"Whistle! WHISTLE!" Imagine a coach. What do they look like? What are they doing? Often, people imagine a coach in an athletic space screeching instructions at athletes. Not all coaches are like this, some are softspoken and absolutely hold the confidence to not resort to calling athletes names or throwing chairs. There are so few coaches in athletic spaces who utilize leadership coaching techniques, that it looks weird to the outside observer. (Google: Steve Kerr gives up on coaching video). There are certainly reasons why "life coaches" have a poor reputation. In pop culture they are utilized by the flaky and often referred when the protagonist say, "My life coach told me I need to stand up for myself more." Here's why that's problematic: 1. Individuals who are very effective at making decisions still utilize the help of others in the decision-making process. 2. If "my coach told me to" is an accurate phrase, the coach is doing it wrong. 3. If a person is too busy for a coach because they've got too much to do to catch their breath, they will never catch their breath. For the first time, we decided to articulate some of what coaching is and how it works. Here are some highlights: 🔹 High-level performance in any field often involves having a coach or mentor to guide you towards success. Successful individuals recognize the value of seeking help to fill skill gaps and reach their full potential. 🔹 Coaching plays a crucial role in communication, leadership effectiveness, change management, and mindset shifts. Whether in sports, business, or personal life, having a coach can lead to breakthrough moments and growth. 🔹 When choosing a coach, consider their experience, coaching style, references, chemistry with you, and ability to customize a program to your needs. Remember, coaches are not therapists and should empower you to reach your goals rather than fix you. Utilizing athletics as an example, at one point, Serena Williams had 7 coaches. For tennis. It seems straightforward to the outside observer, but it is arguable that Champion Williams would mess around with the expense of time and funds if 7 coaches didn't each bring their own unique and helpful point of view to help her continuously improve. Serena is a great example and there is no expectation that anyone besides her reaches Serena-level expertise. Everyone on the podcast engages with coaches. You don't have to be bad to get better and that's what coaches do. Coaches are typically not fixers, but coaches help people make sense of their options and decide based on their values more than their emotions, for example. The No More Leadership BS team have been leaders in multiple capacities. This gives us the unique opportunity to coach others, not because we know what to do, but because we've got an earned history of questions to ask to unlock potential in others. We look forward to receiving your questions and comments on this episode!