Coach Your Team, Don’t Manage Them | A New Era of Leadership Rising in the GCC
- Bahaa Malaeb
- May 1
- 3 min read
Updated: May 2
In the rapidly evolving business landscape of the GCC, a growing number of managers are investing in coach training — not to become professional coaches, but to become better leaders and better managers.
This shift reflects a broader understanding: coaching is not just a career path; it’s a leadership style. Across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, organizations are seeing measurable results when their managers adopt a coaching approach.
Coach Training Is for Leaders, Not Just Coaches
While many associate coach training with people who want to build careers as certified coaches, its impact on leadership is profound. Research consistently shows that managers trained in coaching skills communicate more effectively, lead more empathetically, and drive stronger performance outcomes.
For example, a study by Anthony Grant in the Journal of Management Development found that training managers in coaching skills significantly improved goal attainment, resilience, and workplace wellbeing in teams:
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) also reports that organizations with strong coaching cultures have 61% higher employee engagement, higher productivity, and better talent retention:
Why Coach Training Builds Better Managers
Coach training helps managers develop practical skills that immediately translate into stronger team leadership:
Improved Communication and Listening
Managers trained in coaching are taught to listen actively, ask better questions, and avoid reactive judgment. This builds trust and psychological safety — key drivers of high-performing teams.
Empowerment Over Micromanagement
Instead of giving answers, coaching encourages managers to guide employees toward their own insights. According to a study in The Leadership Quarterly, this empowerment approach increases motivation and ownership: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2020.101388
Enhanced Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Coach training improves a manager’s ability to understand emotions—both their own and others’. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that coaching significantly boosts emotional self-awareness and regulation, which are critical in managing diverse teams: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01944/full
Stronger Performance and Accountability
Coach-like managers encourage goal setting, accountability, and reflection. Research from Bersin & Associates suggests that such teams are 20–25% more productive than those led by traditional command-and-control managers.
Resilience and Change Leadership
In times of uncertainty or organizational change, coaching equips leaders to support teams through ambiguity. The Harvard Business Review notes that coaching-style leadership correlates with greater adaptability and innovation: https://hbr.org/2019/10/the-leader-as-coach
In the GCC: A Regional Shift Toward Coaching Cultures
The shift is especially visible in the UAE and Qatar. As governments and corporations focus on national visions like UAE Centennial 2071 and Qatar National Vision 2030, they are investing in leadership development that goes beyond technical training.
Coach training is emerging as a foundational pillar in leadership programs for public and private sector managers. At Brightfields, we’ve seen a marked rise in GCC-based HR leaders enrolling their department heads and senior managers in ICF-aligned coach training programs — not to change their job titles, but to transform how they lead.
In industries like energy, finance, education, and government, being a coach-like leader is becoming a competitive advantage.
Be a Better Leader. Be a Better Manager
Coach training isn’t just for career coaches; it’s for every leader who wants to lead with clarity, empathy, and purpose.
Whether you're managing a small team or leading a department, coaching skills will elevate your ability to inspire, empower, and drive results. And in the GCC’s competitive and fast-changing business environment, that’s exactly what leadership demands.
Brightfields delivers internationally accredited coach training and executive coaching programs across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha.
Ready to explore how coaching can transform your leadership?
Contact us; we’ll be happy to guide you. Whether you're a senior leader, department manager, or HR professional, we’re here to help you bring coaching into your leadership journey.
📧 Contact us at gcc@brightfields.co.uk
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