Powerful Leadership Through Coaching

5Coaching with Authenticity

By now, you’ve probably realized that your success as a leader-coach depends on the kind of person you are. You’re aware that successful coaching starts within you. You know that you need an abundance mindset. But you can’t fake the personality and mindset of an effective coach. In this chapter, we’ll talk about the importance of being authentic.

We have all been around leaders who are fake, inauthentic, and phony. When interacting with these types of leaders, you learn very quickly that they are self-centered, expedient, and narcissistic. For over three years, I had the opportunity to work closely with a man I believe exemplifies the authentic leader. His name is Brent Smith. When we first met, he looked at me and my colleague and said, “Michael and Barney, we are going to have a lot of fun, and we are going to do a lot of good—in that order.”

And we did! When working with Brent, I felt engaged and empowered. I was never scared of making a mistake. He always had my back. I did not have to think about covering my tracks. Brent offered us a clear vision and sense of purpose and trusted us in our roles. I came to know that he would do anything for me and our team, and we would do anything for him. I used to say, “I would run through a brick wall for him.”

Why was Brent such an influential leader? He was genuine, smart, hard-working, and humble. He served others and cared deeply about them. He was more than just a loyal leader—Brent was completely ...