# Leadership Coach

> |

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-qingxuantang-lennys-to-sop-and-skills-leadership-coach`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [qingxuantang](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/qingxuantang)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [qingxuantang](https://github.com/qingxuantang)
- **Source:** https://github.com/qingxuantang/Lennys-to-sop-and-skills/tree/master/skills/leadership-coach

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-qingxuantang-lennys-to-sop-and-skills-leadership-coach
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Leadership Coach Skill

Help users become better leaders and managers using proven frameworks.

## When This Skill Activates
- "How do I give feedback?"
- "Should I micromanage?"
- "My team isn't executing"
- "How do I develop my team?"
- "Driving organizational change"
- "Am I a good manager?"
- "Career advice"
- "Building leadership skills"

## Framework Selection Guide

| Situation | Use This Framework |
|-----------|-------------------|
| Giving difficult feedback | Radical Candor |
| Deciding how hands-on to be | Selective Micromanagement |
| Team not executing, need change | Managing Complex Change |
| Developing team members | Bloom's Taxonomy Coaching |
| Building leadership legacy | Coaching Tree |
| Personal career growth | Career Impact Framework |

---

## Framework 1: Radical Candor

**Source**: Kim Scott - Lenny's Podcast
**Key Insight**: Good feedback requires both caring personally AND challenging directly.

### The 2x2 Matrix

|  | Challenge Directly | Don't Challenge |
|--|-------------------|-----------------|
| **Care Personally** | Radical Candor ✓ | Ruinous Empathy |
| **Don't Care** | Obnoxious Aggression | Manipulative Insincerity |

### Radical Candor (Goal)
- Care about the person
- Challenge their work/behavior
- Specific and actionable
- Delivered with respect

### Ruinous Empathy (Common Trap)
- Care about person but avoid hard feedback
- "I don't want to hurt their feelings"
- Short-term kindness, long-term harm
- Person never improves

### Obnoxious Aggression
- Challenge without caring
- Brutal honesty without empathy
- Creates fear, not growth

### Manipulative Insincerity
- Neither care nor challenge
- Political, fake feedback
- Worst of all quadrants

### Delivering Radical Candor

**Step 1: Establish You Care**
Build relationship first. Feedback lands better from someone who clearly cares.

**Step 2: Be Specific**
Not: "Your presentations need work"
Yes: "In yesterday's presentation, you lost the room when you went into technical details. The executives needed business impact first."

**Step 3: Make It Actionable**
Include what to do differently.

**Step 4: Do It Quickly**
Feedback decays rapidly. Give it within 48 hours.

**Step 5: Do It Privately (Usually)**
Praise publicly, critique privately.

### Receiving Feedback
- Thank them for the feedback
- Clarify to understand
- Don't defend immediately
- Reflect, then respond

### Pitfalls to Avoid
- Defaulting to Ruinous Empathy
- Feedback without relationship
- Being vague to soften it
- Waiting too long

---

## Framework 2: Selective Micromanagement

**Source**: Ravi Mehta - Lenny's Podcast
**Key Insight**: Micromanagement isn't always bad—selective, temporary micromanagement is effective when your team is going in the wrong direction.

### The Leadership 2x2

|  | Team Has Autonomy | Team Lacks Autonomy |
|--|-------------------|---------------------|
| **You're Confident** | Scalable Leadership ✓ | Selective Micromanagement ✓ |
| **Not Confident** | Hands-Off (Risky) ✗ | Micro-Mismanagement ✗ |

### Scalable Leadership (Ideal State)
- You're confident in direction
- Team has autonomy
- You've established frameworks
- Team makes good decisions

### Selective Micromanagement (When Needed)
- You're NOT confident in direction
- You temporarily reduce autonomy
- You guide to right path
- You pull back when aligned

### Hands-Off (Failure Mode)
- You're NOT confident but let them continue
- "I don't want to micromanage"
- Team goes off the rails

### Micro-Mismanagement (Failure Mode)
- Constant control
- No clear end in sight
- No autonomy ever
- Everyone frustrated

### Assessing Confidence Level

**High Confidence:**
- Decisions align with strategy
- They anticipate your concerns
- Work product meets bar
- You'd make similar choices

**Low Confidence:**
- Decisions seem off-strategy
- Surprised by their direction
- Quality issues emerging
- You'd make different choices

### Executing Selective Micromanagement

**Step 1: Be Transparent**
> "I noticed [concern]. I'm going to be more hands-on for a few weeks to help us get aligned."

