In this episode of the KPI Fireside podcast, Cheryl Jekiel, founder of the Lean Leadership Center and author of Letting Go to Lead, shared her profound insights on how leaders can transition from being “superhero” problem solvers to effective coaches. The journey of leadership is often about unlearning the very habits that got you promoted in the first place.

Here are the actionable takeaways from the episode to help you transform your leadership style.

1. Stop Being the Hero and Start Teaching to Fish

Many leaders feel a sense of value when their team relies on them for answers. However, this “hero mentality” creates a bottleneck and stunts your team’s growth. Jekiel emphasizes that true leadership success is measured by how well the team functions when you aren’t there.

  • The Goal: Transition from “directing” to “coaching.”

  • Actionable Tip: Resist the urge to give immediate solutions. Instead, prioritize your time and energy into helping your team solve problems themselves.

“I need them to do this for themselves… you’re going to end up being uncomfortable that they do it differently than you would have done it… getting very comfortable being uncomfortable.” [00:16:24]

2. Master the “Money Skill”: Reflective Listening

We often think leadership is about having the right things to say, but Jekiel argues it’s actually about how well you listen. Two specific skills—asking open-ended questions and reflective listening—are the foundations of a coaching culture.

  • Practice Drills:

    • Open-ended Questions: Instead of “Is this done?” try “What challenges are you seeing with this project?”

    • Reflective Listening: Summarize what you heard before responding to ensure the other person feels understood.

 “I call it the money skill. Being able to have a person feel like I’ve understood you… that’s the power of those two very basic skills.” [00:34:29]

3. Manage Your Emotions to Avoid “Side-ways” Impacts

Leadership is stressful, and that stress often leaks out in ways we don’t realize. Jekiel shares a humbling story about how her tone of voice led a teammate to believe she was angry with them personally, when she was actually just frustrated with a topic.

  • Self-Awareness: If we don’t manage our emotions, they manage us.

  • The Check: Before interacting with your team, pause to identify if you are carrying stress or judgments that might be felt through your mannerisms or tone.

“A lot of leaders are stressed or under pressure and it comes out in our emotions and we don’t realize we’re impacting others… if we don’t manage them, they manage us.” [00:26:05]

4. Treat Employee Ideas Like “Precious Commodities”

Continuous improvement lives or dies by how a leader handles a “bad” idea. Shutting someone down once can silence them forever. Jekiel suggests that even if an idea isn’t workable, the fact that the employee shared it is valuable.

  • How to Handle Ideas:

    • Stay Curious: Ask, “What led you to that suggestion?”

    • Make it Visible: Write ideas down on a whiteboard or card so they don’t “walk out of your brain.”

“The most precious thing in the workplace are those ideas… you take care of it until it’s been carried to its eventual home.” [00:32:24]

Your Next Step

The most effective way to grow is to invite your team into your development process. Jekiel notes that when a leader earnestly asks for help to improve, teams are almost always willing to support them.

  • The Action: Schedule a 15-minute meeting with a team member this week. Pick one specific habit you want to work on (like listening better or being clearer with goals) and ask for their honest feedback.

  • The Rule: Listen, do not defend, and do not explain. Just take it in.

“If you are inviting a team into your growth and asking for their help most of the time, they will just bend over backwards to help… especially if you ask them what you’re doing wrong.” [00:23:05]

Watch the full episode here: