Welcome to the Coach Approach Ministries Podcast! Coaching is a skillset and a mindset that helps people find focus, discover options and take action. At CAM, we train the very best Christian coaches in the world, and over the last decade, we've trained well over a thousand. Through this podcast, we want to share insights from the Coaching Community and help you to develop a broader understanding of coaching. You can find out more about us at www.coachapproachministries.org and sign up for our proven coach training.
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October 22, 2026Episode 54015 min
Your Pastor Left. Why the Next Step Is a Pause
Episode Overview When a pastor leaves, a church can feel enormous pressure to find a replacement immediately. In this solo episode, Brian Miller, president of Coach Approach Ministries, draws on his experience serving four interim pastorates to explain why he encourages churches to pause first. A coach approach gives congregations time to grieve, discern their direction, and take responsibility for their future before beginning a pastoral search. Brian explores how that preparation can help a church find a pastor suited to its shared vision while growing closer to Jesus throughout the transition. Key Ideas & Takeaways Make room for grief before moving forward. Whether a pastor dies, retires, or leaves amid conflict, the congregation experiences loss. Brian encourages taking time to acknowledge that hurt while carefully addressing a few obvious problems. Help the church discover its own direction. An interim pastor can facilitate discernment by asking what people long for in their church and community. Brian emphasizes trusting the congregation to do this work and moving beyond familiar answers toward a clearer picture of the church it hopes to become. Give leaders space to think together. Brian describes taking church leaders on a retreat several months into the transition to clarify vision and goals. The process helps them name where the church is now and where they want it to go. Explore what the vision requires of everyone. Once the direction is clear, the congregation needs to consider what must change, where to begin, and what losses those changes may involve. Coaching helps people hear one another and recognize their own responsibilities in the work ahead. Clarify how decisions get made. A church that has relied heavily on its pastor may lack clear leadership roles and decision processes. Establishing those systems helps the congregation navigate the search and support a healthier working relationship with its next pastor. Let shared direction guide the search. Look for a pastor whose skills, gifts, and desire fit where the church has agreed to go. Brian connects congregational ownership with willingness to work alongside the pastor toward those goals. Keep returning to Jesus. For Brian, transition should deepen the congregation's relationship with Jesus. He describes preaching through Matthew as his way of keeping Jesus central while helping people reflect, ask questions, and discern their future. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "You've got to trust people to do the work." "Help people hear one another and consider what their hopes would require of them, not just of the next pastor." "We're looking for somebody who has the skills, giftedness, and desire to lead us toward where we said we want to go." "They just had no say in the conversation of where they want to go."
October 15, 2026Episode 53914 min
Beyond Good Advice: Helping Church Leaders Make Changes
Episode Overview Knowing what needs to change in a church is only a small part of helping that change happen. In this solo episode, Brian Miller, president of Coach Approach Ministries, explores the emotional and relational work involved in coaching leaders through change. Beginning with a visiting pastor's accurate but incomplete advice, Brian explains why identifying a problem does not necessarily equip a leader to address it. He offers a coach approach that helps leaders choose what matters enough to tackle, understand the people affected, and build a workable path forward. Key Ideas & Takeaways Being right does not make change happen. An outside observer may accurately identify what needs fixing while overlooking the relationships and emotional costs involved. Brian challenges advice that leaves leaders with recommendations but little support for carrying them out. Start with what matters enough to the leader. Agreement that something should change is different from willingness to risk conflict, strained friendships, or someone leaving the church. Coaching helps leaders identify a change they believe is worth the effort and vulnerability. Recognize the weight of previous conflict. Brian describes leaders whose painful experiences have left them reluctant to face another battle. Coming alongside them means taking that history seriously while helping them discover where they are willing to move forward. Offer observations lightly. A coach can name what they notice without insisting that the leader adopt their conclusions. A smaller change the leader owns may build the confidence needed to address something more difficult later. Understand what people stand to lose. Resistance can involve grief over something meaningful that will disappear. Ask what will feel uncomfortable, who will experience loss, and how that loss can be acknowledged with empathy. Honor the past while building the future. Moving from traditional worship or leaving an old building can carry personal meaning far beyond the practical decision. Recognizing a family's contribution or honoring a cherished tradition can help people navigate the transition. Build a path people can commit to. Work through timing, practical steps, and opportunities for early wins. Help the team reach its own understanding of what needs to change and how to proceed, creating shared commitment to the work ahead. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "Knowing what to change is only a small part of the work." "We need to identify what matters enough to tackle for that leader to tackle, for them to step up and step out." "We need to think about who's going to need to grieve, what they're going to need to grieve, what way we can honor whatever it is that they're going to grieve." Taking time to understand people's losses can help a church move forward with greater willingness and less avoidable hurt.
