The Power of Coaching: Why Great Leadership Starts with Trust
Leadership isn’t about knowing all the answers—it’s about creating the space for others to find them.
This was at the heart of my conversation with Iona Ledwidge, CEO of Resurgo, on The extra-Ordinary Leader podcast. Iona has spent years coaching young people and leaders, helping them unlock their potential. And if there’s one thing she knows, it’s this: extra-Ordinary leadership is built on trust, consistency, and coaching—not on grand gestures or heroics.
Iona said, “Fidelity is boring, but the fruit of fidelity is beautiful.” In other words, true leadership isn’t about flashy success—it’s about showing up, day in and day out, and trusting that growth happens over time.
Why Coaching is a Leadership Superpower
Coaching isn’t just a tool—it’s a mindset. The best leaders don’t micromanage or dictate; they ask great questions, listen deeply, and trust their people to grow.
Iona put it simply: “At the foundation of coaching is trust. If I enter a conversation expecting the best in someone, I shape the dynamic—and that changes everything.”
True leadership is built on:
Trust – Expecting the best from people and creating an environment where they can thrive.
Consistency – Showing up in the small moments, not just during big decisions.
Listening – Giving people space to reflect, grow, and come to their own conclusions.
Iona shared how coaching transforms leadership. When you go into a conversation expecting the best from someone, you shift the energy—and that belief alone can unlock extra-Ordinary potential.
The Power of Showing Up
Leadership isn’t built in one big moment—it’s built over a thousand small ones.
Iona and I talked about how the best leaders aren’t the ones who make dramatic, sweeping changes. They’re the ones who show up on the Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons, leading with quiet consistency. The ones who listen, who notice, who hold space for their teams to succeed.
Iona put it best: “You don’t have to be exceptional. It’s about showing up, it’s about being consistent.”
The leaders who thrive aren’t the ones who try to do it all themselves. They’re the ones who invest in others, trusting them to grow into their potential.
Rewilding Leadership: Letting Growth Happen Naturally
At the end of our conversation, Iona shared a fascinating idea about rewilding leadership. She talked about a documentary where a team restored a landscape by removing control, rather than imposing more of it. They let nature take its course—and in doing so, they allowed real growth to happen.
Leadership is the same. If we over-control, micromanage, or refuse to trust, we stunt growth. But if we create the right conditions—trust, coaching, consistency—people will flourish.
Iona reflected on this beautifully: “If I just put in my little bit, that’s enough. Because it’s not really about me—it’s about us.”
How to Lead Like a Coach
If you want to shift from managing tasks to unlocking potential, here are three simple coaching principles to bring into your leadership:
Ask More, Tell Less
Great leaders don’t jump in with solutions. Next time you’re in a conversation, resist the urge to fix things immediately. Instead, ask: “What do you think?” or “What’s the real challenge here?”
Listen for What’s Not Being Said
Coaching isn’t just about hearing words—it’s about sensing what’s underneath them. As Iona said, “The power of being listened to is really significant. We don’t always need fancy interventions—just being heard can be transformational.”
Trust Before You See Results
If you wait for people to “prove” themselves before you trust them, you’ll never see them at their best. Iona shared a powerful insight: “Sometimes, if someone’s underperforming, you need to expect more from them—call more out of them—and see what extra-Ordinary things could be unlocked.”
A Call to Lead Differently
Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating the conditions where others can thrive.
So the real question isn’t, “How can I be a stronger leader?”—it’s “How can I help others step into their potential?”
At The extra-Ordinary Leader, we believe leadership is about leading deeper, not striving harder.
And it all starts with trust.
[00:00:00] – Introduction to the episode and guest, Iona Ledwidge
[00:01:59] – Overview of Iona’s background and her journey at Resurgo
[00:02:22] – Defining extra-Ordinary leadership and why investing in others matters
[00:05:08] – Leadership is built on consistency, not grand gestures
[00:06:34] – The power of showing up
[00:10:22] – How coaching and deep listening create lasting change
[00:11:30] – Iona’s approach to gathering honest feedback from her team
[00:13:55] – What coaching really is and why trust is at its core
[00:16:41] – The “giant phenomenon” of leadership—why small actions have big impact
[00:18:25] – How dominance hierarchies prevent honest feedback and what to do instead
[00:22:33] – The balance of high support and high challenge in leadership
[00:23:17] – Learning to be okay with not always being liked as a leader
[00:27:24] – Practical steps for leaders to build a culture of open feedback
[00:30:23] – Catching people doing things well
[00:33:06] – Iona’s experience with imposter syndrome and how she overcame it
[00:36:52] – Why mentoring and investing in others helps overcome self-doubt
[00:40:23] – The power of giving back and how it benefits both the giver and receiver
[00:41:10] – Iona’s household item that represents extra-Ordinary leadership: a plant
[00:43:14] – The leadership lessons we can learn from nature and rewilding
[00:46:41] – Closing thoughts on coaching, trust, and leadership
