Coaching conversations often take on a different quality during holiday periods. With people on holiday and diaries less crowded, discussions tend to be more reflective, more open, and less rushed. When the pressure eases, the thinking deepens.
Yet while it’s natural for leaders to make time for coaching when the pace slows, it’s during the busiest and most demanding periods that coaching can deliver the greatest value. Under pressure to make fast decisions, many executives instinctively deprioritise coaching – seeing it as a luxury rather than a necessity. But this is often when an external perspective is most valuable.
Leaders are conditioned to be self-reliant, to trust their instincts and their experience. In a crisis, that instinct can narrow perspective and reinforce what’s familiar. It’s what some call the experience blindfold: the tendency to fall back on tried-and-tested responses and miss the chance to step back, reflect, and see a different path.
In challenging moments, reflection isn’t a distraction – it’s a discipline. The ability to pause, to question assumptions, and to explore alternative viewpoints can change the quality of the decisions that follow.
Many leaders, especially those new to a role, hesitate to seek coaching support when it’s needed most. Impostor feelings or fears of appearing uncertain can make reaching out feel like an admission of weakness. In reality, it signals strength. Leaders who are open about their doubts and deliberate in their learning make better choices, build more trust, and grow faster.
Those who understand this make coaching a constant, not a convenience. They use it to test ideas, sharpen decisions, and stay anchored when the pressure mounts – knowing that a short, focused conversation can have outsized impact both in the moment and over time.
Coaching isn’t only for calm waters or quieter seasons. It’s for the moments when clarity is hardest to find and the stakes are highest. The leaders who keep that space open – whatever the time of year, whatever the demands of the diary – give themselves the best chance of staying balanced, clear-headed, and effective when it matters most.