HOW LEADING 100 EQ-i DEBRIEFS MADE ME A BETTER COACH

I didn't think leading EQ-i 2.0 debriefs would make me a better coach.

I didn't think it would make me a worse coach, either.

To be honest, I didn't think the two had much to do with each other.

I assumed the structure and data baked into a debrief would make it more informative, and any transformative coaching would happen in later sessions.

After leading more than 100 of these over the past 8 months, I am pleased to say I was wrong.

This journey has strengthened my coaching in three ways:

✅My curiosity has deepened.

✅I challenge my clients with more ease.

✅ We get to the heart of the matter faster.

Using EQ-i data hasn’t limited my curiosity; if anything, it’s expanded it. Rather than providing answers, the data gives me valid, reliable clues about how my client shows up at their best and their not-so-best. When I offer these as invitations into deeper self-discovery, clients often feel seen and safe enough to share how this plays out in their work and their lives. What often takes multiple sessions to uncover can emerge in a single 60-minute debrief, even with clients who don’t open up easily.

What I’ve come to appreciate is that a great debrief and a great coaching conversation aren’t separate experiences; they’re complementary. The structure creates clarity, and the data provides focus which unexpectedly gives curiosity even more room to thrive.

Instead of limiting the conversation, the EQ-i framework sharpens it, helping my clients move more quickly from awareness to insight, and from insight to meaningful change. It’s simply become a more direct way into the conversations that matter most, and a shift that has shaped how I coach.

If you’re interested in learning more, drop us a line! I’d love to chat about how this certification could help you better support your clients.

Miranda Donald, Leadership Coach and Facilitator at LeedHR