[Blog] Believing in Others

by Brenda Chad

You can become a great coach by asking good questions and listening effectively. However, coaching is much more than those practices alone. We also help people set goals and craft a plan of action steps, and we offer accountability to keep them on track. Imparting skills is important, but the foundation of great coaching is what's in your heart. If you have the right heart, you can make mistakes in your techniques, but the friend or client will still be transformed – technique without heart is a disaster.

Effective coaching comes from a conscious imitation of other coaches – especially the person who has been your coach. Think for a moment about how your coach works with you on the change issues in your life. Before you ever intended to become a coach, sometimes inside you wanted to reach your destiny. When you found a coach, you may not have made much progress, but you longed to reach your full potential.

You coach had (and has) an unconditional belief in your destiny. The power of this person's faith ini you empowers you to change from the inside out - because you want to, not just to look good on the outside and impress people. This intrinsic motivation is the power of coaching. As coaches, we imitate those who have had a profound impact on our lives, and we give people the same unconditional love, unconditional support, and an unconditional belief. We give the free gift of an unconditional relationship to people, and our confidence in them empowers them to change in ways they only dreamed possible.

Believing in people is what makes coaching unique. Having faith in the person's future enables us to look beyond the immediate and superficial problems and focus on untapped potential and the spark of hope within them. Coaching is an active discipline. Trust in the components and processes of coaching to move people toward their destiny.