**Step 2: Get Tactical**
Get into specific decisions, not just strategy

**Step 3: Teach Frameworks**
Share how you think, not just what to do

**Step 4: Plan the Exit**
- Define what "aligned" looks like
- Typically 2-6 weeks, not quarters
- Move from directing to reviewing

### Pitfalls to Avoid
- Avoiding micromanagement when needed
- Micromanaging without teaching
- Not having an exit plan
- Micromanaging when you're already confident

---

## Framework 3: Managing Complex Change

**Source**: Bangaly Kaba - Lenny's Podcast
**Key Insight**: Missing any single component produces a predictable failure mode.

### The Five Components

| Component | Purpose |
|-----------|---------|
| Vision | Where we're going |
| Skills | Capabilities to execute |
| Incentives | Motivation to do it |
| Resources | People, budget, tools |
| Action Plan | Clear next steps |

### Missing Component → Failure Mode

| Missing | Result |
|---------|--------|
| Vision | Confusion |
| Skills | Anxiety |
| Incentives | Resistance |
| Resources | Frustration |
| Action Plan | False starts |

### Diagnostic Process

**Step 1: Observe the Team**
- Sit in meetings, listen
- Talk to people across functions
- Note repeated conversations

**Step 2: Match Symptoms to Missing Component**

**Confusion** (Missing Vision):
- "What are we trying to do?"
- People pulling different directions

**Anxiety** (Missing Skills):
- "I don't know how to do this"
- Quality issues, avoidance

**Resistance** (Missing Incentives):
- "Why should I care?"
- Passive agreement, no follow-through

**Frustration** (Missing Resources):
- "We don't have what we need"
- Constant firefighting

**False Starts** (Missing Action Plan):
- "We keep starting but not finishing"
- Same discussions repeated

**Step 3: Address the Right Component**

**Ease of change (easier → harder):**
1. Action Plan (quick tactical wins)
2. Resources (if you have authority)
3. Incentives (needs org support)
4. Skills (takes time)
5. Vision (hardest but most fundamental)

### Pitfalls to Avoid
- Jumping to solutions without diagnosis
- Addressing only easy components
- Trying to fix everything at once
- Ignoring resistance (incentives)

---

## Framework 4: Bloom's Taxonomy for Coaching

**Source**: Bangaly Kaba - Lenny's Podcast
**Key Insight**: Identify where in the learning progression someone is stuck, then provide appropriate support.

### The Six Levels (Basic → Advanced)

| Level | Description | Diagnostic |
|-------|-------------|------------|
| Knowledge | Can recall facts/concepts | "Tell me about X" |
| Comprehension | Can explain in own words | "Why does X work?" |
| Application | Can use in specific situation | "How have you used X?" |
| Analysis | Can apply across contexts | "When would you use X vs Y?" |
| Synthesis | Can create new approaches | "How would you adapt X?" |
| Evaluation | Can judge when to use what | "When should we NOT use X?" |

### Matching Development to Level

**Knowledge Gap** → Reading, videos, definitions
**Comprehension Gap** → Discussion, teach-back exercises
**Application Gap** → Supervised practice, examples
**Analysis Gap** → Multiple contexts, case studies
**Synthesis Gap** → Novel problems, design exercises
**Evaluation Gap** → Critique exercises, judgment calls

### Manager Requirements by Level
- ICs should reach Application for their scope
- Managers must reach Analysis across their teams
- Directors+ need Synthesis and Evaluation

### Pitfalls to Avoid
- Teaching at wrong level
- Expecting immediate jumps
- Only developing to Application
- Not checking for progression

---

## Framework 5: Coaching Tree Leadership

**Source**: Bangaly Kaba - Lenny's Podcast
**Key Insight**: Your legacy is measured by who you developed, not what you shipped.

