Commonsense Leadership

Chapter 1Let Common Sense Be Your Guide to Leading

I was invited to speak at an international life-coaching convention a few years ago, and asked the person who had contacted me by phone, “What do you do?”

She said, “We certify corporate coaches and life coaches.”

I was curious so I asked her, “What do you personally do?”

She said, “I'm a certified life and corporate coach.”

Her voice and enthusiasm had given me the impression that she was quite young, so I asked her how old she was. “I'm 21,” she said.

That fact alone gave me some reservations about this young woman's organization. After all, experience—both in the workplace and life in general—is crucial to coaching. Before declining, I decided to get a second opinion. I called a friend of mine who was a corporate executive and I asked, “What are some criteria you use to hire life coaches and corporate coaches?”

He laughed and he said, “Their hair has to be grayer than mine.”

That made the decision for me. There are so many organizations that make money off coaching certification programs without setting clear standards for the people they claim to serve. They plant an idea in the minds of these young people, leading them to believe they can be successful when they're not really qualified to coach. That's not to say that someday they won't have enough experience under their belts to be effective coaches, but certifying recent college grads who have spent limited time in any professional situation sends the wrong message about ...