This paper presents a detailed case study of coaching a school leadership team through a transition: their headmistress was retiring, and they wanted to consciously shape the change. Beucke-Galm describes her systemic-dialogical approach; meeting clients as equals, trusting that relevant insights will emerge through describing, questioning, and responding. The case takes an unexpected turn when the headmistress, unable to acknowledge her fear of losing professional identity, channels that energy into initiating an ambitious project: helping found a new school. The coaching surfaces how her defensive arguments had been tying up the group's energy, preventing joint action. The paper's key insight: dialogue can prepare decision-making, not just build understanding. At an Academy conference, Beucke-Galm was surprised that practitioners mainly used dialogue for cohesion rather than navigating high-stakes decisions. She argues that well-prepared decision-making processes, achieved through dialogue, are crucial for every organisation.