A Coach Doesn’t Run the Mile for You — But They Make You a Better Runner
- jahzeel47
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
In my last article, I wrote about running the business mile, the discipline it takes to keep moving when results aren’t immediate.
But every strong athlete (and leader) eventually learns something important:
You don’t get significantly better running alone.
Those who want to improve reach a point where they recognize they need a coach. Not someone to bark instructions. Not someone to step in when things get uncomfortable. But someone who makes them better.
Simon Sinek says leadership is the responsibility of caring for the people in our charge. At its core, coaching is that responsibility. Not control, not dependency, but development.
A great coach doesn’t create reliance. They build capability. They challenge assumptions. They ask questions others avoid. They hold the standard steady when lowering it would be easier. And most importantly, they help people see what they’re capable of before the results show up.
That’s how businesses grow, not through heroic leaders, but through developed ones. A coach doesn’t swoop in when something breaks. They don’t make every decision because it’s faster. They don’t confuse being needed with being effective.
Early in our careers, we’re responsible for the work. As leaders, we become responsible for the people who do the work. That shift requires maturity and restraint. Because sometimes the highest form of leadership is stepping back long enough for someone else to step forward. Yet many organizations treat coaching as something “optional.” A nice-to-have. Something you do when there’s time (which, of course… never happens).
But coaching isn’t a luxury. It’s one of the highest‑leverage activities a leader can invest in.
When people learn to think clearly, solve problems, and operate with consistency, the organization stops relying on a single hero to carry it. Decision‑making improves. Confidence grows. Execution strengthens. That’s not culture fluff, that’s organizational health.
When I started SimplexityPM, it wasn’t to create just another consulting firm. My goal is to help leaders enhance the health of their organizations by giving them a sounding-board. Someone in their corner. Someone helping them learn to run the mile stronger and more strategically.
If you’ve ever run any long distance, you know strategy is everything. Yes, faster might be good. But finishing well; consistently, sustainably, repeatedly, is about discipline, clarity, pacing, and mental toughness. It’s not just physical. It’s mental. It’s strategic. Leadership is the same.
When we engage with our clients, we don’t run the mile for leaders, we help them master how to run it better.
I’ve had incredible coaches throughout my career. Early on, the coaching was technical, mastering methodology and craft. As I grew, coaching shifted toward leadership: how I influence, how I communicate, how I help others grow.
I still remember leading a team huddle while my coach observed quietly from the back. Every expression on his face convinced me I was messing something up. Afterward, he always began with the same dreaded question:
“How do you think that went?”
I used to hate that question. Now, humorously I ask my clients the exact same thing.
Because it works.
It builds awareness.
It builds capability.
It builds better leaders.
As you lead your team or business, pause for a moment and ask yourself: Are you solving every problem, or are you developing people who can solve them? Remember, one creates short-term momentum. The other builds something that lasts.
Run your mile and remember great leaders build runners along the way, and sometimes the right coach is what makes that possible.
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