Coaching Stories

Being a coach is a deeply rewarding profession. Even the best coaches encounter moments of uncertainty and doubt. In Coaching Stories: Flowing and Falling of Being a Coach, Karen Dean and Sam Humphrey intimately share their varied experiences as executive coaches in 48 stories – some where they were flowing and glorious, and others where they were falling and ashamed.

They progress from naivety to mastery, revealing what being a coach is really like. Each chapter focuses on a different theme, using Dean’s “exceptional achievement” framework: setting out, doing, integrating, and being. Dean and Humphrey expertly assess topics, including confidence, talent, purpose, and fulfillment. They then reflect on their learning and development at each point. This book will be a compassionate and pragmatic companion for coaches of all kinds, both in practice and training.