One way to have power is to be in control. To have the authority. To advise others.
Being in control isn’t the problem. It depends on what kind of authority it is. Giving advice is the consultant's job. But it turns out that if you want to be a coach, there is a different way of seeing all the above.
Instead of power, coaches’ main job is to empower others.
They ask questions.
They help clients realize a learning point through “AHA” moments.
They don’t always give answers; instead, they find ways to help clients figure out their own path forward while feeling hopeful.
Instead of being in control, they help clients feel they can shape their own lives.
Instead of having authority over clients, they work alongside people they serve.
Instead of giving advice, they ask where their clients are and go from there, wherever that is.
In many ways, instead of gaining the perceived “power”, coaches are giving up the control.
When we have learned to see a different kind of power as coaches, we are closer to understanding the real meaning of helping others.
