What a coach knows!
What great (and authentic) coaches know
Choosing to be a coach means saying “yes” to so much more than a just line of work. Being a coach doesn’t begin or end with your sessions, it extends into your entire existence.
Often being a coach puts you on the spot: you will be looked at, regarded as, and often also judged, as a potential role model. Who you are, how you show up, and how you hold yourself in your life on and off the job will to a great extent determine the credibility, success, and value of your practice.
“How would you show up in your life if you were the best coach you can be?”
Elements of authentic, real greatness to consider:
Great coaches don’t become great through copying someone else’s style, or following some “proven” success formula – they are willing to take risks, lay down new tracks, and be pioneers. They rely on their own truth, intuition, and intelligence to be discerning and make decisions that are right for them. They don’t expect easy solutions to be handed down to them, they create their own – through experimenting, making mistakes, learning, and transforming.
This refers in equal measure to the way they work with clients and the way they build their practice.
In sessions, great coaches dance in the unknown freely – they don’t come from any preconceived notion of how a session should go. They don’t use the client to practice their tools, they use their tools to help the client. They are willing to not plan and not know, instead, they are ready to surrender and let the magic happen.
Living from ‘Why are you a coach?’
In business, great coaches lead with their essence instead of copying whatever everyone else is doing. They are in it for the long haul, therefore, they focus on sharing their hearts and building a legacy, not on chasing trends or easy popularity that will fade. They know that quality and depth are the real deal, worth more than numbers. They stay connected to their “why” on a daily basis, and this sense of greater meaning and presence of purpose pulls them through tough times.
Trust is key!
Their confidence comes from trust: trusting the process to unfold in perfect way and perfect timing; trusting the client to have all the answers; trusting themselves to do what is right and true. When this trust is in place, dancing in the moment isn’t clumsy or awkward, it’s easy and joyful. When this trust is in place, patience and perseverance become best allies on the journey of building a coaching practice that touches lives.
Their trust, in its turn, comes from connection with one’s self: great coaches know who they are, honor it, and share it generously. They recognize their authentic essence, connect with their heart, and let it lead the way. They know that greatness is nourished and born from within, it simply cannot come from an outside source, second-hand knowledge, or a template.
Great coaches are committed to keeping this connection alive, and invest in deepening it. They know that greatness is the result of never-ending growth.
Expansion is the name of the game
Their education doesn’t stop on the last day of their coach training, and their development doesn’t end with getting a coveted title like MCC or hitting an income goal.
Great coaches see that their clients can only go as deep as they have gone themselves. So they “go there” – to the uncomfortable places, to the light and the shadow, the grief and the trauma, all of it, not pretending to be perfect or “done” with self-development. They are willing to eat a delicious slice of humble pie – on a regular basis. They explore their blind spots, have breakdowns, and are willing to be real and vulnerable about it.
“Coaching is an invitation for two human beings to see each other truly, through the eyes of the heart.”
Because ultimately they know that coaching is an invitation for two human beings to see each other truly, through the eyes of the heart. No model, method or master title can do that for us. Only the heart can.
Coaching from the heart
So, if you’re going to be a great coach, start right there: in your own heart. What is it calling you to do? What pain is it ready to heal? What unique essence is it ready to reveal? What truth does it want to share with the world?
Honor it, nurture it, heal it, explore it, expand it. Your own self, your clients, and the world will only be grateful that you did.
If you’re ready for a journey of transformation and growth like no other – a journey that will challenge you, expand you, enrich you, elevate you to a new level of authenticity – consider joining Creative Consciousness curriculum, the place where great coaches are made.