Merriam-Webster definition of coach:

1a : a large usually closed four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage having doors in the sides and an elevated seat in front for the driver On special occasions the queen rides in a gold coach. b : a railroad passenger car intended primarily for day travel Smoking is not permitted in the train’s coaches. c : bus sense 1a toured the city by coach. d : trailer sense 1b e : a 2-door enclosed automobile f : a class of passenger air transportation at a lower fare than first class We reserved two seats in coach.

2a: [from the concept that the tutor conveys the student through examinations] a : a private tutor hired a coach to help her daughter prepare for the test b : one who instructs or trains an acting coach a birth coach especially : one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a sport and directs team strategy a football coach a pitching coach a gymnastics coach

I’m not a horse-drawn carriage and don’t instruct or train for birthing or sports teams. So what is a coach? In the 1990’s MIT developed the contemporary discipline of coaching as “… an ongoing approach to managing people.” While focused on managing employees, I believe these four coaching directions apply to coaching leaders and non-profit board executives. These are:

1. Providing Direction
2. Improving Performance
3. Opening Up Possibilities
4. Resources for Removing Obstacles

Much like an outsider can have a helpful perspective for an organization, a coach can have that same outsider perspective for an individual leader. One from the outside can see the whole system in ways one on the inside often cannot. Everyone is a Genius: late Middle English, from Latin, “attendant spirit present from one’s birth, innate ability or inclination.”

My coaching style is to listen, reflect, and ask probing questions to elicit ideas – not from me but from you! You have all you need to effectively lead, you just need a catalyst to spark the great ideas that are already there!

Contact me for a free 30-minute conversation to see if I’m the right coach for you.