October 8, 2026Episode 53820 min
Beyond "I Agree": What Preaching Can Make Possible
Episode Overview What makes preaching good—and how might coaching help us recognize it? In this solo episode, Brian Miller, president of Coach Approach Ministries, reflects on his experience both preaching and listening to sermons. He identifies five frustrations with preaching and explores how a coach approach can bring greater focus, invite listeners into the conversation, and give people room to respond. His goal is to help people deepen their relationship with Jesus through preaching that encourages them to think, explore, and reach conclusions they can carry into the week. Key Ideas & Takeaways Give listeners one clear thread to follow. A sermon needs a central idea, with points and illustrations that support it. Brian compares this focus to a coaching conversation: people should be able to follow the thinking without wondering why the topic suddenly changed. Stay grounded in the passage. Brian makes the case for spending more time exploring one section of Scripture and its author's message. He acknowledges using other biblical stories as illustrations, while questioning whether moving through numerous references helps listeners understand the primary text. Notice when preaching becomes an argument. A preacher can sound as though they are fighting an unseen opponent, leaving listeners feeling personally attacked. Brian encourages creating an environment where people feel safe enough to consider challenging ideas and examine their thinking. Include people in the exploration. Questions, observations, and acknowledging what listeners might be thinking can make a sermon feel conversational. Taking a coach approach does not require an open discussion; listeners can participate mentally as the preacher explores the passage with them. Give people room to respond. Pressuring someone into an immediate commitment may ask too much of a person encountering an idea for the first time. Reflecting on Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler, Brian emphasizes loving people, speaking clearly, and allowing them time to process their response. Look beyond agreement with the preacher. A sermon can prompt different responses in different people: something to stop, something to start, or a change in perspective. Brian's aim is to help listeners recognize what Jesus may be saying to them and take ownership of their next steps. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "I want them to feel like they're in the conversation, like they're exploring it with me." "You have to let people come to their own conclusions." "I feel confident that we're going to have more fruit with less pressure." "My goal for preaching is that you might have a richer relationship with Jesus."
October 1, 2026Episode 53717 min
Why Church Meetings Go Nowhere—and How to Help
Episode Overview Church meetings can leave people frustrated, exhausted, and wondering whether anything was accomplished. In this solo episode, Brian Miller, president of Coach Approach Ministries, explores how taking a coach approach can help ministry teams address what matters, build ownership, and leave with clear next steps. Drawing on his experience as a coach and interim pastor, Brian walks through a process for moving from scattered discussion to purposeful conversation. He also explains how participants can help a meeting stay productive while respecting the person leading it. Key Ideas & Takeaways Prioritize the issues that deserve discussion. Keep reports and updates brief, and identify what actually needs the group's attention. Before diving into the first subject someone raises, rank the issues and agree on the most important ones. Find the real problem. The issue initially named may be a symptom of something deeper. Using an illustration from Moneyball , Brian encourages teams to widen the conversation long enough to understand what they truly need to address. Define a useful outcome. Ask what the group needs to decide or figure out before the meeting ends. A clear desired outcome gives the conversation direction and helps prevent endless discussion. Draw out ideas before settling on a solution. A leader's quick answer can leave everyone else silent and uninvested. Invite multiple perspectives and possibilities so the team helps shape the next steps and has a reason to support them. Keep the conversation focused. Other important issues will surface, but they do not all belong in the current discussion. Acknowledge them, set them aside for another time, and bring the group back to the problem or options it has agreed to explore. Make responsibility and accountability clear. Before leaving, identify who will do what, when it needs to happen, and when the team will hear back. In a ministry setting, asking who will be let down if the work remains undone can connect follow-through to the people the team serves. Use judgment about when to step in. You do not have to lead a meeting to help facilitate it, but timing and respect matter. Brian describes a situation where supporting the leader through a later conversation was more appropriate than immediately intervening. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "What I really want to know out of your report is what do we as a group need to talk about?" "You don't have to know what the real problem is, but you can help the room, kind of think through and figure out what is the real problem here." "If it's their idea, they're a lot more likely to do it than if it's your idea." A supportive-sounding "good luck" can reveal that people see a plan as the leader's project rather than something they own together.
