Make the Most of What Elite Athletes and Masterful Musicians Already Know.

Elite athletes have leveraged coaches for years to develop and sustain their competitive edge, and masterful musicians regularly pause and re-tune their instruments to continue performing at their best. So, too, can executives, leadership teams, and entrepreneurs accelerate and sustain their competitive edge through proactive practice and re-tuning.

It isn’t difficult to find a “Coach” these days, but when you hire a Professional Coach, a virtuous cycle emerges. Like the masterful musician, a Professional Coach has committed to their own regular practice of re-tuning so they remain of greatest service to you, with the experience to drive valued impact faster and more sustainably.

Just a handful of years ago, my response to the common question, “What do you do?”, was met with a blank or quizzical stare at social gatherings. In recent years it is more often met with, “Oh, my brother is an Executive Coach,” or “I worked with a Leadership Coach through my MBA program,” or “I worked with a Career Coach when searching for my last job,” to “Do you do Team Coaching,” and, “What kind of leaders do you work with, because I’ve been considering it (for myself or a member of my team).” 

“Sometime in the late 1980s, the professional field of coaching was born—a field promoting continuous resilience and performance in persons and organizations.”

--Frederic M. Hudson, Philosopher, educator, writer and thinker in the area of adult development and executive coaching, author The Handbook of Coaching (August 1999)

Debates abound regarding when Professional Coaching officially emerged as a recognized profession. Although both types of coaching help professionals “move from where they are to where they want to be”, even in the early 2000s the approach as distinct from the athletic performance-related “sports coaching” model was not yet well known or understood. Fortunately, pioneers in our field began putting a name to it, defining it, writing about it, formalizing methodologies for delivering it, and teaching this to others.

However, how Professional Coaching was sometimes used in the early years didn’t help our brand. In my own experience, “Coaching” was originally provided in secret. The very first Executive Coach I met had been hired as the Director of Human Resources but was actually there to coach the CEO. Many of us have likely heard the phrases, “being coached out of a job,” or, “you need coaching,” to describe people perceived as failing in their roles. Some managers “washed their hands” of under-performers and “outsourced” their people development responsibility to coaches, and some organizations used coaching as a last-ditch effort before walking people out the door. Therefore, it is no surprise that “Coaching” was looked upon with trepidation and mistrust. The good news is that we’ve come a long way. 

In recent years the word “Coach” has become a popular label for those providing a variety of professional services, for anything from accounting to weight loss (i.e., “financial coach,” or “health coach”). There are downsides to this, such as the potential dilution of the hard-earned “Professional Coach” brand, which goes far deeper than a label on a business card or website. However, like the aphorism, “A rising tide lifts all boats,” shared by John F. Kennedy in a 1963 speech, in some ways this popular use has been beneficial. The fact that so many now refer to themselves as a “Coach” hints that we’ve turned a corner and “coaching” is now a sought-after title and profession.

An even more compelling sign is based on the research being done in our industry. Although the International Coach Federation (ICF) was founded in 1995 as “a nonprofit organization for fellow Coaches to support each other and grow the profession,” it didn’t begin accrediting coach-training programs until 1999. The milestones of maturation since then are compelling.

Despite being founded in the U.S., in 2000 ICF was growing by an average of 130 new members a month, with many joining from Australia, Asia and Europe. In the January 2019 newsletter, ICF reported having over 30,000 members worldwide, and over 27,000 professional credential holders. The 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study reported that we were now a multi-billion dollar industry. Upon reflection, it was when our profession became a billion-dollar industry that my inbox began overflowing with marketing messages specifically targeting “Coaches.”

In my experience, Professional Coaching is now seen as an investment; it is far more apt to be proactively deployed as a strategic, competitive edge to accelerate growth, scale, and positive impact.

What is lesser known or understood is what goes into the making of an exceptional coach. Why does it matter? For example, we don’t need to know how our engine was made or even how it works to drive to and from work. Yes, and, we are likely to know if it is a diesel, a hybrid, or an electric motor based on what we must “put into it” to keep it operational.

Similarly, we don’t need to know how to play a Stradivarius violin or how it is made to appreciate the artistry of the guest soloist performing with our local symphony. Even if we don’t play the violin, our experience of that same Stradivarius in the hands of a master will be different than when played by someone brand new to the instrument, or in the hands of someone who doesn’t recognize it as an instrument at all. 

