If you're reading this, it's for a reason. Maybe you've thought about becoming a life coach before, maybe this caught your attention at the right time, or maybe you're just curious about what it's all about. Whatever brought you here, thank you for reading, and for being willing to look at something many people never quite know where to start with. Here are the qualities we consider key to being an effective life coach.
Having worked with thousands of leaders, managers and life coaches over the years, we've found that people who show the following qualities tend to make the most effective coaches.
An open mindset
Life coaches who are worth their salt spend a lot of time learning and growing, and never become complacent. As society changes, so must we. The most effective life coaches are capable of stepping outside the box and seeing the bigger picture, not just the single issue in front of them. They embrace change and understand the complications of the world we live in. Life isn't black and white, and neither is life coaching.
Curiosity
Good life coaches are curious about other people's lifestyles and mindsets, and how they view situations and environments. If you love seeing others make progress, enjoy learning, and feel a genuine lift when you help someone, that's often a good indicator that coaching is calling to you.
Great intuition
You'll notice this is strong in you if people are naturally drawn to you for help — even just to vent to, or to bounce ideas off and hear your view. With this quality, coaching becomes genuinely enjoyable, because you're challenging your own mind as much as your clients'.
Humility
Many people are surprised to learn you don't need to have all the answers to be a great life coach. Clients don't want a coach who preaches their own opinions at them. They need someone who understands that flexibility is key to progress. If you've faced setbacks yourself and learned from them, that's exactly the kind of person others should look to for guidance.
Empathy
Perhaps the most important quality of all is empathy — a kind, generous nature and a willingness to go the extra mile for someone in need. Good coaches get real satisfaction from seeing others reach their potential, and from knowing they played a part in getting them there.
What isn't on this list is glamour, riches, or conventional success. You don't need a degree in psychology or a fine arts qualification, and you don't need to belong to any particular organisation. You just need to be genuinely yourself — that's what makes a great life coach.
Life coaching is one of the few professions where you don't need a lot of money to get started. You don't need a fancy website, and you don't need to spend thousands on advertising. A laptop, an internet connection and a well set-up social media page are enough to get going. Potential clients mainly want to know you can help them.
So if the idea of one of the most rewarding jobs in the world appeals to you, there's rarely a bad time to start. Wherever you're at with the idea, we wish you inspiration, love and success if you choose to become a life coach.
