Coaching for Success

My top takeaways from executive coach Rachel Lockett: 1. The biggest skill gap in new leaders is knowing when to coach vs. when to tell people what to do. When you constantly provide answers, you train your team to bring you every problem instead of building their own problem-solving skills. The people you hire are experts in their domain—ask curious questions to help them reach their own solutions, which makes them more motivated and capable. Save direct advice for urgent situations or when someone genuinely lacks the necessary skills. 2. Use these four questions to coach someone to figure out the answer or themselves: When someone brings you a problem, use GROW: Goal, Reality, Options, and Way forward. Ask about their desired goal (what does success look like?), their current reality (where are you stuck?), possible options for a path forward (what could you do next?), and a concrete way forward (what will you actually do next?). These questions help people discover solutions they already have the context to find. You don’t need to follow this exact order; just use whichever type fits the moment. 3. Use this four-step framework for difficult conversations: Observations, Feelings, Needs, Requests. Start with factual observations anyone could verify (not interpretations). Share your feelings without blame (I felt anxious, confused, disconnected—not “I feel like you. . .”). Name your underlying human needs (clarity, collaboration, connection). Make a small, achievable request the other person can actually fulfill. Stay on your side of the net—talk about your experience, not what you assume about them. This lets you be bold without triggering defensiveness. 4. In conflict, aim for mutual understanding, not proving you’re right. When you enter a difficult conversation trying to convince someone they’re wrong, they become defensive and armor up. Instead, focus on helping the other person understand your experience so they can empathize and see clearly what’s happening. This shift from convincing to connecting creates space for genuine dialogue where both people can be heard and find solutions together. 5. Burnout happens when you spend too much time outside your natural strengths, not just from working too hard. For two weeks, write down the five things each day that energized you most and the five that drained you most. Look for patterns. People burn out not just from working hard but from spending too much time doing things that deplete them—even if they’re good at those things. 6. Co-founder relationships need scheduled maintenance time, like marriages. Sixty-five percent of startups fail because of co-founder conflict, not business problems. Set up regular check-ins—weekly touch-bases, monthly lunches, quarterly in-person reviews—to ask: How is this working for you? Are we aligned on vision and strategy? What am I doing that frustrates you? What’s gone unsaid?

An email from Coach Sommer I revisit often: Hi Tim, Patience. Far too soon to expect strength improvements. Strength improvements [for a movement like this] take a minimum of 6 weeks. Any perceived improvements prior to that are simply the result of improved synaptic facilitation. In plain English, the central nervous system simply became more efficient at that particular movement with practice. This is, however, not to be confused with actual strength gains. Dealing with the temporary frustration of not making progress is an integral part of the path towards excellence. In fact, it is essential and something that every single elite athlete has had to learn to deal with. If the pursuit of excellence was easy, everyone would do it. In fact, this impatience in dealing with frustration is the primary reason that most people fail to achieve their goals. Unreasonable expectations timewise, resulting in unnecessary frustration, due to a perceived feeling of failure. Achieving the extraordinary is not a linear process. The secret is to show up, do the work, and go home. A blue collar work ethic married to indomitable will. It is literally that simple. Nothing interferes. Nothing can sway you from your purpose. Once the decision is made, simply refuse to budge. Refuse to compromise. And accept that quality long-term results require quality long-term focus. No emotion. No drama. No beating yourself up over small bumps in the road. Learn to enjoy and appreciate the process. This is especially important because you are going to spend far more time on the actual journey than with those all too brief moments of triumph at the end. Certainly celebrate the moments of triumph when they occur. More importantly, learn from defeats when they happen. In fact, if you are not encountering defeat on a fairly regular basis, you are not trying hard enough. And absolutely refuse to accept less than your best. Throw out a timeline. It will take what it takes. If the commitment is to a long-term goal and not to a series of smaller intermediate goals, then only one decision needs to be made and adhered to. Clear, simple, straightforward. Much easier to maintain than having to make small decision after small decision to stay the course when dealing with each step along the way. This provides far too many opportunities to inadvertently drift from your chosen goal. The single decision is one of the most powerful tools in the toolbox.

 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬, 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 & 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 Children don’t just learn facts, formulas, or lessons. They grow through the environment we create around them. A positive environment builds confidence. A negative one limits potential. As leaders in their journey, here are 4 practical ways to create the right surroundings: ✅ 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 — Speak with respect and encouragement. Words leave lasting impact. ✅ 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 — Acknowledge persistence, not just grades or performance. This nurtures resilience. ✅ 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 — Avoid blame, comparison, and shouting. Guide with calm direction instead. ✅ 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 — Small gestures of support, recognition, and trust reinforce self-belief. The role of a mentor is not just to transfer knowledge — it is to create an environment where students feel safe to learn, try, fail, and grow.

