Discovering the Power of Coaching
Having worked with people and teams for many years, I have always been someone others came to for advice and guidance. My natural instinct has been to solve problems, provide direction, and help people move forward. Starting my ICF ACC certification journey challenged that instinct in ways I had not anticipated.
When I began, I assumed coaching was mainly about asking the right questions and helping people solve problems. As I progressed through the program, I realized coaching is much deeper than that. It is about creating a space where people can think, reflect, and discover their own answers.
One of my biggest learnings has been understanding the depth of active listening. Earlier, I believed listening meant paying close attention to what someone was saying. Through coaching, I am learning that active listening goes much further – it is one of the core competencies that ICF accredited coaching programs return to again and again. It involves being fully present and paying attention not only to words, but also to emotions, energy shifts, tone, hesitation, recurring themes, and what remains unsaid. I am becoming more aware that sometimes a person’s deeper thoughts and feelings reveal themselves between the words rather than through them.
One area where I am still learning is becoming comfortable with silence. In many conversations, I notice an urge to fill pauses with another question, an observation, or a suggestion. As someone who has spent years solving problems and guiding discussions, silence can sometimes feel unfamiliar. Through coaching practice, however, I am beginning to appreciate that pauses often have a purpose. They create space for reflection, allowing clients to process their thoughts, connect with their emotions, and uncover insights that may not emerge in a fast-paced conversation.
While I am still developing the confidence to sit comfortably with silence, I have already seen moments where a brief pause led to a meaningful realization. These experiences are teaching me that silence is not an absence of conversation – it is often an important part of it.
Another realization has been how quickly clarity can emerge when people are given a safe space to think. Initially, I wondered how meaningful progress could happen in a 25–30 minute coaching conversation, the format I have been practising with throughout my ICF ACC certification. My experience has shown me that when people hear themselves speak openly and without judgment, insights can surface much faster than expected.
I am also beginning to appreciate the difference between mentoring and coaching. It is a distinction that sits at the centre of every credentialed path, whether someone is working toward an ICF life coach certification or coaching within an organisation. As leaders, we are expected to provide direction and solutions, especially leveraging our experiences.
Coaching requires something different — curiosity, patience, and trust in another person’s ability to find their own way forward.
As I continue this journey, I feel coaching is shaping me not only as a coach but also as a leader and as a person. It is teaching me to listen more deeply, speak less, trust the process, and remain curious about what emerges in a conversation.
Most importantly, it is reminding me that in a world full of noise, one of the greatest gifts we can offer someone is the space to be heard. That, more than any title, is what I hope to carry into my work as a certified leadership coach.
Author: Preeti Walia
