People join life coaching programs to achieve one thing: a well balanced life with direction. These people are looking to follow their dreams while spending quality time with their families and loved ones. What a personal development coach does is to first help clients to evaluate their current life status, and then help them set their goals, and finally to encourage them to take action towards the achievement of their goals.
But how does a personal development coach do these things? Are they perfect enough to know how to make others' lives better? Perhaps we should just say that a personal development coach is an effective leader. A personal development coach has the ability to choose what he/she wants to become, and figure out ways to be just that. So what traits characterise a good leader or a personal development coach?
A Vision
An important skill for a personal development coach is to have a clear vision of the future. A good personal development coach needs to have a personal belief and principles which will guide him toward a successful result. It is also vital that a personal development coach possesses the ability to convey his vision to others and influence them to support his vision. Being able to apply this process and skill in his / her own life will be a key factor of effectiveness with his clients (the concept here is if you can't lead youself how can you effectively lead or coach others).
An Inspiration to Others
An effective personal development coach is one who can inspire and motivate others to decide on what they want, and implement a plan of action to achieve their goals. Just as leaders are most skillful in influencing people, a personal development coach also has something in him that can get others to perform to the best of their abilities and capacity. Great leaders and good coaches are people of action… they lead from the front and their example inspires and encourages others to rise to their innate potential.
Appreciative of Others
You have a skill of a personal development coach if you can get people to feel valued and worthy. Whatever it is that you say encourages others to improve and grow. Just like a leader, a personal development coach wins people over and influences people. They are usually good empathetic listeners however have the ability to read people's needs and manage them in a style that get's the most out of each person.
A Doer
A leader, as well as a personal development coach, does not sit back, relax, and wait until something happens. A personal development coach makes something happen by taking action and urging people to take action. A personal development coach only waits if and only if it is what he needs to do strategically, to achieve something better.
Confident
Confidence leads to trust. A good personal development coach gains the trust of people by showing that he is confident in himself. He is fully aware of his worth. He has a strong belief that his actions are according to his beliefs and principles, and that every informed decision that he is going to make will contribute to the changes in his life. A personal development coach should also show his confidence in people. He serves as a guide, not a dictator. He is a mentor. Letting people know that they are trusted allows them to trust themselves and trust in him / her.
Take a look around you. Do you see people who have these qualities? Do you feel that you can be like them?
Author: Drew Innes
A former Property & Finance Executive and now one of today's most successful Online Entrepreneurs. Drew is an International mentor and coach in the Direct Sales Industry specialising in Personal Development, Business Systems, Online Marketing and mentoring people on 'mastering the inner game of wealth'. Learn from Drew and create 'your own economy' to take back control of your life.
July 14th, 2010 at 5:45 am
Thanks Drew. You added me on YouTube. I’d love to work with you one day