Coaching Others Outside Your Expertise

For two years I was staff at a church plant in the greater-Milwaukee area. I was hired to develop the children’s and outreach ministry. I took every opportunity to learn, grow and teach myself about children’s ministry. I was learning to lead by practicing leading others–leading teams, creating vision, organizing staff.

As staff at a new church, I had to recruit many individuals and churches to support the mission and vision of the church plant. During a meeting with one of my supporting churches, I started pondering this question:

Can a leader who doesn’t have experience in a particular field, add value and teach people in another field?

This church has phenomenal lead pastor who isn’t afraid to stand his ground and lead through tough, church wars. He wanted to come and visit the new church and see what God was doing through our partnership. We both agreed and thought it would a great opportunity. It was asked if he could do a leadership training workshop with our staff or key leaders. I though this was a great idea. In fact, I wanted him to do a workshop with my children’s team.

And this is where the conversation halted awkwardly…

I was told that this would not be a good use of his time and that a children’s volunteer team wouldn’t be a good fit for his leadership workshop because he had no previous experience in children’s ministry. It was hard not to think that because he was a lead pastor, teaching a team of children’s volunteers was below him. This did not sit well with me.

I started wrestling with how to define leadership and what coaching others should look like. I just couldn’t escape the feeling that an opportunity was missed to teach others because leadership blinders were put on. We all have them–things we know, are comfortable in, areas we are no longer challenged in because we have become the experts! But does this have to be the trap that we fall into? I don’t think so and here is why!

Leadership Principles Transcend Expertise

No matter what career path or field you are in, the general principles of leadership are the same. Are you creating teams and leading them? Are giving the organization or team members vision, giving them purpose for their jobs? Are you managing teams through different changes or difficulties helping ensure everyone rises to the occasion? Have you laid out a plan for how you want to accomplish your vision and clearly communicated with others?

All of these questions represent scenarios that leaders with deal with at some point. Do the answers for each of these questions look different depending on a career field? Absolutely. But each of these principles are not limited to one’s area of expertise and can be taught to people in different areas of expertise.

Coach Out Of Your Experiences

No one’s life experiences are the same as yours! Even people who go through the same experience, won’t always view that experience the same. You have a voice and something to say because no one else is you! Only you can coach others from your experiences.

No matter your audience, you can find some way to bring your expertise and your experiences and coach them. Remember principles transcend expertise. And everyone is an expert at something. No one is an expert, quite like you! Coach out of what you know and who you are. Don’t try to be something you are not.

People Are Looking to Be Coached

There are people looking and waiting to be coached and taught. Often times we may think that we don’t have an audience who will listen to us or that we have no one we can coach but this just isn’t true. Sometimes finding the audience will take work on your part and will not be an audience you ever thought you would have. Even if it is not the one you think you should be talking too, an audience is out there.

I learned this lesson when I transitioned from working in a new church work to a large established church. I learned that I do have a voice and I do have something to offer when it comes to leadership, I just had to realize the audience was going to be different from before. I am able to teach out of my experiences to an audience willing to listen to my ideas.

Coaching Others Also Means Learning From Others

As the expert in the room, it is easy to think you know all the answers and won’t ever be faced with an unprecedented situation, question or new idea. What do you do when you find yourself in that situation? You sit down and listen and learn from someone else. Or what happens when you are faced with a problem you have absolutely no idea how to resolve it? Odds are someone has already gone through a very similar situation. Find them and connect with them and learn from them.

Here are a few ways you can learn from others:

1. Read—Find new and challenging books on leadership. Maybe even read an author who has nothing to do with your career field. Take notes and coach yourself.
2. Talk—Dialogue with other leaders both inside and outside of your areas of expertise. Have conversations about your current circumstances or what you recently have learned. Open your mind to hear how they might have done things differently.
3. Ask—Don’t be afraid to ask questions to anyone and everyone. Take the opportunities you find yourself in and expand your knowledge base and your understanding of basic leadership principles.

Now What?

There is definitely nothing wrong with coaching and leading others who are in your area of expertise. In fact, that would be perfect, but don’t short change yourself. People of all careers are out there willing to listen, and willing to learn. Teach from what you know and you may just surprise yourself how your experiences are able to coach someone else.