The Art Of Coaching

It’s time to flip the script. If you’re like me, you’ve fallen victim to procrastination guilt - the feeling that something’s wrong with you, you’re broken, or you haven’t found your true “why” because you’re waiting until the last minute to get a certain task done.  The truth is, our perception of procrastination has been tremendously influenced by the unrealistic expectations of nonsense leadership books and mantras like “how we do anything is how we do everything.” In today’s episode, we outline the reasons why this perception is off the mark, and how you can harness the power of procrastination.  More specifically, we discuss: What the term procrastination actually means and what it is not (7:00) How procrastination and perfectionism are related and how to deal with it (11:15) Material Reference: Art of Coaching Podcast E190 - Why It Seems Like We Never Have Enough Time (18:00) How procrastination taps our inner adversity drives (18:10) Material Reference: Find Out What Drives You (18:30) The physiolo

“I’m sorry.”   Depending on the context, these can be some of the hardest words to say.     Whether it’s because emotions are running high, you aren’t sure what you’re sorry for (but you feel it’s what the other party wants to hear), or any number of other conflict resolution scenarios, these words often get used and abused, making their impact dull or unintentional.   In today’s episode, we define and address the do’s and don’ts of conversational repair, and reveal some common case studies showing the use of these tactics in real life situations.  Some of the core principles discussed include:   Using an apology as a starting point - the beginning of a new set of behaviors (11:10) Having the right timing (12:25) Knowing when or how an apology will actually make things worse (13:40) How to not over-apologize (16:35)   These are meant to help you formulate a research - backed game plan when going into these types of high risk conversations, so that you can avoid the unintentional consequences that so often oc

Are you in a job or situation where you’re feeling stuck, unfulfilled, under-appreciated or just ready for something new?   We hear you! You're not alone. If you're considering leaving and/or going out on your own, there are some essential questions to ask yourself before taking the leap. On today's episode, I'll give you not only a comprehensive guide to some of the factors you need to consider,  but also some of the questions I wished someone would have asked me before I made the jump: What is it about my current situation that is making me consider another option? If I’ve been feeling this way for a while, why haven’t I left yet? Affective Commitment Normative Commitment  Continuance Commitment Do I have the risk/ stress tolerance to deal with the ambiguity and uncertainty? What do I consider being “productive?” This episode just scratches the surface of questions that are answered much more thoroughly in our online course Blindspot, which is ON SALE right now for a limited time.  If you are considering

What is your brand?   What do you want to be known for? If you don’t have a solid handle on the answers to these questions, you'll have a hard time communicating with others what you bring to the table. In today’s episode, our guest Greg Hoffman, former Nike Chief Marketing Officer, teaches us how to apply principles of branding and design from top companies to our own personal brand. Specifically, he speaks on: 3 things you must consider when creating your personal brand Identifying the essential traits and characteristics you want to be known for Why writing is one of the most powerful skills you can build & how to do it The essential role of both art & data in decision making   Greg is a global brand leader.  For over 27 years, Greg held marketing, design, and innovation leadership roles at Nike, including time as the brand’s CMO.  In his most recent role as Nike’s Vice President of Global Brand Innovation, he led teams tasked with envisioning the future of storytelling and consumer experiences fo

What is your first thought or reaction when you get this text message? “That’s fine.” The sender could have meant “I agree with everything you just said/ suggested,” or “I have no opinion and will have no problem with the option you’ve chosen,” or “that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard but I’m going with it because I don’t care to contribute to the decision.”  The issue with text messaging as the medium is that without any other incoming information, the receiver simply can not tell what the sender really means. This is just one aspect of communication that must be considered when choosing the correct medium for your message. Today’s episode will answer and discuss these popular questions: What is meant by “medium” and what are the different types?Presentational, Representational,  and Technological/ Mechanical          How do I know which is the right one to use so I don’t give off the wrong impression?Social Presence and Media Richness How do I teach my teen (or anyone) to understand and apply this?

