I hope you have done something special this weekend, something that made you feel really good about you. Last Friday I made my first appearance as a moderator for a business event in a local town. Now whilst I’m used to speaking in front of large groups of people, walking around with a microphone interviewing business owners and generally making sure that the public knew what was happening was something new. Walking and talking for eight hours was exhausting but it was a great experience, and upon reflection I realised how much my life has changed since leaving full-time employment (ok so I didn’t have a choice because my contract was terminated). You can see my Facebook post HERE. And in particular, the decision to train as a coach has had a massive impact on me. Because if you had asked me five years ago if I would moderate a public event, I would have run a mile, but now, I welcome every opportunity to do something that is going to help me to grow, personally and professionally. Coaching has the potential to change lives, and can help you to fulfil your true potential – assuming you want to. An important advocate of coaching was Sir John Whitmore – a person lovingly referred to as the ‘Grandfather of Coaching’, and who sadly passed away a few days ago at the age of 79. He was a game-changer extraordinaire, when you consider that he was already promoting ‘coaching for performance’ in his book by the same title over 25 years ago. There are many that put coaching into the ‘fluffy’ box as something that is just a passing fashion, and which doesn’t belong in the corporate world. But Sir John was an old Etonian, and a graduate from the esteemed British Military Academy of Sandhurst who later went on to excel in sportscar racing, making frequent appearances in world-famous races such as ‘Le Mans’. It was later in life that he applied his learning to become a sports psychologist and management training consultant – and he was in no way ‘fluffy’. He believed in himself, constantly pushing his own boundaries to continue to grow. Regardless of your job title, Sir John’s book ‘Coaching for Performance’ is a worthwhile investment. In it you will learn about “growing human potential and purpose”. Even if you don’t have a team to manage, you will grow to appreciate that you have far more potential than you think you have, and that it’s up to you to begin pushing your own boundaries. His legacy extends far beyond his work to encourage others to fulfil their potential, but as far as the coaching profession is concerned, we have said farewell to a much-loved member of our family whose wisdom and insights will be sorely missed. My message to you is this: Your potential is infinite and regardless of the criticism you believe you may face – from family, friends and colleagues - you can do much more than you think you can. Do what you love and love what you do, and step into your full potential today. Get yourself a coach. Until next time, stay safe