If we’re honest, most schools don’t struggle because their teachers lack talent. They struggle because leadership and coaching structures aren’t working.
So if great teaching alone doesn’t make a great coach, what does?
Let’s talk about the nonnegotiable — the qualities every effective coach must possess, regardless of whether they were ever the best teacher in the building.
1. Credibility Without Ego
Great coaches don’t need to be the smartest person in the room — and they don’t need to prove it.
Their credibility comes from:
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Consistency
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Follow-through
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Integrity
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A genuine commitment to growth
They ask strong questions instead of giving quick answers. They model learning rather than perfection. And they are secure enough to say, “Let’s figure this out together.” In schools, this matters because adults don’t grow when they feel judged — they grow when they feel respected.
2. The Ability to Lead Peers (Not Subordinates)
One of the hardest parts of coaching in schools is that coaches often lead former colleagues.
This requires a unique skill set:
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Navigating relationships without favoritism
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Holding peers accountable without positional power
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Giving feedback without damaging trust
Many excellent teachers struggle here — not because they aren’t capable, but because they were never trained for it. Coaching adults is not about authority; it’s about influence.
3. Emotional Intelligence Is Not Optional
Great coaches can read a room. They know when to push and when to pause. They recognize when resistance is really fear, burnout, or lack of clarity.
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Address conflict directly but compassionately
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Support growth without lowering expectations
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Build psychological safety while maintaining accountability
Without this, coaching becomes transactional — and growth stalls.
4. Clarity Around the “Why”
Strong coaches know exactly what they’re coaching toward.
They can clearly articulate:
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What effective instruction looks like
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Why certain practices matter
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How individual growth connects to student outcomes
When coaches lack clarity, teams feel scattered. When coaches are clear, alignment follows. This is where many schools struggle — not because people don’t care, but because the vision is fuzzy.
5. A Commitment to Developing Others (Not Being Needed)
Perhaps the most overlooked nonnegotiable is this: great coaches work themselves out of a job.
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They don’t create dependence. They build capacity.
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They don’t hoard knowledge. They distribute leadership.
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They don’t need to be the hero.
Their success is measured not by how visible they are, but by how confident and capable others become.
Rethinking How Schools Choose Coaches
If schools truly want strong teams, they must stop asking:
Who is our best teacher?
And start asking:
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Who is our strongest leader?
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Who can influence adults with clarity and care?
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Who can hold the line while building trust?
These aren’t always the same people. And that’s okay. Because the goal isn’t to reward excellence in teaching — it’s to build systems that support growth at every level. When schools choose coaches intentionally — based on leadership capacity rather than teaching performance alone — the narrative shifts. No more “we just don’t have the team this year.” Instead, we build teams on purpose