President’s Letter
by Pepe del Rio, IAC President
Our theme for this edition of VOICE™ is awareness and so I invite you to become aware of the International Association of Coaches (IAC) certification process as a unique and challenging process.
Thomas Leonard’s vision was to streamline the process of certification with the IAC, which emphasizes the demonstration of coaching rather than the documentation of it.
You don’t have to attend a particular school to be eligible to go through the IAC path of certification. What you do need to do is demonstrate that you understand the coaching process, the IAC Coaching Masteries® and that you are up for the challenge. You will have a unique and growing learning experience valued the world over.
To you, this may sound like the IAC certification would be easier than other processes. It is by no means true, because, as the certifiers say, “Professional life coaches need to demonstrate masterful coaching skills.”
The reason for becoming an IAC Certified Coach is unique, and personal, as Martha Pasternack, MMC our current IAC-BOG Secretary says, “It is an opportunity to serve others for the greater good.”
Presently, only about 25% of coaches who apply for the IAC Coaching Certification pass the first time. That is why, as an IAC member, you can access tools, and coaching triads that will provide you with the support you need to develop your skill on your learning path. By taking advantage of these offerings mentioned above, you can focus, and go for it.
There is a global standard of coaching, and then there is the IAC standard. The International Association of Coaching certification assures you that you are qualified with the highest standard of universal excellence. Indeed, “The platinum coaching standard of universal excellence.”
To support you further, the IAC trains and grants qualified coaching programs a license to teach you the IAC Coaching Masteries®. They will prepare you for the IAC certification path.
Be aware that not just any school can tell you that they can certify on behalf of IAC, or that you have to be certified with them before going for IAC certification. If you want to check our list of current licensees, please go to our website: www.certifiedcoach.org, and confirm that you are with a current licensee.
IAC coaches are proud to be certified at the Certified Masteries Coach or MMC level of mastery. It is a process rather than an event. Once certified, there are several opportunities to continue your professional development.
I also invite you to become deeply familiar with the IAC Coaching Masteries®. and Code of Ethics. Become one of the worldwide elite coaches that call themselves IAC certified coaches.
Connect with me at president@certifiedcoach.org
Warmly,
Pepe del Rio, IAC President
José Manuel “Pepe” del Río: Executive and career coach. He works with clients from different parts of the world. Founder and Head Coach of the Rio training boutique firm, specializing in Coaching and Logotherapy, which for 22 years has been working with executives and organizations on communication issues and creating leadership and high performance cultures that provide support for people to become the best versions of themselves.
Self-Awareness is the Key
by Krishna Kumar | IAC Past President 2016 / 2017
“Self-awareness is the key to being a Champion,” said legendary American tennis champ, Billie Jean King and it is that distinct quality that differentiates champions in sport like Roger Federer, Usain Bolt and Michael Jordan from other players. While the ability to achieve peak performance under pressure is starkly visible in sports arenas it is equally needed in all other arenas of engagement, such as the worlds of theatre, music or business where performance matters. If it is that distinct quality that sets apart a champion from the rest then how do they achieve peak levels of self-awareness?
Awareness is known to be present at multiple levels. The single biggest obstacle to being fully aware is the presence of ‘distractions.’ Dealing with distractions is the main differentiator between mediocre and peak performance that allows the performer to achieve amazing results. As we move through a typical day our levels of awareness vary in relation to the distractions that we encounter and how well we overcome these distractions by managing our emotions. To illustrate, while playing tennis when the ball is flying at you very rapidly by starting to think that you ‘shouldn’t miss the ball’ you create a mental distraction that might lead to playing a poor shot. If instead, you focus your attention on the direction, angle and spin of the ball as it is moving towards you, the return shot will be played to the best of your ability.
From this simple illustration it is clear that the journey to becoming self-aware requires us to go beyond our outer world of sensations and actions, and connect deeply with our inner world of thoughts and feelings about which we typically know very little. In this journey we attempt to reach the source of our consciousness and get to know our inner life. The Sufi mystic, Rumi, describes this quest brilliantly,
Then journey into yourself!
And like a mine of rubies
receive the sunbeams print!
Out of yourself ? such a journey
will lead you to yourself,
It leads to transformation
of dust into pure gold!
Coaches make Champions by helping them master their inner core of self-awareness and create peak performance in the field of their choice. In a personal quest to apply self-awareness in coaching, I developed a model, called AWARETM, which many of my colleagues are using with success. The model blends five concepts, namely Awaken (A), Will Power (W), Action (A), Reflection (E) and Engage (E) that can lead us to that perfect state of self-awareness.
It would be wonderful to know your experiences with self-awareness in coaching and I look forward to your connecting with me at krishnakumar@certifiedcoach.org.
With Appreciation
Krishna Kumar, IAC Past President 2016-2017
Krishna Kumar is the Founder-Director of the Intrad School of Executive Coaching (ISEC) and a pioneer in the sphere of Leadership and Executive Coaching in India. His firm belief that coaching is the best way to learn has carried him through a varied learning journey over three decades that included donning the hats of a senior corporate executive, an entrepreneur, a professional tennis coach, a B-school professor, Leadership Advisor and Strategy Coach. The journey continues…
Important to Note: Our 2018 Quo Vadis? webinars will be held the
last week in November. Plan on participating with masterful coaches and become even more
inspired to deepen your work as an IAC coach.
