Coaching the Challenge Strategist
Coaching the Challenge Strategist: Navigating Power & Impact
The relationship between the Challenge Strategist and the 100-Day Team is the heartbeat of the project. While you, as the Coach, navigate the team through the race, the Strategist is the one who built the track and ensures the team has the fuel to finish.
Deep Dive Video
Sharpening Tips for the Challenge Strategist
The 100-Day Team operates outside the existing organisational accountability structures. It is commissioned by a group of leaders who typically represent multiple organisations. So, the 100-Day Team is accountable to this group of leaders, represented by the Challenge Strategist.
As their advisor, you can offer these “sharpening” tips to help them lead effectively in this environment:
Support Over Solutions
When the team presents a plan, the Strategist should resist the urge to “fix” it. Instead, they should ask: “What support do you need?” It is vital to be honest about what resources are available and to lead with the phrase, “I don’t know, but I will find out”.
The 75/25 Rule
In social impact work, it is easy to find the 25% that is wrong with an idea. A great Strategist focuses on praising the 75% that is right. By asking the team to build on the positive aspects, the Strategist becomes a sounding board rather than a graveyard for innovative ideas.
The Power of Four Words
Encourage the Strategist to use the Coach’s Mantra in every check-in: “How can I help?” Coupled with “How are things going?”, these phrases open the door for the Team Leader to be honest about obstacles without fear of judgment.
Leading with "Confident Humility"
The most impactful Strategists practice “Power With” rather than “Power Over”.
| “Power Over” (Traditional) | “Power With” (Confident Humility) |
| Giving orders and prescribing solutions. | Asking open-ended questions to inspire local expertise. |
| Demanding data for a performance audit. | Using data as a compass to help the team pivot. |
| Staying at a distance to maintain authority. | Checking in weekly to ask, “How can I help?”. |
The Accountability Paradox
In collaborative projects involving multiple organisations (like those tackling GBVF in South Africa), accountability can become messy. The 100-Day Challenge simplifies this:
The Single Point of Accountability: While the team is commissioned by many leaders, they report to one person — the Challenge Strategist. This prevents the team from being pulled in different directions by competing department priorities.
Coach vs. Strategist: You (the Coach) guide the team but hold no “power over” them. The Strategist, however, represents the leadership. If the team drifts from their 100-Day Goal, the Strategist is the one who must play a “heavy-handed” role to bring them back on track — a role you cannot play as a neutral supporter.
