Coaching the Coach: Helping leaders coach their own teams
Many leaders want to coach their people but aren’t sure how to start, or they fall back on giving answers because it feels faster. In this Community Conversation, we’ll explore what it takes to help leaders shift from directing to coaching: asking better questions, offering feedback that lands, and building the confidence to have developmental conversations with their own teams.
Bring a real leadership or coaching situation you’re wrestling with or a fun story of a similar nature. You don’t need coaching credentials, just curiosity, a willingness to share, and a desire to find a like-minded community.
Discussion Facilitator
Cherisa Zafft is the founder of CoreShift Development and a Learning Coach at InStride. With 25+ years of experience in leadership and organizational development, she designs and facilitates programs that strengthen how leaders communicate, build trust, and navigate change. She is also the 2026 President of TODN.
Cherisa especially enjoys working with leaders who are learning to coach, and she believes good coaching is learned through practice, not theory alone. Her approach leads with clear, direct feedback, then concrete models, then reflective questions. Expect a little humor, practical tools, and room to experiment.
Why Join the Conversation
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Conversation, not presentations. These sessions are centered on dialogue and shared inquiry rather than slides, panels, or prepared talks
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Inclusive and accessible. Open to members and nonmembers alike; no specific role, title, or OD background required.
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Curiosity over certainty. Participants are encouraged to ask thoughtful questions, explore multiple perspectives, and sit with complexity.
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Lived experience welcomed. Insights come from the room—your stories, reflections, and real-world practice are the curriculum.
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A non-promotional space. We prioritize inquiry and shared sense-making over agenda-driven promotion.
About Community Conversations
Community Conversations are free, open gatherings focused on inquiry, dialogue, and shared learning around organizational development. Open to members and nonmembers alike, we prioritize inquiry and shared sense-making over agenda-driven promotion.
For questions about this event, please reach out to Cherisa Zafft at cherisa@coreshiftdevelopment.com
