Are You Cheerleading Your Clients - Or Truly Coaching Them?

This newsletter is inspired by Empower World's Coaching and Leadership Podcast conversation between Jeanine Bailey and Marie Quigly, Co-founders of Empower World: Episode 256 - 'The Coaching Habit Nobody Talks About - And How It's Hurting Your Sessions'

"Reflect on the last time a client shared a breakthrough in a session. What came out of your mouth next?"

There is a moment many coaches will recognise. Your client has just had an insight. They are lit up, energised, on the edge of something important. And then - without even realising it - you say: "That's wonderful." "Well done." "That sounds like a really great idea."

It feels like connection and support, and in that moment, it genuinely does feel good - for both of you. But here is what can happen next: the conversation stops going deeper. The richness that was right there, just beneath the surface, disappears. And this is a learning edge for many coaches.

Coaches and leaders who mentor coaches refer to this as 'cheerleading', and it is one of the most common and unconscious habits that can unintentionally hinder powerful coaching. When we assess or cheerlead, it can cut off that line of inquiry, which might otherwise offer much more richness and allow the partner to take responsibility for how they experience their world.

And it is not just new coaches who fall into this pattern. At Empower World, we recognise we've gotten caught up in coaching partner's story and their excitement. And it can feel like a way of connecting, but we must avoid what are sometimes referred to as toxic positivity.

What makes this habit so easy to miss is that it can masquerade as presence. Even our body language plays a role: when we nod profusely or keep saying yes, it actually hurries the person we're working with up. Staying silent and not saying anything allows them to stay in their own thinking or their own experience for a bit longer.

The distinction worth making here is between cheerleading and acknowledgement. Acknowledging a coaching partner is naming the qualities you genuinely observe in how they are showing up: their courage, their resilience, their willingness to explore something difficult. It is specific, present, and in service of the person we partner with.

Cheerleading, on the other hand, is a generalised response to the content; an assessment of whether what they are doing is good.

The shift is simple but profound: "Instead of bringing in a word like 'beautiful' or 'well done,' we might consider asking, 'How does that land with you?' Or we may use ourself as an instrument, share what we are experiencing, and then hand it back to the coaching partner and ask: what are you experiencing?"

The invitation here is not to become robotic or withhold warmth. It is to redirect that warmth into something that truly serves. Our clients - as the International Coaching Federation reminds us (and we truly believe) - are naturally creative, resourceful and whole. They do not need us to validate their thinking. They need us to create the space for them to trust it themselves.

The next time you notice that cheerleader rising up inside you, pause, get curious, ask a question or reflect back what you notice and follow up with a question. The answers your clients find for themselves will be more powerful than cheerleading offers, which don't invite deeper self-reflection.

Although cheerleading is very well-intentioned - and easy for all of us to fall into the trap of doing - consider acknowledging your partner instead - reflecting back the courageous work they have done throughout the session in a way that is authentic and allows your partner to sit with your words and let them know they have been truly seen, heard and felt.

Going forward, you might start paying attention to when you champion, when you don't, when you acknowledge, when you assess, and what that means for who you are as a coach, and what that means for your partnership. 

Coaching is partnering and supporting our partners to take responsibility for how they experience their world and remembering our clients are naturally creative, resourceful, and whole. If your coaching partner could tell you honestly what they need most from you in those pivotal moments - what do you think they might want you to ask?

Be Empowered.

www.empower-world.com

If this reflection resonates with you, you may enjoy listening to the full conversation on the Empower World Coaching and Leadership Podcast with Jeanine Bailey and Marie Quigley, Co-Founders of Empower World. You can listen to the full episode here:

YouTube: ------ https://bit.ly/YT-Podcast-EP-256

Direct Link: ---- https://bit.ly/Podcast-EP-256

Spotify: ------- https://bit.ly/SP-Podcast-EP-256

iTunes: -------- https://bit.ly/IT-Podcast-EP-256

As always, we would love to hear what resonates most with you. What helps you move from sharing knowledge to inviting meaningful transformation?

Upcoming Empower World Events and Programmes

Empower World's world-class ICF-Approved Professional Coach Training and Leadership Programme for Level 1 starts on 16 June 2026. You can find out more here.

Coaching Skills Mentoring Programme with an MCC mentor for ICF credentialing purposes, starting 18 September 2026. Find out more about how you can step into masterful coaching here.

The Reignite Coaching Community supports coaches to rebuild confidence, reconnect with their purpose, and return to coaching with clarity and momentum. Through practical resources, peer coaching, expert-led sessions, and a vibrant community, you gain the experience and growth, together with encouragement and feedback to enhance your skills, pursue credentials, and create a thriving, sustainable practice - no matter where you are on your coaching journey, from beginner to highly experienced. Find out more here.

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