The similarities between great teachers and great coaches (also known as: could Phil Jackson be Mr. Holland?)

Let's get something out of the way: I am not a full-time coach. Coaching is a part of what I do. Sometimes it's in the context of a larger project (like helping a leader revamp their school’s performance management system), and sometimes it's a one-on-one session, in a role similar to a traditional executive coach. I was a teacher for many years and even won a national teaching award, which is why I think I was drawn to coaching as part of my work. This quote says it all:

Like many teachers, my first year of teaching looked very different from a few years in, when I learned what I was actually doing. 

When I got good at teaching, my relationships with students were very similar to that of a coach to their athletes. Just like a coach studies their players and their stats and makes decisions on the best next steps to coach them, I’d do the study my students. I would gather data, review it, and then, we would set goals together and make a plan to reach those goals. I dialed my support or instruction up or down depending on what my students needed.

 In many ways, I do the same thing with the leaders I coach. Whether it's working with folks on delegating more effectively, thinking like an ED, navigating complex dynamics at work or structuring their team for success, we cover a range of topics and talk about what folks need. We look at the data, think about where they want to go, then make a plan to reach those goals, including resources, strategies and suggestions.

There are different styles of coaches. Phil Jackson was renowned for his focus on the whole player and for incorporating yoga, tai chi, meditation and even playing in the dark with his basketball players. Bobby Knight was infamous for his temper. Coaches come by their experience differently, too. Some coaches achieved greatness in the sport they coach themselves, and others may not have played professionally but gained extensive knowledge another way (like the trailblazing women coaching in Major League Baseball).

Coaches aren't exclusively for sports, either. There are life coaches, nutrition coaches, wellness coaches, sales coaches, personal development coaches, career coaches... there are at least 183 subtypes of coaching 🤯.

I use the phrase “coaching” to describe what I do because the dictionary definition of coaching is "to give instruction or advice on a subject.” Sometimes that is in advising clients on how to implement the strategic plan I've designed for them. Sometimes it's perspective after listening to clients talk about their challenges. Some coaches almost exclusively ask questions, others have a more conversational style.

One of the reasons I love coaching is because it reminds me a lot of the leadership development work I've done over the years. Watching people I've coached (sometimes in the context of a management relationship, sometimes not) grow and evolve is a delight, whether they are in third grade or in their 30s.  It’s been amazing and humbling to accrue so much knowledge and perspective, and so fun to share it with other leaders.

So, while I don’t often look at Phil Jackson and think, “He could lead a middle school orchestra!” or look at Mr. Holland and say, “You belong on the NBA sidelines!,” the truth is that there are more similarities between their jobs than you might imagine at first glance!

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