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For a coach, seeing the talents and skills of other experienced professionals in the field can be both humbling and inspiring. The most exceptional coaches tend to possess unique qualities that elevate their practice and leave a lasting impact on their clients.
Below, 19 Forbes Coaches Council members share remarkable talents they’ve observed in other coaches and explore how they can be integrated into a coaching practice. From building trust and displaying vulnerability to having the ability to ask the right questions, here are 19 talents that these coaches have witnessed their peers and colleagues leveraging and chose to adopt in their own work with clients.
1. Creating The Conditions For Transformation
Creating the conditions for transformation inside of each session is a talent I’ve witnessed in coaches I’ve had the pleasure of learning from, and one I strive to emulate. This is achieved in different ways and is highly situational. My top tips are to develop mutual respect, mutual trust, open communication, confidentiality and elegant listening, and to let clients ponder at length after you hear, “Good question.” - Bree Luther, Inspired Science Coaching
2. Staying In The Uncomfortable Silence
Staying in the uncomfortable silence without filling the void with another question is a true talent. I admire how some of my colleagues are skilled and confident in holding the space so naturally. Seeing talented coaches in practice and learning from them is both a gift and encouragement. - Gorana Sandric, Sandric Consulting GmbH
3. Authentically Modeling Humility And Vulnerability
One talent I have seen my mentor exhibit during a coaching journey (and even during keynotes) is to role model humility and vulnerability in an authentic way. Many times, the executives we work with have heard these words and have assigned meaning to them. But when a coach creates a courageous growth context around these words, the client believes and leverages the true impact and value of these attributes. - Dr. Mike Smith, John Mattone Global
4. Being Humble And Compassionate
The best of the best coaches I know have a certain kind of humility. This talent is about being vulnerable, mild, maybe even soft in presence. I’ve learned from my nonviolent communication development that the more powerful as a coach you are, the more silent and deeply listening you become. After professional education and experience in coaching, humility and compassion make you the best coach. - Dominik Szot, MIA
5. Trusting Their Intuition
Great coaches have the ability to trust themselves to “go there” in a conversation. This can look like trusting your gut or intuition. Being vulnerable and present to the point of inspiring another person to open up is the power of coaching and transformation. I seek to do this in all of my coaching sessions as a means of connecting with and supporting my clients. - Joshua Miller, Joshua Miller Executive Coaching
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
6. Promoting Themselves Without Being Pushy
A talent that I admire in other coaches and strive to emulate in my own practice is the ability to sell without being salesy. These coaches are able to promote themselves without being pushy and be their authentic selves without being arrogant. - Steve Harris, The Steve Harris Company
7. Leaving The Silence Hanging
One strength my coach had was leaving the silence hanging. I’ve learned that it’s not an awkward silence; it’s a working silence. It’s not a void to be filled; it’s a wordless space to discover. Trust the client to be resourceful and fully capable of searching the landscape of their mind, body and soul. Deep work is done in silence. - Carry Metkowski, Carry Metkowski
8. Meeting Clients Where They Are
One talent I strive to emulate in my coaching practice is meeting clients where they are versus where they or their organization wants them to be. The only way to truly change behavior is to start where you are and honestly assess the barriers to moving forward. Great coaches adapt their approaches and tools to make this happen for each unique client. I aspire to do the same. - Jill Helmer, Jill Helmer Consulting
9. Coaching The Person, Not The Issue
I admire coaches who are deliberate about coaching the person, not the issue. Coaching the issue is transactional, centered around fixing and creating steps to solve a problem. It’s easy to slip into this. Coaching the person is more developmental, focused on inquiry, challenging perspectives, clearing away emotional blocks and ultimately achieving that fundamental shift and desired transformation. - Carrie Skowronski, Leadology
10. Practicing What They Preach
One talent I’ve seen that I strive to emulate is having integrity. It might sound simple, but it is a rare trait that the most powerful coaching skills are based on: credibility, conviction and experience. The divergence between one’s online image and real-life behavior can be hidden for a while. However, the most impressive coaches practice what they preach, which is a true talent they intentionally work on every day. - Csaba Toth, ICQ Global
11. ‘Labeling’ What They’re Doing And Explaining Why
One practice that I learned from my coach mentor is to “label” what I’m doing and explain why. This is such an important practice that I now encourage other coaches and people leaders to do it. For example, explain why you are asking open-ended questions, or why you are pausing after asking a question. It models the way to more effective leadership behaviors and offsets any assumptions the other person has. - Katie Anderson, Katie Anderson Consulting
12. Asking Powerful, Open-Ended Questions
One talent I strive to emulate and do better is the ability to ask powerful questions that help clients gain insights by analyzing past experiences and identifying growth opportunities. Asking such open-ended and thought-provoking questions can lead to deeper self-reflection and awareness when done masterfully, resulting in more meaningful and transformative coaching experiences for the client. - Thomas Lim, Technicorum Holdings
13. Zoning In On Keywords And Screening Out The Filler
One of the most transformational lightbulb moments for me was hearing from my Master Certified Coach mentor about how to zone in on the keywords and screen out the filler story around the key points. This is key in identifying a client’s needs, desires or wants and helping them get clear on what it is that they actually want to have happen and what that looks like. - Anita O’Connor-Roberts, AOC Consulting
14. Asking Questions That Stimulate Deep Thinking
The ability to explore deeply involves a level of openness in asking questions that stimulate deeper thinking. Having witnessed this in action, and the powerful results thereafter, it is a key skill I aim to hone with the aid of mentor coaching and peer supervision, along with personal reflections on my coaching practice. - Arthi Rabikrisson, Prerna Advisory
15. Thinking Holistically And Making Complementary Referrals
The best coaches think holistically and make referrals to complementary practitioners to amplify the results of their engagement with a client. I also admire when coaches think about the client’s experience and ensure that it’s all flowing well and easily for them so that the client can get the most out of their engagement. - Alina Trigubenko, Profi
16. Mirroring Clients And Staying Grounded
Talented coaches are skilled in the art of mirroring clients. We mirror without thinking day-to-day, but often when we get nervous or out of our comfort zone, we act differently. Expert coaches have practiced this skill, which is one reason they seem so calm and grounded during a coaching session. I’m always in awe of a coach that appears calm and grounded as they skillfully coach. - Michelle Rockwood, Unscripted Sales
17. Focusing On One Task At A Time
Other successful coaches do a great job of focusing on one task at a time. When you’re an entrepreneur, it’s easy to want to start a podcast, post daily on TikTok, launch a YouTube channel and more. It’s overwhelming to think about doing all of these tasks and unrealistic to start them all simultaneously. As a result, it’s important to prioritize the most important one and give it your sole focus. - Will Rippetoe, The Interview Beast
18. Reframing With The ‘Yes, And’ Technique
Reframing is a skill that I strive to leverage in my coaching. For instance, I practice the “yes, and” technique because it invites clients to explore new options when they feel limited or stuck. An example is if a client says, “I can’t do this,” a coach may reply, “Yes, and what if you could?” “Yes, and what strengths do you have to help you get this done” or, “Yes, and what would it take?” - Vered Kogan, Momentum Institute
19. Using Their Practice As A Force For Good
I'm most inspired when I see coaches using their practice or business as a force for good beyond the coaching engagement. I love seeing coaches committed to “raising their bar”—both in their business and for their business. Coaches who invest in their own coaches, consultants, partners and programs elevate not only their business and brand, but also have an overall impact in the world. - Kelly Weber, The Wander Project
