Coaching That Goes Beyond Sit and Stay
Some leadership development still looks a lot like obedience training.
Tick the boxes. Say the right things.
Stick to the script. Don’t rock the boat.
But real leadership? It’s never been about doing what you’re told.
It’s about thinking critically, acting with intention, and growing through uncertainty.
At Blue Dog Culture, we coach leaders to lead not just to follow the rules better. Because if all your leadership development is doing is teaching people to sit and stay. You’re not building capability.
You’re reinforcing compliance.
The Problem With Instruction-Based Leadership
Too many new or emerging leaders are taught to manage, not to lead.
They’re handed scripts, checklists, and models — but not space to think, reflect, or challenge.
They learn how to:
Hold a performance conversation
Run a team meeting
Manage up or down
But they’re not taught to:
Sit with discomfort
Handle emotional undercurrents
Spot the moment when someone needs something different
And most importantly?
They’re not taught to lead as themselves with clarity, courage and emotional awareness.
What Coaching Looks Like Instead
Coaching isn’t about giving people better instructions. It’s about asking better questions.
We don’t tell leaders what to do. We create space for them to figure out why they’re doing it, how they want to show up, and what might need to shift.
Coaching that goes beyond sit and stay looks like:
Making sense of messy moments
Getting underneath surface behaviours
Building confidence without crushing individuality
Creating space to lead with purpose, not performance pressure
We’re Not Here to Tame Leaders
We don’t want leaders who follow blindly. We want leaders who question, adapt, challenge and do it with care.
The ones who can sense when to step up and when to step back. Who know how to read a room, not just run it. Who make people feel safe and stretched.
Because that’s where leadership lives. Not in obedience but in ownership.
If your leadership development still feels like sit and stay it might be time to ask what kind of leadership you’re really growing.