September 24, 2026Episode 53630 min
Insight from 12,000 Hours with LC Etheridge
Episode Overview What changes when we view human development through a biblical lens rather than through the individualism that shapes much of modern coaching and personal development? Brian Miller talks with MCC coach Laura-Catherine Etheridge about insights she has gained through more than 12,000 hours of coaching. LC explains how years of working with clients, assessment tools, and leadership development led her back to Scripture with a specific question: What does God teach us about human beings and how they actually grow? Their conversation challenges the assumption that maturity means becoming increasingly self-sufficient. Instead, biblical development points toward greater dependence on God, healthy interdependence with others, and the humility to recognize that we were never intended to possess every strength ourselves. Brian and LC also explore how coaches can use assessment tools without allowing the underlying assumptions of those tools to define their understanding of people. Key Ideas & Takeaways Experience matters in coaching. There is no substitute for actually coaching people. Practice develops skill, judgment, and the ability to recognize patterns that cannot be learned from information alone. Coaching itself can be powerful marketing. Especially for newer coaches, getting in front of people and giving them an experience of coaching simultaneously develops the coach and exposes others to the value of coaching. Knowing what to do does not mean we will do it. After thousands of coaching conversations, LC became increasingly interested in why intelligent, motivated people can understand what needs to change and still struggle to move forward. Biblical development is not independence. Much of Western personal development assumes that the mature person becomes increasingly self-sufficient. Scripture presents a different trajectory: increasing dependence on God and healthy interdependence with others. We were not designed to become complete by ourselves. Marriage, family, the Body of Christ, and other biblical pictures of human flourishing consistently emphasize relationship and community. Growth requires more than our own internal resources. From a Christian perspective, development involves Jesus Christ, Scripture, God's work in us, and the perspective and contribution of other people. Assessment tools are useful—but incomplete. LC does not divide assessments simply into "good" and "bad." Almost every assessment can provide useful information, but coaches should recognize the assumptions behind the tool and interpret the results through a broader biblical framework. Assessment results should produce humility rather than entitlement. Knowing your personality or strengths should not become an excuse to say, "This is who I am, so everyone else needs to adapt to me." Greater awareness should help us understand how our strengths can serve others. Working Genius illustrates interdependence well. Brian points out that the model assumes the work requires six different geniuses while an individual typically has only two. Awareness of your strengths therefore also creates awareness of what you need from others. You don't need every skill—but you need enough awareness to recognize what is needed. Mature leaders can identify when someone else's strengths are better suited to the situation and create space for that person to contribute. Completeness comes through relationship. LC connects Jesus' call to "be perfect" or complete with dependence upon a complete God and healthy relationships with people whose gifts differ from our own. Christian coaches need to examine the assumptions behind their training. Coaching models, leadership frameworks, and assessment tools can quietly shape our view of people. Scripture should ultimately provide the framework through which those ideas are evaluated. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "The only way to get experience is to get experience." "Just coach as much as you possibly can." "You can be amazing, but you're supposed to be amazing in an interdependent way, not an independent way." "Is my dependence upon God growing? Is my healthy interdependence with people growing?" "I don't have all the skills, but I should have all the awareness." A different definition of maturity: Growth is not becoming someone who needs nobody. It is becoming increasingly dependent upon God while becoming increasingly capable of healthy interdependence with others. A better way to use assessments: Instead of asking, "What does this assessment say everyone needs to know about me?" ask, "How can what I now know about myself help me better serve and work with others?" The humility of strengths: Knowing what you do well should also make you more aware of what you do not do well—and more appreciative of the people who bring those strengths. Upcoming Webinar: LC Etheridge will expand on lessons from more than 12,000 hours of coaching in an October 8 webinar, including an insight she wishes she had understood much earlier in her coaching career.