### What is a Coaching Tree?
In basketball, the coaches who learned under you and went on to success. Same applies to product/tech leadership.

### Your Tree Includes
- Direct reports who became leaders
- PMs who grew into senior roles
- Engineers who became managers
- People who say you changed their career

### PM as Team Sport
- You're the coach, not the star player
- Success comes from team performance
- Not everyone needs to be LeBron
- Role players matter

### Building Your Tree

**Step 1: Know People by Name and Story**
- Professional background and aspirations
- Personal life and what matters
- Strengths and growth areas
- Motivations and fears

**Step 2: Identify Role Types**
| Role | Value |
|------|-------|
| Star player | High-impact work |
| Reliable executor | Consistent delivery |
| Culture carrier | Maintains norms |
| Domain expert | Deep knowledge |
| Connector | Cross-team relationships |

**Step 3: Coach Up, Not Out**
- Diagnose where they're stuck
- Provide targeted development
- Give stretch opportunities
- Celebrate progress

**Step 4: Delegate for Growth**
- Delegation is a gift of growth
- Provide support proportional to stretch
- Expect mistakes, use for learning

**Step 5: Stay Connected**
- Keep relationships after people move
- Celebrate their wins
- Track where they went

### Pitfalls to Avoid
- Being the hero (doing all hard work yourself)
- Only developing stars
- Not staying connected
- Measuring only your direct output

---

## Framework 6: Career Impact Framework

**Source**: Bangaly Kaba - Lenny's Podcast
**Key Insight**: Impact = Environment × Skills. Both must be strong.

### The Formula
```
Impact = Environment × Skills
```
Great skills in bad environment = limited impact
Great environment with skill gaps = limited impact

### Environment Variables (Score 0-2)
1. **Manager** (Most important) - Quality and support
2. **Resources** - Team, budget, tools
3. **Scope** - Size and importance of remit
4. **Team** - Skills and dynamics
5. **Compensation** - Fair and motivating
6. **Culture** - Supportive environment

### Skill Variables (Score 0-2)
1. **Communication** (Most important) - Written, verbal, listening
2. **Influence** - Building alignment without authority
3. **Strategic Thinking** - Connecting to business outcomes
4. **Execution** - Getting things done

### Assessment Process

**Step 1: Score Environment**
Rate each variable, identify low scores

**Step 2: Score Skills**
Rate each, get manager/peer input

**Step 3: Identify Limiting Factors**
Which scores are below 1.0?

**Step 4: Assess Changeability**
Can you change it? How?

**Step 5: Decide: Fix or Leave**
- Stay if: Low scores changeable, manager supportive
- Leave if: Manager is the problem, multiple unfixable factors

### Key Insight on Manager
> "People don't leave jobs, they leave managers—because the manager has power to fix many variables."

### Pitfalls to Avoid
- Blaming only environment (skills matter too)
- Blaming only yourself (environment matters)
- Not talking to manager
- Optimizing only for compensation

---

## How to Apply This Skill

1. **Identify the leadership challenge**
   - Feedback → Radical Candor
   - Team off-track → Selective Micromanagement
   - Change needed → Managing Complex Change
   - Developing someone → Bloom's Taxonomy
   - Leadership growth → Coaching Tree / Career Impact

2. **Walk through the relevant framework**

3. **Help create specific action plan**

4. **Check in on progress**

## Related Skills
- `/pm-coach` - For PM-specific development
- `/decision-maker` - For leadership decisions
- `/hiring-guide` - For building teams

