As a business coach, I’ve been gifted with the opportunity to meet some of the greatest people on the planet.
These are not the rich and famous, the lofty or the well heeled, though I’ve met and worked alongside some of these. Through my career as a business coach, I come in contact with some of the most dedicated, caring and interesting people imaginable. And their stories are inspiring.
Take Frank for example (all names have been changed to protect the innocent). I was brought in to coach him to be a better manager and to improve his situation. At first, I was unsure if he was actually suited to be a manager. Yet after a few months of working together to reduce his stress levels, I came to realize that Frank does his job so much better than I ever could. His creative problem solving has been unleashed, his ability to support his team is incredible and he gets results. And Frank really cares about his people and does everything in his power to ensure that they’re treated as the good people that he sees that they are, even when they screw up.
I’ve been coaching Jason in his business for a couple years. He told me recently that what he wants more than anything is to be able to have a company that will allow the employee who has supported him from the beginning to buy a house. He wants his company to make good money doing valuable work so he can share it! How many people do you know who talk like that?
I have clients who have overcome more adversity than I can imagine, yet still possess a positive attitude with a desire to build their businesses each day.
I walk into offices where the personal assistants greet me with a cheerfulness that makes me want to carry that attitude throughout the day.
I have a client who spends hundreds of thousands of seemingly unwarranted dollars to ensure that a segment of his customers thrive in a changing environment.
There are a couple of First Nations clients who spend more time looking out for the future of their people than they do generating their own wealth.
Several clients are risking everything they own to see their dreams of a better life come to fruition.
I also have clients who, without complaining, are scraping to meet their daily obligations, happy to be living the dream of owning their own business.
As a business coach, I often get to work alongside superheroes in the field of finance, social media, law, education and other areas who want to use their amazing powers to get their clients real results, and even in some cases, save their lives. Superheroes like the executive directors of non-profits who are passionate about creating beauty and alleviating pain.
When I joined the Professional Business Coaches Alliance (PBCA), Jon Denney and Dale Botting told me that I would be invited to experience rewarding relationships with my clients and my involvement would make a difference in their lives.
Little did I know that I would get paid to observe the greatness of humanity in the small daily tasks that ensure that the country is prospering. I’m humbled by the people who get up every day to make the world a better place.
Business coaching is a humbling career.
Troy Media columnist David Fuller, MBA, is a certified professional business coach and author who helps business leaders ensure that their companies are successful. David is author of the book Profit Yourself Healthy. Email [email protected]
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