Breakout Spotlight: Stop Fixing Everything - The Coach Approach for Women Leaders
By Honor Jensen
Leaders who default to fixing every problem burn out faster and unintentionally limit their team's growth. The coach approach replaces the "Hero" reflex with a "Guide" mindset through three practical shifts in Mindset, Focus, and Words.
Let me show you what I mean with a story.
Angela is good at her job. Really good. When problems surface, she solves them. When her team gets stuck, she steps in. She is the first in and the last out, and she carries the weight of the whole operation on her shoulders.
She also hasn't slept well in months.
Why Do Women Leaders Fall Into the Fixer Trap?
Being the fixer worked. Angela was promoted because she solved problems faster than anyone else. The behaviors that built her career are now derailing her leadership. That's the fixer trap. It feels like competence, but over time it’s actually a ceiling that limits your growth.
What Does Over-Functioning Actually Cost You?
When a leader consistently steps in to solve, three things happen. Your team stops bringing their best thinking to the table. You get buried in work that isn't yours to carry. And the cycle feeds itself because the more you fix, the more your team waits on you to solve their problems.
Over-functioning costs energy. It costs trust, team development, and long-term results.
What Does It Mean to Lead Like a Coach Instead of a Hero?
The shift from Hero to Guide is simpler than it sounds. The Hero carries the solution. The Guide asks the question that helps someone else find it. Your job isn't to have all the answers — it's to build a team that does.
This is the coach approach: staying curious rather than rushing to conclusions and believing your team has more capacity than you're currently giving them credit for.
The 3-Part Framework: Mindset, Focus, and Words
Mindset: Let go of the belief that stepping in is the same as showing up. Trusting your team is not abdication—it's leadership.
Focus: Shift your attention from tasks to people. Ask yourself: "Am I solving this problem, or am I developing the person in front of me?"
Words: Replace directives with questions. This is where the coach approach becomes tangible.
Four Coaching Questions That Change Everything
The next time someone comes to you with a problem, try one of these:
What have you already tried?
What options do you see from where you're standing?
What would you do if I weren't available?
What kind of support would actually help you right now?
These questions do something directives never can: they build your team's confidence and capability while freeing you from having to resolve every issue.
Your 7–14 Day Coach Challenge
For the next one to two weeks, catch yourself before you fix. When someone brings you a problem, pause. Choose one question from the list above. Notice what changes—in your team and in yourself.
How Did Angela's Story End
Three weeks into practicing the coach approach, Angela's team started solving problems before they reached her desk. Her meetings got shorter. Her energy came back.
She didn't become less of a leader. She became a better one. Stronger.
If Angela's story sounds familiar, join my breakout session on October 7th at the Women’s Leadership Conference for more ways to embrace the Coach Approach to Leadership.
Meet the Author:
Honor Jensen is an executive coach with over 25 years of HR and strategic leadership experience. As a PCC-certified coach, she helps founders and executives align their mindset, habits, and systems to scale with purpose.Honor partners with leaders to uncover what’s not working and expose blind spots holding them back. Her philosophy is that professional success and personal well-being are not mutually exclusive. She empowers you to take control of your future while finding joy in the present.
Website: https://www.thrivingwithhonor.com/
Register today to join us at the Women’s Leadership Conference on October 7.