As a frequent traveler to Japan, I started learning the language four years ago. But between grammar and vocabulary, my Japanese teacher offered a deeper lesson.

“Craig,” she asked me early on, “What do you really do need from these lessons?” Was my goal to pass a language test, hold a business meeting in Japanese, or understand jokes over an Asahi in a noisy izakaya?

Here is an offer for every business leader who wants to motivate others. Skilled coaches know that moving people forward starts with understanding where they – not the coach – they want to go.

As a lifelong learner, I have worked with many non-business coaches in various fields such as foreign language, music, sports and military. Besides helping me develop new skills, the best coaches taught me about effective leadership and coaching of the team around me.

I'm not talking about business or even management knowledge. These are lessons in the very art of coaching: how to help people achieve a step-by-step change in performance with long-term impact for them, the people they lead, and the organization at large.

Benefiting from exceptional training professionally and personally, I have tried to pay it forward and apply what I have learned. Here are some other key insights on the art of coaching on the job from some surprising places.

Related: How to Master the Art of Delegation – Lessons from Andrew Carnegie's Legacy

Tap into people's passion

I took up the piano late in life – following my children to lessons. For recitals, where I can be the only adult, our teacher arranges almost any song a student wants to their skill level. One of the kids might go with Taylor Swift, but at our last recital, I played the theme from Amelie.

Why does this matter? Really leveling up is always difficult, whether it's learning to play the piano or chairing a board meeting. My piano teacher knows that to sustain growth, you have to find a deeper reserve of energy and motivation, even joy. It can't all of them be a grind.

As a coach, appealing to one's passions in this way pays dividends. In fact, research shows that injecting fun into learning consistently leads to better results.

What does this mean in a business context? Find ways to make employee projects, initiatives, and training opportunities more enjoyable and meaningful by leveraging personal interests and professional development goals. Lululemon has has long been a pioneer in this direction — committed to supporting employees in all aspects of their growth, even if this means preparing them for a career outside the company.

Related: How to keep employees feeling passionate about their work

To give better reviews, think like a book editor

When my memories Unforgivable minute went through the editing process, it was an eye opener.

I submitted a 130,000-word manuscript and anxiously awaited an edit, waiting for page after page of red ink. No. Instead, I received a letter from the editor. The book had too many characters, too much jargon, and lacked dialogue. Oh, and where is the human interest? Tell me more about your family.

At first I was confused. Then, I realized that something profound was happening. Rather than focusing on superficial feedback, my editor invested time and energy in identifying the book's fundamental flaws and suggesting improvements.

Likewise, when training your people, resist that initial impulse to criticize and correct on a superficial level. Pull back and into place look at the big picture and fundamental issues. For example, after a subpar presentation at work, it's easy enough to tell someone to speak louder or make more eye contact. But a much better approach is to find the root cause, which could be unfamiliarity with the material or a lack of confidence.

Increase the difficulty like a good drill sergeant

Sgt. Oakes, one of my instructors at the US Army Ranger School, was a gentle leader, but he had an edge. Gunny Oakes will continue to increase the difficulty level to make our training more realistic. First, we would set up an ambush in the middle of the day. Then, do it blindfolded. Finally, do it at night, in the rain, against an opposing force.

The same concept applies in business. To help people grow, first set reasonable goals and then slowly raise the bar.

For example, if a direct report wants to spearhead a new product line—and you think they're up to the challenge—don't just throw them to the unsupported wolves. Taking a cue from the famous The Amazon Methodinstead you can start by asking them to draft a mock press release. Once they've achieved that, let them work on customer FAQs – and only then start to get into the development process.

Related: 5 tips to challenge yourself to perform outside your comfort zone

You can't neglect the whole person – you just can't

When I was younger, I was a keen competitive wrestler. Any old coach could teach me technique and tactics, but the best knew implicitly that while winning the championship would be nice, it wasn't what really mattered.

At West Point, I trained every year for the school-wide open wrestling tournament with my partner, friend, and coach, a two years ahead of me. The training sessions were grueling – running up the stadium steps on cold winter mornings, reflex training with tennis balls, live matches.

But he was clear that character development was the goal, fighting only the means to that end. If our training made me a better platoon leader in the future, it was worth it.

Business leaders are always committed to the bottom line and the imperatives of profit and growth. But really moving your people forward requires taking a broader, holistic view of their values ​​and nurturing their growth.

To create a more inclusive environment for its employees, for example, Heineken took into account Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This meant considering their physiology, sense of belonging, self-actualization, self-esteem, and security—contributors to development that are difficult to capture on a chart.

Ultimately, it's essential to keep an open mind when it comes to exercise and motivating people. Not all the answers lie in the corporate world, as much as you can benefit from devouring a list of business bestsellers or working with a high-profile executive coach. I have found that the most useful training strategies can come from almost any discipline.