Leadership+: Chris Munro - ‘Got a minute?’ making every conversation count!
Chris Munro is Executive Director of Growth Coaching International (GCI), a Sydney-based organisation recognised as a global leader in the field of Coaching in Education.
Chris graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1992 and began his career as a Teacher of Technological Education at Oldmachar Academy, Aberdeen. Over the following 18 years, he was a Principal Teacher, Curriculum Support Officer, SQA verifier, and Programme Director of the Primary and Secondary PGDE at the University of Aberdeen. After relocating to Australia, Chris was a Professional Learning leader and coach in Government and Independent Catholic schools before joining GCI in 2017.
Chris describes his current role as supporting others at the intersection of strategy, leadership, learning and relationships – helping them make progress, one conversation at a time. He is an accredited Senior Practitioner with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC Global), holds a Master of Research degree from the University of Aberdeen, and is a Fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders in Victoria. Chris regularly writes and speaks about coaching and leadership, and is the co-author of Growth Talk: A Coaching Way of Leading in Schools (Munro & Campbell, 2025).
Chris’s webinar presentation took place live on 26th March 2026. He drew on his book, co-authored with John Campbell, ‘Growth Talk’, where coaching is described as a stance and a way of being and leading, rather than a formal coach/coachee relationship. In this way a coach is more of a conversation leader or partner, and can use coaching approaches as a way of leading- not ‘command and control’ leadership but much more adaptive, and making the most of in-the-moment conversations.
‘A machine can be controlled. A living system can only be disturbed’
(Fritjof Capra).
Chris described how education settings are language communities, where dialogue is all around us. Everyone in the setting can influence the language ‘rules’, and leaders in particular can model it. In this way leadership is lived out through conversations. But how skilled are we, and how intentional?
‘Leaders can shape alter or ratify language’
(Kegan and Lahey).
A partnering approach to conversations leads to facilitative or dialogical conversations, where we tap into our conversation partner’s resources, or explore options together. Where conversations are informal and partner-led, as opposed to formal and leader-led, we move away from a traditional coach/coachee relationship towards a much more adaptive and collaborative way of conversing. This is where the ‘Got a minute?’ idea comes in – that even in a very limited timeframe, maybe in the corridor, conversations can be intentional and productive.
Chris then modelled a coaching conversation with a volunteer partner, Janey, who asked if he had a minute and shared an issue related to her probationer and managing their needs alongside her own.
He used a couple of ‘expander’ phrases, like, ‘Having heard yourself talk that through, what could you do now? – encouraging Janey to think more about the situation. He introduced the acronym ACE as a supportive tool:
- Action (conversation should lead to this)
- Clarity (for the partner/questioner)
- Energy (tap into this for motivation).
Another option for short coaching conversations is:
- What’s wanted?
- What’s working
- What’s next?
In a very short amount of time, Janey left with a positive way forward she had come up with herself, nudged by a few intentional questions from Chris.
Chris left us with the thought: What if everyone were effective leaders of conversations (and not just the senior leaders?) – what could that mean for the culture in your setting?
You can use the short video to open a dialogue with a small group of colleagues about the quality of conversations at work, and ‘leading through conversations’. This could connect to work already ongoing, or planned, but be clear on your purpose in sharing the video. What do you want to achieve by showing it and how will you agree actions, for example?
Before sharing this video with others as part of their professional learning, watch it yourself to ensure you know the key messages. You might also want wish to familiarise yourself with some of the additional resources listed below and perhaps pick out one or two that are useful to signpost.
It is important to consider how best to ensure a safe space for sharing and reflecting on the topic Chris covers in the video. You should agree ways of working with the group beforehand so everyone knows the behaviours that are expected, e.g., attentive listening, respectful comments, inclusive practice and language. These ‘ground rules’ should be generated by the group and recorded where they can be seen and referred to if needed.
You could use a few of the following prompts to facilitate professional dialogue in pairs or small groups, or perhaps private reflections and note making where the questions feel more personal.
- What most resonated with you from the film? Why?
- Does the team stop to think enough about day-to-day conversational interactions?
- If not, what could we do differently?
- What might a shift in practice mean for us and our individual approach to supporting others when they need our time?
- What could it mean for practice in our team/ department/ whole setting?
- What conditions exist in our setting that support coaching conversations and the idea of leading through conversations?
- Is there more we could do to strengthen those conditions?
Encourage the group to identify a small number of manageable, collective actions that will contribute to enhanced professional conversations with a coaching approach. You might ask the group to note down an individual action that they will commit to, that you can revisit at a later date.
Chris kindly provided this resource, The Learning Conversations Map, to support his live session and summary video:
Learning Conversations Map Reflection Activity (PDF, 337KB)
If you would like to receive a copy of the webinar slides (PDF) , please email edspll@educationscotland.gov.scot using ‘Leadership+’ in the subject line.
Other resources you may find useful, which Chris made reference to:
- 'Growth Talk: A Coaching Way of Leading in Schools', Munro and Campbell, ASCD, 2025
- 'Conversational Intelligence', Judith E. Glaser, Taylor and Francis, 2016
Explore how a coaching approach can support meaningful professional dialogue and strengthen learning, teaching, and leadership practice through our Coaching in Education professional learning resources. You can also join the national Coaching in Education learning network to connect and learn with others.