September 17, 2026Episode 53524 min
Coaching a Small Group Movement with Jim Jansen
Episode Overview Churches often know they need small groups, but creating a small group movement requires more than good curriculum or a one-time training session. Brian Miller talks with Jim Jansen about why coaching may be the missing piece. Rather than trying to teach new facilitators everything they could possibly need to know before they begin, churches can give them enough to get started and then surround them with ongoing encouragement, questions, listening, and support as real challenges arise. Jim introduces a simple structure for sustainable small group movements and explains why the often-missing role—the coach or mentor who comes alongside group facilitators—can make the difference between having a collection of groups and developing a movement that changes a church's culture. Key Ideas & Takeaways Content usually isn't the problem. Churches already have an enormous amount of small group content available. More information alone won't create a healthy movement. Too much upfront training can actually become a barrier. Jim describes the mistake of trying to give new facilitators everything he had learned over decades in a two-hour training. Instead of preparing people, it overwhelmed them. Give leaders enough to begin, then support them as they learn. A coaching environment allows facilitators to deal with challenges when those challenges are actually being experienced. Not everyone needs the same training. One leader may need help with a participant who dominates the conversation, while another needs to learn how to draw quieter people into the discussion. Coaching allows development to become individualized. There are probably more potential small group leaders than current small group leaders. The gap may not be a lack of capable people. It may be a lack of ongoing encouragement and support. Jim's small group movement structure includes several levels: Participants who belong to the group. Facilitators who lead the groups. Coaches or mentors who support the facilitators. Movement leaders who coordinate the overall ministry. In some settings, the pastor may provide another level of leadership. The coach or mentor is often the missing role. This person comes alongside facilitators, helps them reflect on what is happening in their groups, and helps them work through ordinary leadership challenges. As a movement grows, coaching needs to multiply. A movement leader may initially coach three or four facilitators personally. Once that grows to seven, ten, or more leaders, additional coaches are needed. The coaches may require more intentional development than the facilitators. A mentor who becomes overly prescriptive can unintentionally create dependence rather than develop the facilitator. A coach doesn't assume they know the answer. Coaching helps facilitators develop their own ability to think, discern, solve problems, and make decisions. A coaching approach begins with humility. Jim describes foundational assumptions that the Spirit of God is already at work, people are intelligent, and the coach does not know everything about the situation. Confidence in people is contagious. Facilitators can sense when someone believes they are capable and trusts that God is working in and through them. Powerful questions can redirect a facilitator's attention. Asking, "What is the Lord doing in this group?" can move a leader beyond logistical frustrations and help them recognize what is actually happening in people's lives. Look beneath difficult behavior. When a participant is disagreeable or disruptive, Brian suggests asking, "What does that person need?" rather than immediately focusing on how to stop the behavior. Intentional listening is a core coaching skill. Effective leaders listen beyond words to facial expressions, body language, emotions, and what God may be doing beneath the surface. Observations can create awareness without becoming prescriptive advice. Simple statements such as "You seem frustrated" or "You might need to start on time" give the facilitator something to wrestle with without taking ownership of the decision away from them. Don't assume everyone dislikes the things you dislike. Facilitators can unnecessarily carry responsibilities because they assume nobody else would want them. Inviting others to contribute can develop new leaders and give people meaningful ways to serve. Encouragement matters. Small group facilitators regularly need someone reminding them that they are doing better than they think and that ordinary struggles do not mean they are failing. