Barnabas File

  “Can I be a coach without getting a coaching credential?”  I receive this question from time to time, and the answer is, “Yes.”  There are many gifted individuals doing coaching who do not have recognized coach training or a credential.  I suggest the better question is, “Can I be a  really good  coach without getting a coaching credential?”  My answer here is, “No.”  Why do I say that?   First, most of the coaches I know have natural gifts that lead these individuals to become coaches—a personal commitment to their own growth, a sense of calling to help others, and good relational skills.  Coach training builds on these natural gifts to lead the coach to the next level—beyond competence to excellence.   Second, although I rarely have a potential client ask me about my training or credential, having those “under my belt” gives me a greater sense of confidence in my coaching.  I have a stronger sense that I have something worthwhile to share with my clients.   Third, on the other hand

“The strongest organizations are learning organizations.     Their structures and systems make the development of people the everyday default, which makes them agile, resilient, and impactful.”—Eduardo Briceno,   The Performance Paradox   I’ll be honest.  When I received this book, I jumped over the first section on individual growth and went right to the section on applying the principles in teams and organizations.  I have long been an admirer of Carol Dweck’s work on mindset, so I wanted to see how author Eduardo Briceno applied the concept to organizations.  I was not disappointed.     Briceno provides helpful insights on developing a growth-oriented mindset in organizations based on interviews, research, and personal experience.  One key idea is great leaders are great learners.  Unless the leader is forward-leaning and oriented toward personal growth and development, she or he cannot expect to lead a culture of growth.   Agile and resilient organizations are the only ones that wi