A 1-hour workshop

The Coaching
Lens

A different way to lead

Eric Connelly  ·  March 19, 2026

Eric Connelly

Who I am

Executive coach with 20+ years of experience working with founders, leaders, and managers across the US and Europe.

I help people think more clearly and act more deliberately - especially in moments of ambiguity and pressure.

Based in France. Engineering background. Currently building AI-powered tools for managers and small business owners.

Executive Coaching Leadership Development AI & Management
M Manor CoachLoop LinkedIn

Manor

AI-powered business operations for small companies. An AI CEO that runs your business so you can show up for the humans.

CoachLoop

A platform for coaches and managers to track session quality, improve their craft, and build better relationships with their teams.

The connection

Coaching is what made these products possible. The skills we're exploring today are the foundation of everything I build.

The manager's toolkit

Three ways to lead

You already use all three. The question is: which one are you reaching for by default?

01

Direct

You have the answer. You give it. Fast, clear, decisive. Works when someone is new, when stakes are high, when time is short.

When to use: urgency, expertise gap, crisis

02

Mentor

You have experience. You share it. You tell stories, give context, transfer knowledge. Builds capability over time.

When to use: knowledge transfer, career development

03
Today

Coach

They have the answer. You help them find it. You ask questions. You listen. You trust their thinking. Builds ownership and confidence.

When to use: decisions they own, growth moments, ambiguity

The shift

Coaching is not advice

"The coach's job is not to know the answer.
It's to ask the question that reveals the answer."
Giving advice Solving their problem Telling them what to do Sharing your experience
Asking better questions Listening without an agenda Trusting their thinking Holding space
The fundamentals

Three skills you'll practice today

👂

Listen Deeply

Not waiting to talk. Not planning your next question. Truly present to what's being said - and what isn't.

"Notice the pause after they finish. What happens in that silence?"
❓

Ask Powerfully

Open questions that open thinking. Not "Did you try X?" but "What have you already tried?" The question itself creates movement.

"Short questions. Long answers. That's the ratio."
🪞

Reflect Back

Mirror what you heard. "What I'm hearing is..." This slows things down in a good way and shows you were listening.

"Reflecting isn't summarizing. It's showing them what you saw."
The tool
Powerful questions
They open up. Leading questions close down.
"What do you really want here?"
"What's getting in the way?"
"If you already knew the answer, what would it be?"
"What have you already tried?"
"What would success look like?"
"What matters most to you about this?"
Leading (closes thinking)
"Have you thought about just delegating that?"
Powerful (opens thinking)
"What options are you considering?"

Your turn.
20 minutes.

Find a partner. One coaches. One brings a real challenge - from work, school, or something you're navigating right now.

1
Scan the QR code. Pick your role: Coach or Coachee.
2
Coachee: Share a real challenge. Be honest and specific.
3
Coach: Ask only questions. No advice. Use the question bank on your phone.
4
At 10 minutes, switch roles. Coach what you experienced as coachee.
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The reach

Coaching works in every direction

It's not just a tool for managing people below you. It's a mindset.

⬇

With your team

Unlock their thinking instead of giving answers. They own the solution. You own the question.

⬆

With your manager

"What matters most to you here?" A coaching question upward creates clarity and signals maturity.

↔

With peers

In cross-functional situations, coaching questions cut through politics. They focus on what's true.

🪞

With yourself

"What do I really want here? What's getting in the way?" The hardest coaching conversation is internal.

The coaching mindset
is a practice

You won't do this perfectly. Neither do I. The goal isn't mastery - it's the next conversation where you ask instead of tell.

🎯
One question a day

Pick one meeting this week. Ask instead of telling.

👂
Notice the default

When you feel the pull to solve - pause. Ask what they think.

🔄
Coach yourself

Start with the mirror: "What do I really want here?"

Eric Connelly · runmanor.com · trycoachloop.com · eric@leadparamount.com
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