With more than 70 Olympians and 30 medals to his name, there aren’t many coaches as prolific as Stu McMillan.  But did you know he’d had 38 jobs by the time he was 37 (including one as a “baked potato boy”)?  How about that he didn’t start working in elite track & field until his 40’s? This week, we had the chance to sit down (in person!) with Stu and discuss topics and questions he seldom addresses: The ONE thing every coach needs to learn and take more seriously  His unique definition of effective leadership and how he implements it daily Where he draws the line on sharing personal and business information with his staff Why more coaches should start sharing their work publicly Stu McMillan is the co-owner and CEO of ALTIS. He has been a professional S&C and Sprints Coach for over 28 years, and has worked with professional and amateur athletes in a variety of sports - with the focus being on power and speed development. Stu has personally coached over 70 Olympians at 7 Olympic Games; over 30 of whom

“Unless you live in North Korea, everything you do as a coach is persuasion.” Did that grab your attention?!  In today’s episode, Keir Wenham-Flatt explains his use of humor and overall philosophy when it comes to making his message stand out in a sea of information.  He says, “you must grab attention first to earn the right to convey your message to people.”  Keir is a strength coach with over a decade’s experience of working with elite athletes on 4 different continents.  He is best known for his work in rugby and college football. In addition to coaching he is the founder of Strength Coach Network, an educational platform for team sport strength and conditioning specialists. Throughout the episode, Keir speaks on: How the VALUE of S&C professionals is negatively affected by the nature of the field How to “earn the right” to convey your message to the right audience Using seemingly outside avenues to further yourself as a professional AND as a person Why the current system of education and accreditation

Picture this: you’re talking to someone you just met at a social gathering, negotiating with a potential client or presenting to a group of skeptical attendees. Try as you might to connect with or get them to share or interact, they give you absolutely nothing in return...  It’s the equivalent of talking to a brick wall.   While frustrating, getting someone who is shy, quiet or less social to open up is one of the most useful and important skills you can build as a communicator, and it all comes down to properly deploying a few specific but underutilized tools.  On today’s episode we cover:  The one skill that will allow you to connect with anyone When and why you should stop asking so many questions The 5 key tools / tactics to try when talking to a shy person  How to MASTER the awkward pause  A couple announcements: 1. We know selling yourself and your work can feel slimy and gross. But if you’re creating real value that can help even one person, we believe you have a responsibility to share it. If you don

The word “toughness” might be one of the most overused and misdefined in coaching and leadership; something we routinely seek and preach, but rarely understand.    Toughness isn’t about grinding through pain and it isn’t built doing “hard” things we routinely encounter; True toughness is better described as making smart decisions in challenging situations and problem solving through obstacles not regularly faced.    To better understand this definition and how to cultivate resilience, we welcome Steve Magness, a world-renowned expert on performance, well-being, and sustainable success. He is coauthor of the best-selling books Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox. His most recent work is Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness. In his coaching practice, Steve works with executives, entrepreneurs, and athletes on their performance and mental skills. He's served as a consultant and coach for numerous professional sports teams.   We cover:  Why pain, soreness a

We’re living in a society more polarized and intolerant than ever before; A society in which it’s hard to tell a joke, let alone disagree with someone. But to evolve and for this to change, we need principled insubordination, systematic rule-breaking, and people not afraid to engage with those who share different views.  On today’s episode we have the pleasure of talking to Dr. Todd Kashdan, (Ph.D & Professor of Psychology at George Mason University), a leading authority on well-being, psychological flexibility, curiosity, courage, and resilience.  Dr. Kashdan is the author of Curious? and The Upside of Your Dark Side, and his latest book is The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively. His writing has appeared in the Harvard Business Review, National Geographic, Fast Company, among other publications, and his research is featured regularly in media outlets such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, NPR, and Time Magazine. We discuss: How to dissent / disagree effectively Why we should s

