I once coached a senior executive—a man who, on paper, had it all. Yet, when he sat across from me, he sighed and said, “I don’t know why I feel so stuck.”
He wasn’t looking for advice. He just needed someone to truly listen. As we talked, the pressures of leadership, the weight of expectations, and the quiet fears he had never voiced came to the surface. By the end, he found clarity—not because I gave him answers, but because he finally had the space to hear himself think.
And yet, that conversation changed me, too.
Coaches Feel, Too
Coaching isn’t just about guiding others—it’s about absorbing emotions, sitting with unspoken struggles, and carrying stories that stay with us. Coaches, too, have days when their own motivation wavers, when the weight of others’ emotions lingers. The ability to inspire is directly linked to our own ability to recharge.
Whose Goals Are We Chasing?
Organizations bring in Coaching to develop better leaders, improve communication, and drive results. But often, employees don’t get to define what they need.
People don’t separate their personal and professional struggles. A leader struggling to delegate at work may have grown up believing they had to do everything alone. A high performer on the verge of burnout may also be someone who has never learned to say no. Coaching works best when it acknowledges the whole person, not just their job title.
Being Human, First
There’s something I believe deeply: most people are good. And if they aren’t acting that way, there’s always a reason. Maybe they’re exhausted. Maybe they’ve never been heard. Maybe they’re carrying something no one has ever asked about.
This is true for employees. It’s true for leaders. And yes, it’s true for coaches, too.
Coaches are not immune to self-doubt, exhaustion, or personal challenges. We don’t have all the answers. What we do have is the ability to be present, to listen without judgment, to help people see what they might be too overwhelmed to recognize on their own.
The Real Impact of Coaching
The most meaningful Coaching moments don’t come from strategies or frameworks. They come in the pauses, in the questions that land deeply, in the realization that someone finally sees them—not as a title, but as a person.
A great coach doesn’t just help others grow. They grow with them. And when Coaching is rooted in that truth, it stops being a process.
It becomes Human.