Why Leaders Need Coaching (Hint: It’s Not Because You’re Broken, It’s Because Work is Ridiculous)

Let’s be real: leadership is a lot like playing chess in the middle of a tornado. You’ve got strategies, sure, but half the time, you’re just trying not to get hit by flying debris.

That’s where coaching comes in.

And no, not because you’re doing it wrong. (You might be, but let’s assume you’re great.) Coaching isn’t about fixing you. It’s about helping you level up in a world that keeps getting more complex and unpredictable.

The Secret to Thriving in Chaos: Vertical Development

Most leadership development is like adding more apps to your phone. Useful, but at some point, you need a full operating system upgrade.

This is what Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey call vertical development. Instead of just learning new skills (horizontal growth), leaders need to change the way they think—so they can actually handle bigger, messier, more ambiguous challenges.

Here’s what that looks like:

🔹 Socialized Mind – “I need to check with my boss before making this decision.”

🔹 Self-Authoring Mind – “I know my priorities, and I’m making the call.”

🔹 Self-Transforming Mind – “I’m questioning all assumptions, including my own, and embracing multiple perspectives.”

(Guess which one survives best in a leadership role? Yep, the last one.)

Jennifer Garvey Berger puts it bluntly: "If you’re operating at the same level of complexity as your challenges, you’re going to lose." Coaching helps leaders expand their capacity to think in bigger, better ways—so they don’t just react to complexity, they thrive in it.

What Coaching Actually Does for Leaders

👉 Helps you see your own blind spots. It’s like getting a mirror that actually tells the truth instead of flattering you.

👉 Challenges the thinking that’s holding you back. Because sometimes, the problem isn’t the people around you—it’s how you’re seeing the situation.

👉 Gives you the mental agility to lead in complexity. Because the playbook isn’t coming to save you.

At Mentris Consulting, we coach leaders to upgrade their thinking so they can handle real-world challenges without losing their minds.

If you’re ready to stop feeling like you’re playing corporate whack-a-mole, let’s talk.