Peter Fuda, Leadership Transformed
The word “coach” is derived from the Hungarian kochsi a type of large wagon to transport passengers. The metaphorical extension of this word in English is a person who transports people from the state of ignorance to one of knowledge.
The use of the word to mean “trainer” or teacher surfaced around 1830 at Oxford University to signify a tutor who “carried” a student through an exam.
The legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said,
A coach is someone who can give correction without creating resentment.
Over the years, many leaders have told me that receiving very direct and honest feedback has been a crucial part of their transformation……
Here’s the challenge: direct feedback is something that most leaders say they want, but rarely receive. This is because, in practice, truly direct feedback can be pretty scary for a coach to give, and often terrifying for a leader to receive. pp 77.86.
President Barak Obama on Father’s Day 2008
Fathers as coach and mentors – for Father’s Day
Fathers are teachers and coaches. They are mentors and role models. They are examples of success and the men who constantly push us towards it. But if we are honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that what too many fathers also are, is missing – missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our family are weaker because of that.
