Do you need a coach?
The famous psychologist, Abraham Maslow has stated, "What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself." And before him, Plato said "Know thyself". In my 15+ years of coaching and consulting, most people I meet swear that they know who they are, and truly get offended and defensive when you suggest that maybe they don't or maybe not as well as they think. In all honesty, I fell in to this category. I was gong through life, thinking I was MR. Successful and had a handle all that was thrown at me. In fact there wasn't too much that I couldn't handle by myself. I had it all figured out and I could do anything and everything I put my mind to. Let me assure you, I was wrong then, and if your nodding your head "yep sounds like me" you are wrong now. But don't feel bad, it's only human nature.
In fact, its human nature that doesn't allow us see ourselves clearly. Human nature doesn't allow for such objective self-evaluation feedback. We judge our surroundings and ourselves by our inward perceptions of reality, which very often are mild distortions of the truth, if not complete illusions. Over time, this leads to self-deception and impacts your leadership and management capabilities negatively if not corrected.
After serving and working with business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals for many years, I have learned that you will not make the changes necessary to improve your life and business without someone holding you accountable. You need someone observing the truth, that is, your outward and repeated behavior. No significant and sustainable change will occur without a real-world evaluation and accountability process. You will need an outside perspective, a coach, to achieve real and lasting breakthroughs.
For years, serious athletes, actors, and politicians have all used personal coaches to help maximize their skills and abilities. These professionals are often at the top of their game, yet wouldn't think of 'going it alone.' Many of us are now recognizing the value of this unique relationship and are adapting it to a business and personal level.
For maximum performance you need an objective, caring coach who will challenge you and hold you accountable for growing and changing. Someone who helps burn off the mental fog that is clouding your objectivity. Someone to challenge your old, limiting assumptions. Someone who monitors and reports your progress. Someone who hold you to a higher standard of success and excellence. Someone to ask you the tough questions with the expectations of truthful answers. Someone to get you to slow down and do deep reflection and analysis. Someone who helps define, plan, execute and achieve both your personal and business goals.
Former Dallas Cowboys coach, Tom Landry, sums it up this way, "A coach is someone who gets you to do what you don't want to do, so you can be who you want to be."
With a coach, we do more than we would do on our own, go further and faster toward our goals, and take ourselves more seriously. We have an accountability partner who shares our best interest and keeps us moving forward. Business coaching is about taking action and makings things happen.
Business coaches are more than a friend with whom to share problems. They are a sounding board for solutions to the challenges we face on a daily basis. They are mentors in some cases, cheerleaders in others. Part consultant, part family. Coaches unleash the true power of partnership and collboration.
The time for life coaching is now. The reasons are the ones bouncing around in your head at this very moment. The question now becomes, are you ready for the rewards that come with taking the game of life to the next level?
Take 6 minutes and look at the movie clip on coaching below and then ask yourself the questions that follow.
