Chapter ten

Conclusion

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Mastery is the capacity to focus purely on the activity of coaching. We think it is something we can be taught, but it is not. It is something we learn through our own experience from the inside out. The secret to becoming an exceptional coach is to realise that mastery is not a destiny we can strive to reach. To be masterful necessitates that we discover the masterful being within. It is this being that informs your mastery.

When we meet this inner coach, our vision expands, our capacity and quality of how we relate deepens, and our ability to resolve conflict emerges. We refine ourselves from the inside out; no one else can do it for us. We learn that mastery is the art of minimising our inner distractions so that we can place our attentiveness and concentration purely on the activity of coaching itself.

The identity of the masterful coach is our most authentic being. Every coach is an apprentice to the self – we are ultimately self-taught. Mastery is not only what we aspire to be or become, it is our origin, it is our most natural talent. The practice of coaching offers the chance for us to discover this inner teacher and master our practice. I often think that coaching is more a self-fulfilling prophecy than a profession. As I discover and accept myself, so I am inspired to discover more.

Commonly, coaching is a means to improve performance. It is, however, in essence an act intent on discovering the source of our deepest acts of humanity. It affirms our innate talent together with a masterful being. This new found depth deepens the quality of how we relate enabling sustained change through building relationships and community.

Discovering the masterful coach necessitates that we let go of who we think we are. It is remarkable to me, in a world busily seeking approval and qualification, that mastery is found in our courage to let go of what we know. In willingly entering into the mystery of our unknown, we are propelled towards mastery.

If you have found the instruments that can help you to navigate and set your own course in this unknown – from the inside out – then the seas, be they calm or stormy, are but a rite of passage. Relax, be yourself, give yourself permission to be who you are without condition or reproach. Live the things you love – be happy in your work. It doesn’t have to be hard. This is the legacy of the masterful coach. Through the practice of coaching we discover our deeper authenticity – the self we were born to be. If we are this without condition then we fulfil a larger destiny by returning to our origin.