That is where ‘Coach as Instrument’ comes in. The artist within the Professional Coach is an individual who has chosen the Authentic Journey to Mastery, and they are the instrument.

Yes, anyone can call themselves a “Coach” without investing the formal effort to earn the title, and, that is what sets the Professional Coach apart. The Coach who has chosen this journey has elected to dedicate themselves to the perpetual practice and refinement of their craft—even though they aren’t required to. I believe we are called to this journey. Hiring a Coach who is on their own journey to mastery means you’re hiring a true partner; they are invested in their growth and development for your benefit. Their investment in this journey makes your investment all the more valuable. They know the territory of the “Journey to Mastery,” and are professionally trained to bring out the best in you—the instrument of your own success—along the way.

A Professional Coach has chosen to invest in their own professional development, just as you are doing when hiring them. If they’re a member of the ICF, they have also agreed to abide by a professional ethics policy. If they have a professional ICF credential, it means they have gone the extra mile and invested the additional effort, time, and expense to complete the rigorous process required to meet the bar of the Professional Core Competencies. However, just as being a musician is so much more than just playing the notes, becoming a masterful Professional Coach is far more than knowing how to perform each of the competencies. One can know the 40 essential rudiments of the professional drummer, and still not know how to weave them together into a danceable groove.

I call it ‘The Authentic Journey to Mastery.’ It’s authentic, because it’s unique to the individual, and I think of mastery as a journey, not an end. It’s not something to be achieved, it’s a practice to be lived.

Achieving an ICF credential is also not a “won and done” event. After earning their hard-won credentials, Professional Coaches are required to complete Continuing Education Units to maintain them. If they desire to progress to a higher credential level (i.e., from Associate Certified Coach, to Professional Certified Coach, to Master Certified Coach) they must clear an ever-higher bar. There are years of investment in training, practice, and refinement behind the artistry of the Professional Coach. 

There is also a deeper and subtler aspect to the profession. Similar to the professional musician, Professional Coaches often have to exert great courage to overcome vulnerable moments of “performance anxiety” related to the high bar they hold for themselves. Paraphrased from the book “Mastery” by George Leonard, if you want to truly master something, you must be willing to remain a beginner and look a fool. The beginner’s mind is required for learning anything new. 

It takes great courage and resilience for a seasoned professional to return to “Beginner’s Mind.” Among the reasons I chose the Professional Coach Training program I attended was that it specialized in drawing seasoned professionals from internationally diverse backgrounds. It was a humbling experience. Picture a room full of mid-career professionals who have achieved a level of mastery in their chosen fields now experiencing the “conscious incompetence” of learning the art of Professional Coaching--when many of us thought we were already pretty good at it. Selecting a Professional Coach to join you on your own journey means having a partner with the integrity, empathy, dedication, and experience to ensure you are properly equipped for the (often unpaved) road ahead. 

“Who you are is how you coach.”

--Edna Murdoch, Experienced coach and pioneer in the field of coaching supervision, Founder and Director, The Coaching Supervision Academy

A fine coach can also sense when their “instrument” is “out of tune.” Fine instruments are known to require regular re-tuning to perform at their best. However, just as tuning a drum requires a different practice than tuning a piano or violin, there are specific practices for helping a Professional Coach “re-tune.” One of them is called Coaching Supervision. Taken at face value, the name might have a negative connotation for some. However, we can use the Superhero metaphor as the lens. 

The Professional Coaching Supervisor helps the Coach to expand their capacity for “Super-Vision.” It is a systemic approach for helping us see and experience the bigger, multi-faceted perspective of what might be going on in one of our more challenging engagements. Through the experience, we identify ways to re-tune and refine our approach, and re-enter the work with greater clarity, confidence, and positive impact. Although the methodology is different, as it builds on the Coach’s knowledge and coaching experience, the impact is similar to what Coaches help their own clients achieve.

Although some of us might have perfect pitch, a “tuning partner” is far more expedient for most. A Professional Coaching Supervisor can be thought of like a tuning fork or a mirror. The primary role is to help the Professional Coach “hear” and “see” where they are relative to where they want to be and decide what refinements are needed before returning to “the stage.” The Supervisor fosters an environment for mastery-minded professionals to experiment, learn, grow and progress in their level of confidence, artistry and impact. 

It’s like tuning an instrument that already has the capacity for a deep, rich resonance that just wasn’t being played to its fullest potential—yet.