If I had to start my 6-figure business, this would have been my first few steps (with a real example at the end) - Step 1: Identify Your Unique Value Implementation: - Complete a "Before & After" grid: List what clients experience before working with you (pain points) and after (benefits) - Use the "So What?" test: For each feature you offer, ask "so what?" until you reach the true benefit - Tools: Miro for visual mapping, Google Forms to survey past clients about what they valued most Step 2: Analyze Your Competition - Create a simple competitor matrix: List 5 competitors across the top, key service features down the side, mark what each offers - Highlight pricing, deliverables, timelines, and guarantees to find underserved areas - Tools: Ahrefs for keyword research on competitors, notion for tracking competitive intelligence Step 3: Define Your Ideal Client - Draft a "Day in the Life" scenario for your ideal client, focusing on their challenges and objectives - Plot clients on a 2x2 matrix: "Easy to Work With" vs. "Profitable" to identify patterns in your best clients - Tools: Make Persona for creating client avatars, LinkedIn Sales Navigator for researching prospect profiles Step 4: Craft Your Offer - Write your offer using the PAS formula: Problem-Agitation-Solution in under 100 words - Create a bulleted "This Includes/This Doesn't Include" list for clarity - Tools: Hemingway Editor to simplify language, Loom to record a 60-second pitch for testing Step 5: Test and Refine - A/B test two versions of your offer in outreach emails or discovery calls - Track conversion metrics: inquiry-to-call and call-to-client ratios - Tools: Calendly for tracking booking rates, TypeForm for collecting prospect feedback Real-World Example: BEFORE:  "WordPress development services at competitive rates." AFTER:   "7-day WordPress sites for fitness coaches that convert 30% better, with same-day tech support and DIY training included." This focused offer speaks directly to a specific client's needs, timeline concerns, and desired business outcomes. Hope this helps!

I used to think coaching was an unnecessary expense. It’s not. Coaching is an investment in your future. 7 reasons why every founder needs a coach: ~~ 1) They help you find opportunity in chaos. When I faced a co-founder breakup, I was stuck in a victim mindset. (Why me?) Great coaches reframe issues: “What can I learn from this?” The obstacle becomes the way. == 2) They expose your blind spots. I wanted my team to take more ownership. My coach showed me the problem wasn’t them, it was me. Micromanaging, overworking, and not trusting others were habits I couldn’t see. Coaching helped me lead with confidence instead of control. == 3) They help you calm the storm. In 2018, I woke up in a panic everyday driven by whatever the sales results were that day down to the hour. My coach taught me to break the short-term “panic cycle”, shifting from reactive decisions to intentional clarity. The result? We created a long-term vision that improved our ability to deal with short-term missed goals. == 4) They change how you measure success. I shifted from a Do/Have/Be mentality to a Be/Do/Have framework and it changed how I approached my entire life. My coach helped me see that real fulfillment comes from being the leader I know I already am, not from “having more”. == 5) They teach you how to scale yourself. I was the bottleneck in my business. Trying to control everything kept my team—and me—stuck. Coaching taught me to delegate smarter, empower my team, and focus on high-leverage work. == 6) They help you lead for the long game. My endurance coach taught me to pace myself in Zone 2, building strength without burning out. My executive coach taught me the same about steady leadership: slow is smooth and smooth is fast. == 7) They hold you accountable to grow. I spent years thinking effort alone would make me a better leader. Coaching gave me something I couldn’t create myself: someone to call me out when I avoided the hard work of real change. == Coaching isn’t for “struggling” leaders. It’s for founders who want to grow faster, lead better, and build a life they’re proud of. Shoutout my coach Jon Roberts (Novus Global)!

Coaching is not intuitive, yet many managers think it is. Here’s the hard truth: many managers believe they’re coaching, but they’re just telling people what to do. 💬 Managers - when they contact me for coaching training : "I've always coached my team intuitively, now I need a solid framework and practical tools." 💬Managers - after the first day of coaching training: " I’ve realised that I never truly coached my team — actually I've been mentoring them all this time…" ✅ Real coaching requires a distinct approach and a specific set of skills, now critical for every leader. If you're ready start coaching, here’s your 9-step cheat sheet to transform how you lead: 1. Build Trust Trust is consistency over time, as Jeff Weiner would say. Without it, nothing else matters. 2. Structure your sessions with the GROW Model Goal - the most important part - What is your goal for the session ? Reality - What is happening? Options - What are your options? What else? Way Forward - What is the first step? 3. Listen at levels 2 and 3 Stop listening to respond (level 1). Listen to what's not being said.  Start listening to understand. Go beyond the words. 4. Ask Powerful Questions Stop giving answers. Start asking questions Make people think: What’s possible? What success look like for you? 5. Coach the Person, Not the Problem Focus on the employee's growth, not on solving today’s issue. 6. Understand behaviors with DISC Adapt your communication style using DISC to meet them where they are: D- Dominant : Straight to the point I - Influential: Creative thinking S- Steady: Safe space, reflective time C - Conscientious: Be precise, take time 7. Focus on what can ce controlled Coach them to focus on what they can control and change. Help them not waste their time on what they can't control nor influence. Toxic waste of energy. 8. Close Every Session with SMART Goals Vague intentions don’t cut it.  Every session needs actionable goals, small steps. 9 Ask for feedback, Welcome radical candor Feedback is a two-way street.  Ask for it. Encourage it. Embrace it. Ready to level up your coaching skills? Join our training in September - link in comments - and start coaching to the next level. P.S. 👍 Like this? ♻ Repost it and download it. And follow Geraldine GAUTHIER MCC for more content like this!