When it comes to personal and professional development we all know books, podcasts and seminars won’t cut it. Simply put- greater input doesn’t equal better output.   At a certain point, we need community, accountability and exposure to a diversity of thoughts and perspectives; We need help tackling our unique obstacles and highlighting our blindspots.     On today’s episode we discuss the single BEST thing you can do for your personal and professional development as well as:   The obstacles all leaders face The advantages of community and how to find the right one Advantages of being around people who think differently  Overcoming excuses & constraints relating to money, time and experience How to find and foster accountability in your life   By the way, if you’re interested in a community like this, check out The Coalition. We’re biased, but if you’re in search of a personal board of directors, think tank and way to get around great leaders who will help you build a plan forward, it doesn’t get much be

Jack Crawford isn’t your ordinary 10 year NFL vet… and this just might be one of the most interesting episodes to date.    On today’s show, Jack takes us on a journey from his childhood playing cricket and the *real* football in the streets of London to gorilla trekking in Uganda (with a few stops in professional football along the way).    We discuss everything from his unconventional views on good coaching to becoming self-aware at a young age, learning from failure, navigating politics on social media and even the experience of going to the same high school as Harry Potter (aka Daniel Radcliffe).    Connect with Jack: Via Instagram: @j_crawford58    Throughout the episode Jack talks about the value of having great mentors throughout his career. That’s exactly what we’ve created with the Coalition; If you’re in search of a think tank or place where you can share ideas with other leaders, get real feedback and learn to grow personally and professionally, check out artofcoaching.com/coalition.    This is a co

What would we be able to accomplish if our teams, cultures and companies encouraged people to give each other feedback with radical candor, speak up when wronged and challenge colleagues and supervisors to think differently? What would happen if we were able to recognize, attack and eliminate workplace injustice and “just work”?    On today’s episode we talk to Kim Scott, author of Just Work: Get *t Done Fast and Fair as well as Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity. Kim co-founded two companies that help organizations put the ideas in her books into practice. She’s also been a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies and held leadership roles at Apple and Google. Earlier in her career she managed a pediatric clinic in Kosovo and started a diamond-cutting factory in Moscow.   We discuss:  How to give and receive difficult feedback  Best hiring practices (how to set checks and balances) Using improv as a way to scenario plan for hard conversations When and wh

We’ve all had what we thought was a great idea: a new invention that’ll make us millions, the perfect scheme to get back at our petty neighbor, the solution to end world hunger…    Okay maybe nothing that grand, but you get the point; There are hundreds of ideas that play bumper cars in our minds on a daily basis.    And yet, the majority of these ideas stay there, rotting away because we lack the tools to put them out into the world and/or confidence to ensure they survive first contact with the “enemy” (which is often ourselves).    Today’s episode is chock full of tools / strategies to help you get your best ideas out of your head and into the world. We’ll cover:    What to do if you can’t think of any good ideas Essential questions to ask before moving forward with an idea Mind Mapping: populating, connecting & Sorting and pressure testing Brainstorming: rules of engagement    This episode is brought to you by The Art of Coaching Speaking School:   Whether you’re pitching investors for more money, ask

With how highly they’re touted, you’d think we know everything we need to know about habits and routines; But much of what we’ve heard or read about creating, sustaining and breaking them is pop-psychology, anecdote or trend- not rooted in science.    On today’s episode, we talk to one of the world’s leading experts on behavior change and habits: Dr. Wendy Wood. We get her take on what it really takes to form lasting ones, what to do when life gets in the way, and how to get rid of bad habits.    Dr. Wood is the Provost Professor of Psychology and Business at the University of Southern California and author of the book, Good Habits, Bad Habits. She has spent the last 30 years studying the challenges of changing behavior, especially how we form habits and why our habits are so difficult to change.   Connect with Dr. Wood: Twitter: @profwendywood  Linkedin: Wendy Wood  Instagram: @ProfWendyWood   When it comes to public speaking, bad habits can be hard to break. Whether you get nervous before a big presentation

