The Knight in Shining Armour: When Coaches Become the Hero

Coaches step into their work with the best intentions—to support, challenge, and guide clients toward insight and change. 

But sometimes, without even realising it, a coach can slip into the role of the hero, seeing themselves as the one who must solve the client’s problems.

This is the Knight in Shining Armour trap—where the coach unconsciously takes on the role of rescuer, fixer, or expert, rather than maintaining a facilitative and empowering stance. 

While the impulse to help is natural, it can disempower the client, reinforce dependency, and limit true transformation.

Supervision offers a space for coaches to notice and step out of the hero role, returning the focus—and responsibility—back to the client. 

This article explores why coaches fall into the rescuer mindset, how it impacts coaching outcomes, and how supervision helps coaches reclaim their rightful role as a facilitator of growth.

Why Do Coaches Become the Knight in Shining Armour?

The desire to help is what draws many people to coaching in the first place. However, this well-meaning instinct can sometimes shift into a need to fix—to be the one with the answers, the solutions, the wisdom.

Coaches may fall into the hero trap because:

• They feel responsible for the client’s progress – A coach might believe that if the client doesn’t improve, they have failed in their role.
• They enjoy feeling needed – Being the expert or problem-solver can be subtly rewarding, reinforcing a coach’s sense of worth.
• The client wants to be saved – Some clients come to coaching looking for answers rather than self-discovery, and the coach may unconsciously comply.
• It’s easier than sitting with discomfort – When a client is struggling, the coach may rush to offer solutions rather than allowing the client to work through uncertainty.

While guiding and challenging are essential parts of coaching, fixing is not. When coaches step into the hero role, they unintentionally take ownership of the client’s journey, rather than empowering the client to navigate it themselves.

The Impact of the Hero Trap on Coaching

When a coach becomes the Knight in Shining Armour, the dynamic of the coaching relationship shifts in subtle but significant ways:

• The client becomes passive – If the coach takes the lead in solving problems, the client may stop fully engaging with their own growth.
• Coaching becomes directive rather than exploratory – The focus moves from facilitation to advice-giving, limiting self-discovery.
• Clients may develop dependency – If a client starts seeing the coach as the one with the answers, they may struggle to take ownership of their own solutions.
• The coach experiences burnout – Trying to “save” clients can be emotionally exhausting, leading to over-involvement and blurred boundaries.

Ultimately, the most powerful coaching happens when the client, not the coach, is the hero of their own story.

How Supervision Helps Coaches Step Out of the Hero Role

Coaching supervision provides a reflective space to identify when a coach has moved from facilitator to fixer. 

Through Eye 3 of the Seven-Eyed Model, supervisors help coaches explore the relationship dynamic between them and their clients—including where hero tendencies may be emerging.

1. Recognising the Rescuer Role (Eye 3 – The Coach-Client Relationship)

Supervisors help coaches step back and observe their relationship with the client:

• Who is taking responsibility for change—the coach or the client?
• Does the coach feel pressure to provide solutions rather than facilitate discovery?
• Is the client relying too much on the coach rather than owning their own insights?

By noticing the pattern, coaches can start shifting their stance, reclaiming their role as a guide rather than a saviour.

2. Exploring the Coach’s Internal Drivers (Eye 4 – The Coach’s Experience)

Sometimes, the need to be the Knight in Shining Armour stems from the coach’s own values, fears, or professional identity. Supervision invites reflection on:

• Why do I feel the need to rescue or fix?
• What does it mean for me if my client struggles or doesn’t progress quickly?
• Am I defining my success as a coach based on my client’s outcomes?

By understanding their own motivations, coaches can learn to hold space for challenge and uncertainty without stepping in to solve the problem.

3. Using Metaphors to Shift Perspective

Metaphors can be powerful in supervision to help coaches visualise their role in the coaching relationship. For example:

• If this coaching dynamic were a fairytale, what role is the coach playing? (Hero, guide, sidekick, or narrator?)
• If the client were in a film, who is in control of the plot—the client or the coach?
• If this were a relay race, who is holding the baton?

These metaphors help coaches step back and see the bigger picture of how they are engaging with their clients.

4. Reframing the Role of the Coach (Eye 2 – Coaching Interventions)

Once a coach recognises their hero tendencies, supervision can help them explore alternative ways to support their client without rescuing. This might involve:

• Asking more questions instead of offering solutions – Encouraging the client to find their own answers.
• Using silence more effectively – Allowing space for the client to reflect rather than jumping in to help.
• Checking in on responsibility – Regularly asking “Who owns this process—me or the client?”
• Revisiting the coaching contract – Ensuring the boundaries of the coach’s role are clear from the start.

By making these adjustments, coaches learn to empower their clients rather than carry them.

Conclusion: Helping Without Rescuing

The Knight in Shining Armour is a compelling figure, but coaching is not about slaying dragons for the client. 

Instead, it’s about helping the client recognise their own strength, wisdom, and ability to face their challenges.

Supervision provides a space for coaches to step back, reflect, and realign their role—shifting from fixer to facilitator, from hero to guide.

So, the next time you feel the urge to “save” a client, ask yourself:

Who is really holding the sword—and should it be me?