Coaching is a Best Practice for Leaders

I attended an all-male military school for 12 years. This was not a residential school; we all lived at our homes in the community. When I told people I went to a military school, one frequent response was, “Oh, have you been in trouble?” No, I entered the school in first grade not because I was an incorrigible offender but because my parents wanted me to have a good education and were willing to sacrifice for me to go to a private school.

Fast forward to the present day. As I work with churches and other organizations, I sometimes hear this statement: “This person has a problem. They probably need a coach.” I am not sure of the source of this perspective, but it misses the real reason that a person should have a coach.

The present coaching movement was birthed through businesses where rising executives were (and are) provided coaches so that they could build on their strengths. They were already doing well and showed potential to do more, but the idea was that, with coaching, they could do even better. Coaching is a best practice for a business that wants to develop its leaders.

This is a point where life or leadership coaching intersects with athletic coaching. A sports coach comes alongside an athlete who has talent and has already shown promise in order to help that person become even better. The coach challenges the athlete to improve, grow, and excel.

Whenever a leader faces a new challenge, a life or leadership coach can come alongside and help that person to lean into that opportunity, using all of their potential to excel. In short, coaching is not for losers, it is for winners.

If churches and other organizations value their leaders and want them to succeed and provide maximum leadership, a coach can be invaluable. It is an investment that pays dividends.

This is International Coaching Week, an annual weeklong global celebration of the coaching profession, sponsored by the International Coaching Federation. Have you thought about working with a coach? This would be a good week to take action.

If you want to know more about coaching, please contact me at ircelharrison@gmail.com and we can set up a time for free coaching call so that you can learn more. Happy ICW!

(This post originally appeared here on February 14, 2019.)

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