What You Need to Be a Coach: Three Keys to Successfully Become a Life Coach

How can you become a life coach unless you walk your own talk? Maybe your own relationships aren’t great yet, but the question is you doing what you know to make them better. If you think what you need to be a coach is to be perfect, you’re wrong. Here are 3 keys to become a life coach who is on the path to restoring their own relationships. What you need to be a coach isn’t perfection, but integrity and a mindset that anything is possible.

What You Need to Be a Coach: Empathy

The first step to become a life coach who knows how to restore relationships is to empathize with the other person’s feelings. You have 2 ears and only 1 mouth. Before you attempt to resolve a disagreement, make sure you see the problems from the other person’s viewpoint. Focus on their feelings, not the facts. Don’t try to talk people out of how they feel or offer solutions. By doing this you are saying, “I value your opinion and I care about our relationship.”

What You Need to Be a Coach: Own Your Part

The next step to become a life coach is to own what is yours, and ask the other person to forgive you. Clean up your mess before asking someone else to clean up theirs. If you don’t see your own role, you might need someone to help you see your own blind spot. Someone is going to have to go first, and it might as well be you. Remember, you are the coach. If you are going to be a leader, get in the habit of going first. Don’t make excuses or shift the blame, just own any part you have played in the conflict. This will disarm the other person’s anger, most people react by becoming defensive.

What You Need to Be a Coach: Solve the Problem

Now you are in a position to become a life coach who is ready to work on the problem. Make sure you work with the other person to attack the problem, and avoid placing blame or getting defensive. Look at the problem objectively, and come from the place of being clear about what your intentions are. Be ready to compromise and make adjustments for the needs of the other person. Making peace is not about avoiding conflict or being a doormat. For the sake of the relationship you need to be honest with yourself and the other person.

Become a Life Coach Who Knows That Honesty Is What You Need to Be a Coach

Now you have what is takes to become a life coach who can handle one of the toughest challenges of all. Remember, you don’t have to wait until you feel like you can brag to others about the quality of your relationships. What you need to be a coach is to be honest with yourself and others in your life, and at least master the first of these 2 steps. After that, the possibilities will start opening up.

Colette Seymann

JTS Advisors Designated Accountability Coach