Enabling teams & growing leaders: A product coaching journey.

I let AI interview me after my last assignment, and this is what we put together about the experience there, what learnings, approaches and results these years brought the organisation and me.

Client: Large European omnichannel retail organisation (23 shops, 13 countries) Anonymous
Duration: 2 years
Role: Product Leadership Coach & Advisor
Scope: 8 Product & UX Leaders

“I’ve had the privilege of working with Emilie for the last three years. She patiently taught me what great product management looks like, how to lead people with integrity, and how to practice proper self-reflection. Along the way, she facilitated workshops that brought structure, clarity, and focus without bureaucracy or stress. Emilie is a rare coach, leader, and product-driven person I highly recommend for any role that demands change, vision, and passion.”

Coachee

Background

As part of a digital transformation, a group of Product and UX leaders transitioned from traditional IT and project roles into product leadership positions. They were expected to:

Think strategically rather than operationally.

Lead people rather than tasks.

Navigate complex stakeholder landscapes.

Operate in an agile, but still evolving, organisational setup.

Mission

Support leaders in building capability, collaboration, and a product mindset, helping them take ownership of their roles, lead effectively, and navigate uncertainty with clarity.

The Challenge

Leaders were committed and motivated, but faced:

Competing priorities and overlapping responsibilities.

Evolving executive expectations.

Complex stakeholder landscapes with varying levels of ownership.

Unclear technical strategy in a rapidly changing environment.

These factors made it difficult to focus, gain alignment, and consistently lead teams. Leaders needed a space to reflect, develop clarity, and strengthen how they enable their teams.

Approach

My coaching approach was practical, human, and highly personalised. Humour and lightness framed tough questions, keeping discussions grounded in real challenges. Focus areas included:

Real work as a learning material
Leaders brought actual challenges, stakeholder conflicts, team dilemmas, or decision points into sessions, making insights immediate and actionable.

Observation and reflection
I observed leaders in meetings and interactions, then used these moments as prompts for reflection: “I noticed X, what do you think was happening?” This helped uncover patterns and identify areas for growth.

Challenging assumptions through questions
Leaders explored the “why” behind their actions and decisions, uncovering assumptions and considering alternative approaches.

Feedback loops and pulses
Short, recurring reflections helped leaders see the impact of their choices and iterate their approach in real time.

Peer learning and accountability
Leaders coached each other in group sessions, practising listening, supporting, and enabling their teams. Reflecting on real situations and giving each other feedback helped them strengthen their leadership behaviours and apply them independently.

Check Yourself: A Leadership Mindset
Leadership is challenging and often isolating. Without pausing to reflect, even well-intentioned leaders risk spreading their stress or misalignment to their teams. Checking yourself is essential:

Body: Step away from your computer, take meaningful breaks, change your environment or medium (paper, whiteboard).

Mind: Notice your energy, mood, stress triggers, and sources of satisfaction. Reflect on what you’d do differently tomorrow.

Behaviour: Observe how your presence affects your team. Are you enabling, empowering, or unintentionally creating bottlenecks?

Checking yourself allows leaders to:

Spend energy where it matters most, with the team.

Leave ego aside and show up with clarity.

Respond thoughtfully under stress.

Stay humble and empathetic toward others’ challenges.

Breakthroughs

Proactivity and ownership: Leaders asked the right questions, prioritised effectively, and took the driver’s seat.

Stakeholder enablement: Leaders stepped back to allow teams to build relationships directly with their stakeholders.

Time leverage: Leaders reorganised routines to focus on strategic priorities rather than managing every detail.

Team-level problem-solving: Peer support and collective problem-solving reduced dependency on single leaders.

Across the group, leaders shifted from task-focused control to outcome-focused enablement, reframing stakeholder relationships from reactive to collaborative.

Impact

Stronger alignment within the leadership team

Coherent product narrative across all teams

Leaders moved from controlling to enabling

Improved people leadership and stakeholder communication

Sustainable leadership growth despite systemic constraints

Leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about showing up, checking yourself, and creating the conditions for your teams to thrive.