6 Questions Coaches Want Clients to Ask
Over the years, I’ve learned something important about coaching: it’s not just the coach’s questions that create breakthroughs — it’s the client’s. The leaders who get the most out of coaching are the ones who show up curious, willing to reflect, and brave enough to ask what’s really on their mind.
I asked our LAeRRICO & Partners’ network of coaches what they wish clients asked more often. Here are six themes that emerged:
1. Help me see what I can’t see.
One of the most valuable questions a client can ask is: “Please help me identify what I’m doing or thinking that I need to let go of or change.”
While this request may seem implicit in coaching, stating it explicitly sets a strong foundation for the work. It also provides a touchstone to return to when things feel stuck; asking not just what to change, but also why it matters and what may have gotten in the way before.
2. How do I take greater ownership of my growth?
Coaches love it when clients ask questions that signal accountability and self-reflection, such as:
“What questions should I be asking myself to open up new ways of thinking?”
“What patterns do you notice in how I approach challenges?”
These questions move the client beyond seeking answers from the coach, toward building their own lifelong capacity for insight and self-awareness.
3. Can we talk about what’s shifting for me?
Energy and motivation often change over the course of a coaching engagement. Early sessions can feel urgent, while later ones can lose momentum. Clients don’t need to wait for the coach to notice this.
Saying something like, “I’m realizing I’m not as focused or motivated right now. Can we explore that?” often leads to valuable resets that keep the work meaningful and engaging.
4. Am I willing to embrace discomfort in order to grow?
Growth often requires clients to challenge their own identity or self-concept. Some powerful reflections include:
Am I willing to be wrong about what I think I can’t do?
Can I tolerate the discomfort of being a beginner?
Will I be resilient enough to recover if I try and fail?
Am I willing to act as if I know this skill, even before I fully do?
These questions reveal a client’s readiness to lean into vulnerability and possibility — the conditions in which real change takes root.
5. How do we make this partnership as impactful as possible?
Coaching is most effective when it’s a genuine partnership. Clients who ask, “How can I get the most out of this partnership?” or “What do you need from me to be the most effective coach possible?” unlock a more collaborative, generative relationship.
6. How does this connect to what matters most?
Many coaching goals focus on surface-level outcomes, such as improving executive presence, managing time more effectively, or preparing for succession. These are important, but they become transformational when connected to a deeper purpose.
Clients who ask, “How does this goal align with my deeper sense of purpose or direction?” are more likely to experience lasting change that ripples across both their professional and personal lives.
Curious and Courageous Clients
The most impactful coaching relationships are built not just on the goals clients bring, but on the questions they’re willing to ask along the way.
When clients demonstrate curiosity about their blind spots, honesty about their motivations, the courage to embrace discomfort, and openness to connecting goals to their deeper purpose, the coaching journey transitions from transactional to transformational.
If you’re working with a coach now, consider bringing one of these questions to your next session and see what shifts.
***
When coaching is effective, it doesn’t just change leaders, it transforms teams, cultures, and results. At LAeRRICO & Partners, we help clients unlock the kinds of breakthroughs that ripple across the whole organization.
Ready to see what effective coaching can do for you? Contact us today.
