Is Executive Coaching Stuck in the 70s?

Many regard Tim Gallwey as the father of executive coaching. He is famous for highlighting the link between mental state and performance. His first book, published in 1974, explained that the coach should promote the right mental state so that performance, learning, and enjoyment follow. Instruction was strongly discouraged. 

50 years later, this is still how the main accrediting agencies teach executive coaching, and there is an opportunity for us to modernize.  

Noah Lyles, who won the 100-meter gold medal at this Summer’s Olympics in Paris, is brimming with a can-do attitude. However, a review of his final heat showed that he was slow out of the blocks and actually last at the 30-meter mark. His coach is now working with him, using video feedback and technical instruction to improve on this relative weakness. I am betting that we will see him beat Usain Bolt’s world record pretty soon and become the fastest man ever.

The lesson is that Assessment, instruction, and even working on our weaknesses are equally necessary for achieving the best performance.