Recently, as I began to search for details regarding the recent International Coach Federation Global Conference (i.e., ICF Conference) I came to realize how little their community of members shared with the world this coaching industry event.
What does this mean? I'm not sure that I really could say...I just know that it is a great disappointment to see so very little information being shared with the world given that the ICF's core purpose is said to be "To advance the art, science and practice of professional coaching."
Over 15,000 members...
ICF has more than 15,000 members in nearly 90 countries and more than 160 chapters in over 50 countries.
A Tremendous Surprise...
Anyways, back to why I'm creating this post...
As I began to dig around the ICF 2008 Conference page I found and amazing give away. A prize, a gift for my curiosity and desire to find out more, I'll share more in a second. The give away sparked a question in me that I wan't to share those who are professional coaches (i.e., Life Coaches, Executive Coaches, Spiritual Coaches, Personal Coaches, Business Coaches etc.) and looking for a way be a part of the bigger picture, a way to collaborate and play other like minded entrepreneurs.
If you are such a coach here's my question...
In the audio version of the book "Tribal Leadership", by Dan Logan, John King, Halee Fischer-Wright, King talks about stage four organizations and compares the work of George Washington to such. I find myself potentially seeing our community of coaches as an organization in chaos a community locked in stage two or three. A community not eagerly embracing all of it's members and supporting those who are wanting to add their contribution to the mix.
A community without leadership!
How many leaders do we have within the community speaking the language of stage four?
I truly feel Thomas Leonard created a stage four community within coaching. A community eager to collaborate and encourage one another. A community with a voice. Even years after his passing I was able to easily find information relating to coaching, Leonard and Coachville via Google. It was everywhere!
Not only was he prolific, the community he stirred and touched "his tribe" was prolific!
Still, with his passing at least at first glance it seems to me that the tribe that once called Leonard their leader is today fragmented and perhaps even loss or missing the tribe.
Has profit become the voice of current leadership?
Intellectual property a bigger concern than collaboration or even the potential sharing of creative thought.
There are many professional coaches today feeling and dealing with isolation and wanting to be a part of a tribe, a stage four tribe. Still, they may not even realize that is what they are missing.
Can the coaching community once again be joined in a creative and collaborative frenzy of hope and expectation...that is the question?
Without the critical mass of a stage four community the hope changing the world as a whole may not have as much potential or may take so much longer than what some of the few thought leaders are anticipating.
As professional coaches we must find our voice and be willing to share it loudly with the world, no longer is a side conversation at a tea party enough!
Your voice matters and you can start by listening to this audio...
It's time for a change!
James (Mr. Possible)
Possibility is not an accident, it's a choice!
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