There are some seriously interesting people at the airport... You know them, you’ve seen them, hey maybe you are them!   From Security Gate Suzy to Food Court Freddie, on today’s episode we’re breaking down the magical creatures you’re bound to spot during your next trip.    And don’t worry, today’s show isn't meant to be  serious, we’re just having fun. So sit back, relax and enjoy some good natured laughs in the form of commentary on hilarious (and annoying) airport archetypes.    And if you aren’t sure what we are talking about- you will soon!    While you’re here, do us a favor and leave us a review on iTunes, or send us a question or comment; we LOVE hearing from you!    Today’s episode was brought to you by LMNT and DFND-    DFND: As our official compression partner, DFND is engineered to help anyone who loves to train and compete go harder longer, recover quicker, and get better faster. Their first line of compression wear was tested on special forces trainees under the harshest training conditions in

Taking time to do comprehensive audience research before speaking is the single greatest way to ensure our message comes across the way we want.    …And yet hardly any of us will do this thoroughly enough to make a real difference.    But we only get one chance to make a first impression and when people are trusting us with their time, money and attention- we have a responsibility to honor them at the highest level.   On today’s episode, we’ll cover the essential questions you MUST ask yourself (and your host) before you ever step in front of a group, including:  

As we mature into adults, we become a smorgasbord of the good, bad and ugly experiences we endure growing up; Each has a hand in shaping who we become as leaders, coaches, parents, teachers, mentors, and friends.  But regardless of where we begin, the decision to either re-write these narratives or succumb to their self-fulfilling prophecy is the most important one we can make in our development. How will who I grew up as, define who I am going forward?  In today’s episode we hear from Coach Joel Sanders, a strength & conditioning coach at EXOS about how his upbringing shaped who he decided to be as a coach, parent and mentor.  In addition to being a parent of 5, Joel has mentored hundreds of strength and conditioning interns over the last 15 years and has had his work featured in Men's Health Mag, Women's Health Magazine, Men's Fitness, & Men's Journal.  We cover: The importance of choosing the right life partner  5 key principles for mentoring or developing interns Parenting in the modern world (les

Welcome to 2022- where positivity is trendy, motivational quotes plaster coffee shop walls and the “self-help” and “leadership” sections of bookstores have become one.    This may be the norm, but it’s not productive for society.    In our messy world, reducing complex human behavior and leadership to clichés and black & white thinking can be both dangerous and ineffective.    True leadership requires authenticity- acting in accordance with one’s true self. A leader who is worried about being liked will not make decisions in the best interest of those they lead and/or risk burnout.    On today’s episode we discuss: Why you shouldn’t worry about being liked The  evolutionary & psychological origins of “likeability” What we can do to work through the likeability obstacle How wanting to to be liked leads to burnout & other disastrous outcomes   Part of developing and sharing your authentic self comes from knowing how to communicate effectively. Join The Conscious Coaching Challenge: 30

It’s not everyday we get to welcome a world champion to our show- let alone one willing to dive into the weeds on everything from building a brand to standing up for yourself when no one else will.  Julianna Peña is the reigning UFC Bantamweight Champion and ESPN’s 2021 Female Fighter of The Year (among MANY other awards). Her victory over Amanda Nunes has been called one of the greatest upsets in all of sport and today she joins us from Las Vegas where she’s (at the time of the recording) filming The Ultimate Fighter (TV show) and training to defend her title.  On today’s episode we cover: Cutting through the B.S and building a trustworthy team around you  How to craft an authentic brand & lasting legacy in today’s world The difference between liking & respecting opponents and coaches Why / how to stand up for yourself even when no one’s with you As Julianna mentioned in this episode, building your brand isn’t just about getting your name and face in front of more people- it’s about building