In my coaching practice, I meet them every day: brilliant engineers with deep technical expertise. This expertise has been the engine of their success. Until now.

Here’s the challenge: more than 50% of newly appointed executives don’t meet expectations. Does that mean they lack competence?

Not at all.

What it does mean is that the strategic leadership role requires a very different skill set.

As Marshall Goldsmith aptly said: “What got you here won’t get you there.”
Your technical mastery got you to the table. What moves you forward now is not your ability to manage processes, it’s your ability to lead people.

High-impact leadership is built on relationships.

Leadership today isn’t about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about helping others to thrive, to grow, and to deliver outstanding results.

I often work with technical leaders who are deeply committed to their craft. That’s a strength. But when they make the mindset shift from technical expert to strategic leader, real transformation begins.

This shift requires self-reflection and new leadership capabilities. For instance:

If you want to inspire your team, content alone is not enough.
Storytelling matters.
Emotional connection matters.

That’s where Emotional Intelligence (EQ) comes in.

Leading effectively requires more than logic and analysis. It requires the ability to connect, to read a room, to adapt. These are the five core components of EQ:

1. Self-awareness
2. Self-regulation
3. Expressivity
4. Empathy
5. Social ability

Are these traits innate? Not necessarily. I don’t believe leaders are born. I believe they’re built. And building leadership starts with one essential ingredient: self-awareness.

Because you can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.

That’s why, in my coaching programs, we begin with an objective one-day assessment, using tools like Hogan or OPQ, to create a clear picture of where the leader stands today. This process surfaces blind spots and strengths, laying the groundwork for focused growth.

From there, we partner to develop the new skillset required to thrive.

Coaching is a powerful catalyst for technical leaders who are ready to lead with impact and purpose.
And when they do, they don’t just lead teams.
They inspire them.