The Theoretical Roots of the PROPEL Coaching Model: Why Proactivity and Shared Leadership Are the Future

In an increasingly complex and volatile corporate world, traditional leadership models—often hierarchical and reactive—are no longer sufficient. Leaders today must not only respond to problems but anticipate them, plan decisively, and build resilient organisations capable of adapting to uncertainty. It is from this reality that the PROPEL Coaching Model was born, drawing on two powerful foundations: the Proactive Leadership Principles and Peter Gronn’s Distributed Leadership Theory, particularly its subtheory of Division of Labour.

Proactive Leadership Principles assert that leadership must be forward-looking rather than merely responsive. Leaders are expected to anticipate potential challenges, leverage available resources creatively, and implement preventive actions that stop issues from recurring. Rather than reacting when problems arise, proactive leaders establish conditions where risks are mitigated before they materialise, fostering stability and continuous improvement within their teams.

Complementing this, Peter Gronn’s Distributed Leadership Theory reframes leadership as a shared, dynamic process rather than a role confined to those at the top. Within this, the Division of Labour subtheory is particularly significant. It highlights how leadership responsibilities can and should be allocated across individuals based on expertise, context, and need, rather than authority alone. Division of Labour enables organisations to tap into the collective intelligence and energy of their people, empowering teams to solve problems collaboratively and sustainably.

Together, these two theoretical underpinnings shaped the DNA of the PROPEL Coaching Model. PROPEL is not just a step-by-step coaching framework; it is a philosophy. It encourages managers to think forward, mobilise resources effectively, diagnose root causes accurately, and engage teams meaningfully by distributing leadership responsibilities where they are most impactful. By doing so, managers are not simply driving performance; they are building capacity, resilience, and a culture of ownership at all levels of the organisation.

In today’s environment, where complexity is the norm rather than the exception, such a shift is no longer optional—it is essential. The PROPEL Coaching Model provides a structured yet adaptable pathway for managers and organisations to embrace these imperatives, equipping them to thrive in the face of ongoing change.

The world has moved on. Leadership must move with it.

#ProactiveLeadership #DistributedLeadership #DivisionOfLabour #PROPELModel #ManagerialCoaching #OrganisationalResilience #LeadershipDevelopment #ContinuousImprovement

The PROPEL Coaching Model by Dr. Peter Chum