## Full SOPs (Deep Dives)

### Core Leadership
- [Radical Candor](../../../sops/leadership/radical-candor-framework-001.md)
- [Selective Micromanagement](../../../sops/leadership/selective-micromanagement-001.md)
- [Managing Complex Change](../../../sops/leadership/managing-complex-change-001.md)
- [Bloom's Taxonomy Coaching](../../../sops/leadership/blooms-taxonomy-coaching-001.md)
- [Coaching Tree](../../../sops/leadership/coaching-tree-leadership-001.md)
- [Career Impact](../../../sops/leadership/career-impact-framework-001.md)

### Founder & Executive
- [Founder Mode](../../../sops/leadership/founder-mode-operating-system-001.md)
- [Company Operating System](../../../sops/leadership/company-operating-system-001.md)
- [Personal Operating Principles](../../../sops/leadership/personal-operating-principles-001.md)
- [100-Year Thinking](../../../sops/leadership/100-year-thinking-framework-001.md)
- [Technical Founder Leadership](../../../sops/leadership/technical-founder-leadership-001.md)
- [Trust-Based Culture](../../../sops/leadership/trust-based-high-performance-culture-001.md)
- [Beginner's Mind](../../../sops/leadership/beginners-mind-innovation-practice-001.md)

### Emotional Intelligence
- [Fear/Anger Decision](../../../sops/leadership/fear-anger-decision-framework-001.md)
- [Energy Audit](../../../sops/leadership/energy-audit-framework-001.md)
- [Creative vs Reactive Leadership](../../../sops/leadership/creative-vs-reactive-leadership-framework-001.md)

### Difficult Conversations
- [Compassionate Firing](../../../sops/leadership/compassionate-firing-framework-001.md)
- [Large-Scale Layoffs](../../../sops/leadership/large-scale-layoff-process-001.md)

### Culture Building
- [Culture Code Creation](../../../sops/leadership/culture-code-creation-001.md)
- [Culture as Product](../../../sops/leadership/culture-as-product-framework-001.md)

### Engineering Leadership
- [Engineering Management Ladder](../../../sops/leadership/engineering-management-ladder-001.md)
- [Manager to Manager-of-Managers](../../../sops/leadership/manager-to-manager-of-managers-transition-001.md)
- [Skip-Level Meetings](../../../sops/leadership/skip-level-meetings-framework-001.md)
- [Platform Teams](../../../sops/leadership/engineering-org-design-platform-teams-001.md)
- [Staff Engineer Sponsorship](../../../sops/leadership/staff-engineer-sponsorship-framework-001.md)
- [Engineering Strategy](../../../sops/leadership/engineering-strategy-development-001.md)
- [EM-PM Partnership](../../../sops/leadership/em-pm-partnership-framework-001.md)

### Career Development
- [Career as Product](../../../sops/leadership/career-as-product-framework-001.md)
- [30-60-90 Onboarding](../../../sops/leadership/30-60-90-day-onboarding-plan-001.md)
- [Executive Coaching](../../../sops/leadership/executive-coaching-framework-001.md)
- [Introverts Workplace Success](../../../sops/leadership/introverts-workplace-success-framework-001.md)

### Personal Development
- [Radical Self-Inquiry](../../../sops/personal-development/radical-self-inquiry-framework-001.md)
- [Leadership Authenticity](../../../sops/personal-development/leadership-authenticity-framework-001.md)
- [GENIE Goal Setting](../../../sops/personal-development/genie-framework-career-goal-setting-001.md)
- [Overcoming Imposter Syndrome](../../../sops/personal-development/overcoming-imposter-syndrome-001.md)

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [qingxuantang](https://github.com/qingxuantang)
- **Source:** [qingxuantang/Lennys-to-sop-and-skills](https://github.com/qingxuantang/Lennys-to-sop-and-skills)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-qingxuantang-lennys-to-sop-and-skills-leadership-coach
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/qingxuantang
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

---
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