The Coaching Habit

Say Less, Ask More and Change the Way You Lead Forever (10th anniversary illustrated edition)

Michael Bungay Stanier

The 10th anniversary hardcover edition of the million-copy bestseller that has revolutionized coaching—with brand new content and original illustrations.

The Coaching Habit “un-weirded” coaching and made it practical and accessible to everyone. Ten years on, and that skill has never been more relevant.

It’s not just for coaches. It’s for managers, leaders, parents… in fact anyone who works and lives with other people. Being more coach-like and staying curious longer with those around you helps you connect more deeply, focus on what matters, and bring out each other’s best.

Discover what more than a million readers have already learned about how to unlock peoples’ potential by understanding the simple power of seven essential coaching questions. Its practical wisdom is grounded in neuroscience and behavioral economics research and enhanced with additional video support.

In this special hardcover edition:

A brand-new chapter on how to deepen the power of any coaching exchange by the way you show up. It teaches the four essential coaching paradoxes: be confident and humble, light and grounded, fierce and loving, and caring while not caring.
Two “secret chapters” on how to create your own coaching questions, so you can expand and deepen your own coaching repertoire.
Delightful and ingenious illustrations which offer a fresh way to dive deeper into the lessons of the book and bring to life some of the more elusive insights.This book is practical and funny, clever, and easy to read. The Coaching Habit is essential for anyone looking to build their leadership skills, connect to the people who matter most, and bring out their best.

The Coaching Habit will help you master one of the most powerful human skills: staying curious just a little longer.

Reviews

Coaching is an art and it’s far easier said than done. It takes courage to ask a question rather than offer up advice, provide and answer, or unleash a solution. giving another person the opportunity to find their own way, make their own mistakes, and create their own wisdom is both brave and vulnerable. In this practical and inspiring book, Michael shares seven transformative questions that can make a difference in how we lead and support. And he guides us through the tricky part – how to take this new information and turn it into habits and a daily practice.

Brené Brown author of Rising Strong and Daring Greatly

Michael Bungay Stanier distills the essentials of coaching to seven core questions. And if you master his simple yet profound technique, you’ll get a two-fer. You’ll provide more effective support to your employees and co-workers. And you may find that you become the ultimate coach for yourself.

Daniel H. Pink author of To Sell Is Human and Drive.

What can you do to become a better leader? Michael asks and answers this question by offering aspiring leaders seven thoughtful questions that will change their leadership habits. This book is full of practical, useful and interesting questions, ideas and tools that will guide any leader trying to be better.

Dave Ulrich co-author of The Why of Work and The Leadership Code

Michael Bungay Stanier has a gift for distilling big, complex ideas into practical, accessible knowledge for everyday people that helps them be a force for good.

His books have sold over a million copies, with The Coaching Habit topping The Wall Street Journal bestseller list. MBS has been featured on the blogs and social media platforms of thought leaders including Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss, and Brené Brown, and has appeared on ABC, BBC, CBC, Ted.com, and innumerable podcasts—as well as in notable publications including the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Inc., and Fast Company.

MBS is the founder of Box of Crayons, a learning and development company, that helps organizations move from advice-driven action to curiosity-led transformation. They have trained more than half a million people for clients including Microsoft, Salesforce, TELUS, and Gucci.

Before establishing Box of Crayons, MBS’s accomplishments included publishing an academic article on James Joyce and a Harlequin-esque short story; playing small roles in helping invent Pizza Hut’s Stuffed Crust pizza and creating “one of the worst single-malt whiskies in existence”; and spending 20 minutes writing what has remained GlaxoSmithKline’s global vision for more than 20 years.

A former Rhodes Scholar, MBS is an Australian who now lives in Toronto, Canada.

You can join others committed to being a force for change at MBS.works

ISBN 978-1-77458-665-5
$36.95 CAD • $29.95 USD
Published MARCH 24TH, 2026

5.25 x 7.5 • 304 Pages
HARDCOVER, AUDIOBOOK