Talent or Hard work? As a coach, I've seen countless athletes rise and fall. One thing remains clear: it’s not only about talent. It’s about mindset, perseverance, and the fundamental values of sport. Talent can be deceptive. When things come too easily, it’s tempting to fall into complacency, believing success requires minimal effort. But true champions, those who reach the pinnacle of their sport, often aren’t the most naturally gifted. They understand that success is built on relentless hard work and dedication. Take some of the greatest athletes I've worked with. Their victories aren’t just a result of innate skill but a testament to their work ethic, resilience, and unyielding determination. When you're not the most talented, you know that only hard work will get you there, pushing you to outwork everyone else. In sports and life, it's those who persevere, who push past their limits, who truly excel. It’s not just about how you start but how you endure and overcome obstacles along the way. Do you agree? What is your perspective on talent vs hard work? #PatrickMouratoglou #mindset #hardwork #sportvalues #tennis #sports

Many people assume coaching works like advice. Someone comes with a problem. The coach provides the answer. The solution is handed over and the path becomes clear. That picture is comforting, yet it misses the essence of real coaching. Coaching is rarely about handing someone a ready made answer. It is about creating the space where people begin to see their own thinking more clearly. Through the right questions, reflection and perspective, individuals start uncovering insights that were already within reach but hidden under noise or pressure. When someone arrives at their own understanding, the shift is deeper. The learning stays with them because it was discovered rather than delivered. Advice can solve a moment. Coaching strengthens the person who will face the next hundred moments. #leadership #culture #entrepreneurship #success #coaching 

Research consistently shows that high-performers leave organizations quickly when they don't see clear development opportunities. In other words, your high-potential employees are watching—and they're making decisions about their future. Some good news? Executive coaching can change this equation. Traditional development programs teach skills. Coaching develops the person. While workshops cover leadership theories, coaching addresses the real-time challenges your rising stars face: navigating politics, building influence, making tough decisions under pressure. The acceleration happens in three key areas: ▪️ Self-awareness at scale. High-potentials often excel technically but struggle with emotional intelligence. Coaching creates the space for honest self-reflection they rarely get elsewhere. ▪️ Strategic thinking development. Moving from tactical execution to strategic leadership requires a fundamental shift in perspective. Coaching bridges this gap faster than classroom learning. ▪️ Confidence in complexity. Even your best people doubt themselves when facing new challenges. Coaching builds the internal resilience needed for bigger roles. The business impact is measurable: Organizations using executive coaching for high-potential development see faster promotion rates and stronger internal advancement. The retention impact is even stronger. These employees stay longer and become your strongest internal advocates. ➡️ TLDR? Executive Coaching = Yay!

Leadership Lessons from the Gym Coaching executives, we often discuss determination and resilience.  We draw from examples of gritty business leaders who have excelled despite bitter setbacks, and forged on in the face of extreme pressure and unexpected, sometimes unfair, adversities. Remarkable sources of inspiration can be found in our everyday lives, too. Meet Rick (name changed, per his request). Rick works out at my local gym. Driving to the gym is hard. Walking into the gym is hard. Positioning his forearm crutches and twisting his body to navigate between the equipment is hard. After all that, he lifts, which is hard. The whole process takes him three to four times longer than it does me. I observe him in awe. Meanwhile, Rick perseveres cheerfully, mightily. If his gaze falls upon you and you are nearby, he’s going to talk to you. He’s just that friendly. His smile and lightheartedness belie his grit. I like that and him; my fellow gym patrons do too. There are times when each of us must face hardship and formidable obstacles, in business and in life. Moments that test our mettle, but also give us the gift of strengthening our determination and resilience muscles. It’s a great leader, often inspired by people like Rick and others who have overcome seemingly intolerable circumstances, who seize those opportunities. #Leadership #Determination #Grit #Resilience #Coachsultant