↗️ Who is *your* coach?

I want to share with you an interesting finding.

Over the last years, I have spoken with many people who use coaching skills at work. And I really wanted to tell apart those who do or don’t take it seriously.

I ended up asking 2 questions very regularly, as they provided lots of insight.

“How many people have you helped develop in the last 12 months?“

This questions shows whether the person is serious about helping others perform and grow.

If they can’t come up with any name or take very long to think, their priorities might be different.

If they can share about 1 or 2 persons without a hitch, they are likely to develop others with intention.

When people can easily rattle down 4-5 names or more, it likely means that developing others is a core part of their identity. It’s also much more likely that they are drawn to it intrinsically.

I have not met that many people of that last category.

“Who is your coach?“

This is the most important question of all. In my personal view, a coach who does not regularly receive coaching themselves is a walking contradiction.

In fact, I am looking for serious hunger, growth mindset and humility when asking this question.

When people are excited about the world-class professional coaching they receive, it directly transfers over to the people they coach.

Conversely, it’s a red flag if someone says they coach a lot and they do not believe they themselves require any of it ‘right now’. It creates a serious credibility issue.

I can share that I experienced some of my most significant growth in my skill as a coach when I received excellent coaching. It often blew my mind where great coaching could take me.

A mentor coach once told me:

“You can only take people as far as you have gone yourself.”

This hit home for me on so many levels.

I think this wisdom applies in many walks of life. Here, the better and more coaching you receive, the better your own coaching will also become.

So, who is YOUR coach?