The Authentic Journey to Mastery is paved by a regular practice of reflection and refinement. The “10,000-hour rule” regarding the quantity of hours required to achieve mastery was derived from the work of psychologist K. Anders Ericsson. Research has found that how those hours are invested is what creates the competitive edge. Brad Stulberg, author of “Peak Performance” shared with Business Insider that “psychological research actually indicates expertise is developed based on the way you practice, rather than the time you devote.” 

“Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”

--Vince Lombardi, American football player, coach and executive in the National Football League (the Vince Lombardi Trophy is awarded at the annual NFL Super Bowl)

A Supervision Group can be thought of as tuning-up with a group of like-minded musicians. You’re focused on your own instrument and refining your own sense of mastery in the company of others doing the same. Although you’re playing different instruments, you’re often drawn to those playing the genre of music you most enjoy or to fellow musicians playing at the level you desire to attain or maintain. Being in their company makes you better.  

So, what is the real value in all of this? I was fortunate to have chosen the Professional Coach route when I started this journey. I had imagined a day when the “Professionally Certified Coach” designation might become a requirement, or at least a means of differentiation, such as the impact the letters “MBA” have on a resume or CV. It wasn’t until 2012 that I first experienced this as a requirement to coach at a Fortune 50 company, but it was a wonderful affirmation of the journey thus far. Still, for me this goes far deeper than checking a box, or ensuring I clear the "barrier to entry" bar to work with high-end clients at world class organizations. As one of my clients recently said, "there is mystery in the journey to mastery," and I'm fortunate to have found great joy in both.

There is a far deeper and richer value; the virtuous flywheel  the work creates, perpetually accelerating both coach and client from ‘good’ to ‘Great.’

For me, this flywheel includes an ever-increasing sense of:

• Confidence that I’m providing the highest quality possible to my clients
• Reward in helping clients accelerate their progress and achieve sustainable results
• Value and meaning this brings to clients, their teams, their organizations, and their lives
• Credibility in the eyes of clients and colleagues alike
• Professional differentiation in the “everyone is a Coach” world
• Integrity of doing my part to uphold the professionalism of the industry
• The counter-intuitive strength of retaining “Beginner’s Mind”

The ultimate value? The benefit of continuing to evolve into my highest and best self while helping others to do the same. If who you are is how you coach, then perhaps the quality of clients you attract is a reflection of who you are becoming as a human being, which is the greatest reward of all. 

So what, now what? If this article resonated for you, feel free to leave a comment, forward the article to others who might find it useful, and/or select a focus area and explore the additional resources via the links provided throughout (blue highlights). If coaching or supervision might be in your future, I invite you to contact me to schedule an introductory call, and to explore the additional options provided below.

To find a Professional Coach, resources include:

• Hudson Certified Coach Directory
• Invite Change Generative Wholeness Practitioners
• International Coach Federation Coach Finder

To explore becoming a Professional Coach, places to begin include:

• Hudson Institute of Coaching; providing coach training for leaders for more than 30 years (ICF accredited programs)
• Invite Change; delivering generative learning and coach training for over 20 years (ICF accredited programs)
• International Coach Federation (for a full listing of ICF accredited coach training programs)

To locate a Coaching Supervisor, resources include:

• AOCS; an international resource of qualified and accredited Coach Supervisors
• Coaching Supervision Academy; CSA Accredited Coach Supervisors

Coach Kelly Holm spent her formative years as an expat living abroad with her family (her father worked for IBM, affectionately referred to as "I've been moved"). This required her to become fluent in a second language at an early age, which greatly informed her preference for working with diverse professionals, contexts, and organizational cultures. Her vision to “one day” be an Executive Coach arrived in the early 1990s during her first experience working with one. Over the next two decades she developed a “leadership from the inside-out” philosophy while leading diverse teams through significant transitions in fast-paced, entrepreneurial settings. She became an award-winning executive leader and professional coach integrating a unique blend of senior executive experience, professional coaching presence, and a gift for leveraging diverse strengths to accelerate leader, team, and professional coach effectiveness. She’s had the honor of coaching executives, leadership teams, entrepreneurs, and professional coaches from 6 continents and 30 industry segments, including 100 Best Companies and the Fortune 50. | www.CoachKelly.com

A Certified Hudson Coach, Hudson Master Coach Program Graduate, Accredited CSA Coaching Supervisor, and ICF Master Certified Coach with a passion for “Strategically and creatively engaging the whole leader for authentically sustainable results.”