The other side of coaching

I recently spoke at Life Pacific College to a class on the personal development of the leader through coaching. I’ve done a lot of teaching on how to coach, but I think this was the first time I’ve done a focused presentation on how to get the most out of being...

Every year, a new challenge

Whenever I have overseen people, I have tried to manage them in such a way that not only benefits the organization but also develops the person. When I was a senior pastor, I would think of a new challenge every year for each person I oversaw. I’d think, “What do they...

Walk before you run

Here’s something I’ve learned:  When you’re doing coach training, don’t try to train them in an application area (e.g. coaching for church planting, coaching for discipling) at the same time you’re training them in basic coaching skills. If you try to have people...

Coaching: Keep yourself out of it

A woman at a conference asked me one time what my position was on women in leadership. I responded, “I believe that leaders ought to be in leadership,” to which she responded, “Well said.” But in a coaching setting, if I am serving as the coach, my opinion on issues...

Pre-empting your mid-life crisis

Everyone knows about the cultural phenomenon known as the mid-life crisis. It can result in anything from a sports car to an affair to a sudden career change. What is a mid-life crisis? It’s a forced evaluation—usually the result of circumstances beyond one’s control...