The Power of Coaching

After dedicating the past 20 years to advancing CTE and career-connected learning through innovative programs, books, keynotes, Catapult, animations, and scalable approaches, I get asked a lot of questions.

While these questions may come in various forms, the one I hear most frequently is: “How can I make the biggest difference?

It's not surprising. In a world that's moving faster than ever, growing increasingly bureaucratic, and where new mandates and initiatives are constantly being thrown at us, it's impossible to keep doing more with less. The ability to access heightened states of performance and impact is becoming more valuable by the day.

Over the last decade, the way we work and manage our work has completely changed. Naturally, the way we sharpen our skills and gain new perspectives must also change if we want to continue advancing our students, our programs, and our institutions.

"In today's accelerated world, those who can adapt and evolve will thrive, while those who can't risk being left behind." – Steven Kotler

Like many educators seeking to grow and learn, I would attend conferences, watch webinars, read, and participate in trainings. Occasionally, I was fortunate enough to benefit from a mentor program. That was it. Those are typically our only options.

But can I share with you what has made the most significant difference in advancing my mindset and career?

Coaching

Forty years ago, professional coaching as we know it today was virtually non-existent. Yet, in recent years, "Executive Coaching" has exploded in other industries. And for good reason—it works.

Steven Kotler highlights four mega-trends fueling the growth of the coaching industry:

1.????? The Mental Health Gap: The World Health Organization reports significant productivity losses due to poor work habits, stress, and burnout.

2.????? The Productivity Gap: The average professional is only productive for 2.3 hours per day. There's a growing demand for strategies to enhance focus and efficiency.

3.????? The Meaning Gap: With the decline of traditional structures, many are seeking purpose and direction in their lives.

4.????? The Skills Gap: As the workforce and technologies evolve rapidly, there's an urgent need for continuous learning and adaptation.

Coaching—especially when infused with student-centered principles and effective best practices—offers a direct solution to these gaps.

It addresses the mental health and productivity gaps by helping us manage stress, control our time, work smarter, and prioritize what truly matters.? It bridges the meaning gap by guiding education leaders in reframing their perspectives, setting goals aligned with their core values, and focusing on truly impactful metrics.? Coaching also amplifies timeless meta-skills that remain relevant even as specialized knowledge becomes obsolete.

These trends have transformed coaching in education from a luxury to a necessity.

Coaching offers the clarity, direction, and support we need to excel.?

I have learned that education disruptors (like you) can no longer afford to ignore the power and impact coaching has on our effectiveness.

So let me articulate something you know and probably believe in: The best leaders don’t go it alone - they seek out wisdom, perspectives, and guidance from others.

The trick is to not just do it once…and not for it to be sporadic…and not to just do it at conferences...but to keep doing it.

Over time, I have hired different coaches to assist me with various opportunities: learning how to teach a range of learners, running my first marathon, assessing the best CTE program mix, editing my four books, transitioning from a dean to a vice president, branding and expanding my keynote speaking business, writing a college Governance Manual, crafting messaging for Catapult, braiding multiple grant objectives within an educational master plan and strategic goals, and even preparing for my TEDx Talk.

I have found the support and wisdom from multiple coaches to be profoundly helpful in my career. The process is individualized, relevant, and timely. Some of these coaching engagements were short-term, while others became long-lasting relationships.

Yet, this professional development model is almost completely absent within education. It’s rare for instructional leaders, directors, coordinators, principals, deans, or cabinet members to have executive coaches within our field. This is why I include coaching in all my contractual partnerships, and it is a foundational component of Catapult.

As more colleagues seek guidance in their personal and professional lives, the demand for personal, meaningful conversations is growing. It is critical that we recognize this need and take action to ensure we continue growing with intentionality.

That’s why I encourage you to act differently than those around you.

This could mean hiring an individual coach who works with you one-on-one. It could mean joining a community of like-minded individuals who will support and pour into you, just as you can add value to elevate others. You may seek out dedicated experts to complement weaknesses. Or it could mean partnering with a coach over time to support the growth and development of your entire institution.

To paraphrase Stephen Covey: We all need to sharpen our saw. And throwing a dart at a conference agenda, hoping for a relevant breakout session, is not the wisest way to do it.

Here are my recommendations:

1.????? Acknowledge you need a coach. You can’t do it alone, and you don’t have to. Leverage the experience of others to pivot your focus, reframe your work, increase efficiency, utilize the right systems, broaden your impact, and fulfill your full potential. There is nothing like having a focused and experienced advocate 100% in your corner.

2.????? Look outside. It’s tempting to think the best coach will be found within your district, region, or system, but I’ve found the best coaches are those who understand our world without being solely entrenched in it.

3.????? Find specialists. In healthcare, we seek specialists to diagnose and treat different parts of our body. The same applies to your personal and professional growth. You’ll benefit most from different coaches with varied perspectives to advance your performance in distinct areas.

4.????? Make the investment. This means both time and money. Prioritize coaching and carve out time to learn from others with intentionality. If you’re savvy, you may even leverage institutional or grant funds. But I’ve also invested out of my own pocket—and the ROI has always been incredible.

“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” – Proverbs 13:20

For those of us who continuously adapt and refine our approaches by soliciting the wisdom of others, our potential is limitless.

As a fellow education disruptor looking to evolve and improve our field to make education relevant, I know that it’s not about keeping up; it’s about being equipped to lead the charge. And I know that what you accomplish tomorrow depends on the steps you take today.

Coaching is a powerful catalyst for growth. And it just might be your next step in becoming a more impactful educator.

I invite you—no, I implore you—to rise above the noise and make either individual or team coaching a key part of your personal and professional development throughout this next year. ??

Reference: This article was expanded upon and adapted from Steven Kotler’s brilliant work.