Coaching others is one of your primarily jobs as a leader. Good leaders make the people around them more successful.

There are three filters through which a coach should view his or her interactions with others: Confidant, Contextualizer, and Curmudgeon.

The Confidant
The confidant uses personal information to help an individual be more successful. The confidant knows about the person’s personal and professional goals, strengths and weaknesses, values, and motivators. The confidant ensures that any feedback provided or action being recommended is aligned with the individual’s aspirations and needs.

The Contextualizer
The contextualizer uses information about the organization to help the individual navigate and succeed. The contextualizer knows who key decision makers are and how to get the individual in front of those people (or in front of their influencers). The contextualizer also understands the priorities and needs of the organization and uses this information to help the individual shape his or her goals or actions accordingly.

The Curmudgeon
The curmudgeon pushes the individual to think about things in new and different ways. The curmudgeon is a skeptic always asking, “Why is this important?”, “Is that really be best way to accomplish your goals?”, “Shouldn’t you be spending your time on something else?” etc. The curmudgeon asks the tough questions to make sure the individual has thought through his or her goals, plans, and actions.

All three of these are necessary to provide sound advice and assistance to your people. Good leaders know when to call in each one and how to keep them in balance.