When a CEO told me, 'If I have to tell you what to do, you're the wrong man for the job,' it sounded confronting. What followed taught me a lasting lesson about trust, challenge, curiosity and what makes a good coach.

Some of my best coaching conversations happened over a table tennis table. This story is about trust, connection and why meeting people where they are can matter more than finding the perfect coaching question.

Culture is not built by telling people what they want to hear. It is built through truth, trust and leaders courageous enough to describe today's reality while inviting people to help create something better.