Ryan Heinl 2026

Ryan Heinl 

By Ryan Heinl"\[Virtual reality\] connects humans to other humans in a profound way that I’ve never seen before in any other form of media. And it can change people’s perception of each other. And that’s how I think virtual reality has the potential to actually change the world." – Chris Milk, virtual reality entrepreneurAt its core, leadership is about connection--one that enables the leader to motivate, inspire, and guide others.That’s why it’s so important that leaders build the skills that enable them to connect with other people. And one of the most powerful ways to build real connections with people--practice them virtually.Virtual reality (VR) creates an unprecedented opportunity to transform how we see the world through emotionally powerful experiences as real as anything we experience in reality. The powerful emotions generated in VR scenarios help to create understanding as well as form memories similar to those created by real experiences. That has a tremendous potential to transform how leaders see the world and practice leadership.At DDI Labs (our team focused on innovation) we've been exploring the potential of VR to better support leadership growth. While VR is increasingly being used in training to help people practice functional skills, it's relatively untested for leadership applications. Our tests, however, are revealing deep potential to deliver transformative experiences for leaders in several ways.One of the most important ways VR benefits leaders is by generating empathy. Nicknamed the “empathy-generating machine,” VR helps people understand other perspectives. Rather than simply observing a situation and hoping the viewer identifies enough with the characters to feel empathy, VR puts the participant directly into another person's shoes, which enables them to to experience life from another perspective.This opportunity to develop empathy in leaders is a powerful tool, particularly when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Many of the issues around diversity and inclusion in the workplace come down to a struggle to relate to people who are different from ourselves. After all, most leaders, especially at higher levels, understand the research connecting diversity to better business results.But for people who have often been part of the "in group," it's tough to understand what it's really like to feel left out in the workplace. And in many cases, they may quietly wonder why people who are marginalized don't do more to try to avoid being left out.When we tested VR experiences where the participant is purposely excluded, it created a powerful reaction for many leaders. For some, it was their first time ever experiencing exclusion at work, leaving them feeling angry and profoundly moved. We heard things like, "I've always been on the other side of the situation. Have I been making people feel this way all along?" In follow-up conversations, participants also commented that the experience often stayed with them for a long time, challenging their thinking about how they'd been approaching things.For those who had experienced exclusion before, particularly women and minorities, the experiences tended to produce relief, as in, "Yes, that's exactly what I've been trying to explain about what it's like." At times, there were even tears shed. For them, the VR scenario became a tool to share their lived experience to help others understand.Empathy isn’t the only reason to use VR. Read my full blog post to learn how VR offers a psychological safe space for skill practice and for thoughts on how to get started using VR.

Virtual Reality Is a Game-Changer for Leadership Development

It seems like every article and research piece I read lately recommends that leaders give people more coaching. Which is great . . . except that few of these articles discuss how to actually coach effectively.In another recent blog, I talked about the different types of people you need coaching support from, but today I want to cover the different ways that people approach coaching—and what approach actually gets results.Let’s talk about the different forms of coaching and their value:1. Humanist coaching. Humanist coaching has everything to do with helping leaders reach their full potential. You've probably heard the term "self-actualization," and that's what this one is all about. It relies heavily on the relationship established between leaders and coaches and the idea that the depth and trust created between the coach and the leader ultimately creates success for the leader.This one definitely takes on a more therapy-oriented perspective, where the leader being coached may already be in the midst of crisis and the coach is helping the leader find greater stability and confidence. While this is great for the leader, it doesn't necessarily help them get more done for the organization.2. Adult development coaching. Adult development coaching focuses on the different stages of adult development. This means that the coach is working to figure out where the leader is in their development and helps the leader to move toward a more mature understanding of authority and responsibility, as well as a greater tolerance for ambiguity.This is, again, a more therapeutic coaching strategy and is centered on the issues that one experiences at each stage of adult development. When you think specifically about types of coaching in the workplace, this one also doesn't scream, "I'm gettin' more stuff done!"3. Cognitive coaching. Cognitive coaching is centered around addressing the maladaptive thoughts that might be getting in the way of a leader’s success. This is yet another more therapeutic approach to coaching, where the coach challenges the way the leader might think about the actions of others in nonproductive ways and thereby hinders their own performance. This one definitely has its place at the right time for the right leader; but it doesn't feel very holistic, does it?4. Positive psychology model for coaching. The positive psychology model for coaching has seen a surge in popularity over the last few years. This approach is often seen as a strengths-based approach. The thought here is that the coach would help the leader expand existing strengths as a way to build positive emotions, creating greater happiness and, in the process, higher levels of performance.While it sometimes can be used to achieve specific goals, it's primarily designed to change perceptions and attitudes in a more positive direction.5. Systemic coaching. Systemic coaching, as the name implies, takes into account a wide range of factors that impact performance. Its focus is on looking at patterns that may be causing drag on a leader’s performance and seeks to disrupt them. It also highlights the importance of making small changes that can add up to big results over time. This one is consistent with much of the writing you may have seen recently on taking small steps to form new, more positive habits.6. Goal-oriented coaching. Goal-oriented coaching is probably the type of coaching in the workplace many of us are most familiar with. It's about helping leaders regulate and direct their interpersonal and personal resources to better attain one or more goals. The primary method is to help the leader form well-crafted goals and develop an effective action plan.Each of these approaches varies in terms of how directive, solution-focused, and dependent they are on the relationship that is established between the coach and the leader. And while each approach has shown some level of effectiveness, the value that's delivered to the leader by the coach can certainly be improved upon for each of them.That's where a new style of coaching comes in—one that takes the best from each approach and creates something more attuned to the challenges of today's leader. Enter adaptive coaching.To learn more about adaptive coaching, read my full article here.Ryan Heinl is director of Product Management and leader of DDI’s Innovation Lab, where he brings innovative leadership solutions to life. He is an entrepreneur, writer, chef, CrossFitter, mindfulness junkie, and occasional yogi who travels the world in search of the perfect moment (and secretly hopes he won’t find it).

6 Approaches to Coaching—and 1 That Works

Accountability done with emotional intelligence is standards plus trust. 

Ryan Heinl

About