Ignore it. Yes, that’s right, that is the answer to your problem. Ignore the thought that you’re not good enough. That you are incapable of coaching, that you should somehow possess superpowers you believe others possess, but you do not. Which simply isn’t true.
Successful coaches are ordinary human beings. They don’t have special powers. What makes them successful is the drive that they have to help their clients.
They know how important it is for them to serve their clients, keeping in mind the positive change it can bring in their lives–whether it is helping someone make better career choices, start a business, or get in better shape. Striving for these outcomes is their drive. And when you’re moving forward with passion and purpose, negative voices are like the sound of distant traffic. It’s pretty much irrelevant and something worth ignoring.
In short, it is a strong positive intent that will help you stay focused on what you want whilst you pay no heed to what you do not want.
Another name for this approach is called moving forward with intent.
Now, that’s good news for those seeking to be a coach, or who are still working on establishing their coaching business. You don’t have to worry about certifications (though it might be necessary if you’re in the corporate coaching space) and you don’t have to be a savvy marketer to feel you’re qualified to be a coach.
What you do need is the heart of a coach, one that seeks to serve, and help make a difference.
And if you’ve got that part covered, you’re qualified to be a coach.
Intent is a powerful thing, and those who move forward with a strong intent, succeed.
Where There is Intent, There is a Way
Angela Roth, the founder of Succeed From The Start, created one of the best coach communities in existence, by starting with an intent. She clearly had no previous experience starting or running a virtual community, nor did she have any technical expertise.
But she was clear about one thing: she wanted to serve other coaches like her, those aspiring to be a coach, and those who had been previously burnt walking down the wrong lane.
A lane full of false promises, where charlatans existed, only to profit from naïve yet hopeful solopreneurs.
A lot of her hard earned money had gone down the drain, almost killing her dream of owning a business. But what came to her rescue was her indomitable spirit, that didn’t want to take no for an answer.
And so not only did she walk away from the wrong people, but she also created her own community full of the right people. People who sought to serve and who wanted to come together to find out what it means to learn, grow, and thrive.
And lo-and-behold, Angela’s community caught fire. People worldwide shared similar stories of scams based on broken promises; tired of the lies, they wanted to quit and restart under Angela’s guidance.
This is the power of intent. You can go from not understanding how to do what you want to do, to finding out all about it, and getting it done!
Communities Can Provide a Great Boost for Your Intent
Let’s consider this: when you’re in a job, you have other people to guide and support you to help execute it well. But then when you think about going solo, and starting a coaching business, suddenly, you’re all alone.
There is no support in sight. You don’t know who to turn to for help, and not knowing what you will do as a new coach can be scary. But don’t let that put you off from getting started, because you can get the help you need by joining a relevant coaching business community.
More importantly, being a part of a community means having time to share your intent, to share more about what you do, and who you seek to serve. This helps amplify your intent, and with it follows timely support and guidance, so you don’t feel like Alice in Wonderland.
Plus, when there is ongoing support and inspiration to keep going, that feeling of being inadequate as a coach can be far more easily dealt with. Being a coach is more about getting yourself educated. so that you are always at least one or two steps ahead of those you coach.
It just makes perfect sense if you think about how you got good at your job? Or your previous vocation? You got good at it by learning and through experience, and that is how it is for a coach. There’s just no other way around it, and there need not be.
You can learn everything you need to learn while you practice the art of coaching.
You Don’t Have to Be a ‘Know it All’ to be a Coach
I guess we have saved the best for last. Many new and aspiring coaches think they have to be an expert and know more than their clients to be a coach. That you have to teach people about something they do not know. That’s far from the truth.
Existing coaching training and frameworks actually discourage you from solving your clients’ problems; instead, inspire and support them to find their own solutions.
While there is no hard and fast rule to coaching, it is perhaps a balance between guiding them where you can, and also helping them find their own answers. The good news is, you don’t have to be smarter than your clients. What you do need is active listening skills and the ability to hold space for them.
If you can do that, you can learn and refine the rest of the process over time.
So if you have the heart of a coach, there’s nothing that can stop you from being one, and definitely not that voice in your head!
Your intent is a powerful thing. It can help you sail through all challenges, so you never have to buy the lie that you’re not good enough. If you have the heart of a coach, the heart to serve, and the commitment to learn everything you need that you don’t already know, then without a doubt, you’re qualified to be a coach. Everything else just falls in place for those who set their mind to service.
And of course, if you want to amplify your intent, and feel even more supported on your journey of being a coach, then joining a community can be a brilliant decision. If you’re an aspiring coach, or a coach who needs support while they build their business, then be sure to check out Succeed From The Start.