informal roles, showing up consistently and taking a genuine interest in someone’s development are what build trust. Trust is fundamental in any good coaching relationship. Without it, coaching is just advice; though with it, coaching actually works.
Even in informal roles, showing up consistently and taking a genuine interest in someone’s development are what build trust. Trust is fundamental in any good coaching relationship. Without it, coaching is just advice; though with it, coaching actually works.
Jason Bomberger, CISA, PCC, ELI-MP, NBC-HWC
Leadership Coach
3
Answers
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Jason’s Answer
To provide effective coaching, you need three key things: time and ability to support the person, real care and empathy for them, and experience or credibility that matters to them. If any of these are missing, it can affect the quality of the coaching. When all these elements work together, it can create a meaningful and potentially life-changing coaching experience.
Shannon Zulauf
Risk & Independence
66
Answers
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Updated
Shannon’s Answer
Hi! I think the definition of a strong coach can really vary depending on what the coachee is looking for. Are they seeking advice, guidance, or more of an ongoing coach or mentor relationship? A strong coach should take the time to understand and align on that type of support before diving in.
It’s also important to note that these needs can change over time, and an effective coaching relationship allows space for that evolution.
It’s also important to note that these needs can change over time, and an effective coaching relationship allows space for that evolution.
Pam Barkley
Human Capital
2
Answers
Leesburg, Virginia
Updated
Pam’s Answer
The best coaches help people grow while making them feel supported, not judged. Active listening is a core quality. It is important that you are truly hearing their concerns. Make sure to ask thoughtful questions and do not think you can fix everything. It is also important to show empathy. In addition to empathy, you need to show you are trustworthy by keeping things confidential. A quality I love from an informal coach is when they follow up with me to see how things are going vs me reaching out. It shows they are thinking of me and care about me as an individual.
PwC Impact
884
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
PwC’s Answer
Someone who takes separate individual time to address concerns, and also gets out in front of issues to help them know what to expect.
Strong coaches have both wealths of experience and clear understandings of the fundamentals of their practice. In any field, a robust comprehension of what it is you do and why you do it paired with practical examples and historical evidence allow a coach to confidently direct those who require the coaching of that area.
The qualities that make a strong coach is someone who can lead their team without making their team fear them. Be someone who can fully support people who are new to their role as well as someone who can lead ideas for their team. They are not afraid to give feedback even if it is negative, but they do not cross the line on how they deliver the news. A coach will understand that a team will be working together from day one and any mistakes need to be fixed together not blamed one one person.
The willingness to listen without judgement and help others along with best practices.
Their ability to provide the opportunity for open questions and the ability to provide a place where those being coached feel safe to ask questions.
They solicit feedback and give in the moment coaching after a meeting or deliverable, for example.
To be an active listener with empathy, learning mindset, have patience and need to be adaptable. Also need to be clear and simple so that one can understand.
Strong coaches have both wealths of experience and clear understandings of the fundamentals of their practice. In any field, a robust comprehension of what it is you do and why you do it paired with practical examples and historical evidence allow a coach to confidently direct those who require the coaching of that area.
The qualities that make a strong coach is someone who can lead their team without making their team fear them. Be someone who can fully support people who are new to their role as well as someone who can lead ideas for their team. They are not afraid to give feedback even if it is negative, but they do not cross the line on how they deliver the news. A coach will understand that a team will be working together from day one and any mistakes need to be fixed together not blamed one one person.
The willingness to listen without judgement and help others along with best practices.
Their ability to provide the opportunity for open questions and the ability to provide a place where those being coached feel safe to ask questions.
They solicit feedback and give in the moment coaching after a meeting or deliverable, for example.
To be an active listener with empathy, learning mindset, have patience and need to be adaptable. Also need to be clear and simple so that one can understand.