Episode 51 - Over-Managed, Under-Led: Salisa Roberts on the Coach Approach

What if better leadership isn’t about having more answers—but asking better questions?

In this episode of Growth Without Referrals, Mark Ferguson sits down with Salisa Roberts, founder of Coaching by Salisa, to explore what it means to lead with a coach approach.

After 35 years in financial services and a long leadership career that concluded at J.P. Morgan, Salisa made a purposeful pivot into coaching and leadership development. Her experience in corporate leadership, applied behavioral science, psychology, and coaching gives her a unique perspective on what today’s leaders need most.

Salisa believes many organizations are over-managed and under-led. The opportunity, she says, is to help leaders understand when to manage, when to coach, and how to create the space people need to think, grow, and perform at their best.

Mark and Salisa discuss burnout, self-awareness, trust, feedback, servant leadership, and why the most effective leaders see coaching not as a tool for fixing problems, but as a strategic lever for developing people.

They also explore how artificial intelligence may make human-centered leadership even more important—and why tomorrow’s leaders will need a deeper understanding of themselves and the people they lead.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT:

• Why Salisa believes organizations are over-managed and under-led

• The difference between managing and coaching

• Why effective leaders need to know when to use each approach

• How coaching can strengthen trust, engagement, and sustainable performance

• Why burnout can sometimes be an invitation to reassess values and direction

• The role of self-awareness in becoming a stronger leader

• Why challenge must be balanced with support and recognition

• The importance of treating people as individuals rather than interchangeable resources

• Why coaching should be viewed as a strategic leadership tool—not just a way to fix problems

• How AI could make leadership more human, not less

• Why people navigating transition don’t have to figure everything out alone

ABOUT SALISA ROBERTS

Salisa Roberts is the founder of Coaching by Salisa.

She spent 35 years in financial services and held leadership roles for two decades, including roles at J.P. Morgan. Along the way, her interest in the human side of leadership led her to study applied behavioral science and psychology.

Today, Salisa works with leaders and professionals as a thinking partner, helping them develop greater self-awareness, navigate complexity, and approach leadership with a balance of challenge, support, curiosity, and humanity.

CONNECT WITH SALISA

Website:
www.coachingbysalisa.com
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/salisa-roberts/

ABOUT GROWTH WITHOUT REFERRALS

Growth Without Referrals explores how business owners, consultants, and professional service leaders can build sustainable growth without depending solely on referrals.

Hosted by Mark Ferguson of Prestige Services Group.

Email:  mark.ferguson@prestige-services-group.com