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "If content were the problem, we would have had that fixed a long time ago, because we are swimming in content." "There are probably more people who are capable of leading a small group than are currently leading a small group." "Sometimes mentors become prescriptive." "The Spirit of God is working through this facilitator." "People can feel the confidence you have in them." "What is the Lord doing in this group?" "What does that person need?" "People have to own that decision for themselves." "You cannot over-encourage these small group facilitators." From groups to a movement: The key difference isn't simply starting more groups. It is creating an internal support structure that continually develops the people leading those groups. Train for reality rather than every possibility: Instead of anticipating every problem in advance, equip facilitators with the basics and give them access to someone who can help them think when actual problems arise. Coaching develops leaders instead of creating dependence: A prescriptive mentor becomes the person with all the answers. A coach helps the facilitator become increasingly capable of navigating challenges themselves. A simple coaching toolkit: Powerful questions, intentional listening, concise observations, and encouragement can dramatically improve the experience of a small group facilitator without requiring the coach to be an expert in every situation.
September 10, 2026Episode 53432 min
From First Conversation to Disciple-Maker: The Four Moves Every Church Needs
Episode Overview What does it actually look like for a church to make disciples—not just attract people or teach them more information? Brian Miller talks with Jim Jansen about building a clear discipleship pathway that moves people from initial relationships to mature faith and eventually equips them to help others do the same. Jim outlines four essential movements—relational outreach, a conversion moment, faith formation, and evangelization formation—and explains how a coaching approach helps churches discover what each of those should look like in their own context. Key Ideas & Takeaways 1. Start with Relational Outreach Churches have to answer a basic question: Where and how are we connecting with people outside the church? Evangelism doesn't have to look like door-knocking or street preaching. Coaching helps individuals identify their existing relationships, interests, communities, and natural spheres of influence. Churches can ask the same question collectively: Where has God already given us relationships and influence? 2. Evangelism Should Fit the Person People often resist evangelism because they have one particular model in mind that doesn't fit who they are. A coaching approach asks how someone naturally connects with people rather than imposing a predetermined method. The early church demonstrates that relational outreach doesn't depend on buildings, budgets, institutional credibility, or cultural influence. 3. Create a Conversion Moment Relationships alone aren't the entire discipleship process. Churches need intentional opportunities for people to encounter the gospel and decide whether they will follow Jesus. Jim points to Alpha as one example, but the specific ministry isn't the point. The better question is: What would an authentic conversion opportunity look like for our church and our community? 4. Don't Copy Someone Else's Method Brian describes discovering that traditional altar calls didn't fit him particularly well, while Communion provided a meaningful, tangible opportunity to invite people to respond to Jesus. What works in one church or for one pastor may not work somewhere else. Coaching helps churches discern the right tool rather than simply importing someone else's successful program. 5. Faith Formation Is More Than Information Once someone decides to follow Jesus, they need to learn how to live as a disciple. Churches tend to be strongest in this area, but often default to classrooms, Sunday school, or other information-heavy approaches. Formation is relational and experiential as well as intellectual. A critical coaching question is: How do we want people to live differently as a result of this experience? 6. Start with the Outcome, Not the Curriculum Instead of immediately asking what should be taught or when a class should meet, Jim encourages churches to ask: What do we want people to do? How do we want them to live? Who already lives this way? What experiences helped form them? Those questions often produce a very different discipleship strategy. 7. Evangelization Formation Creates Multiplication The fourth movement may be the most frequently overlooked: helping disciples become people who make disciples. People need to recognize that sharing their faith is part of their calling. They also need to discover how their unique gifts shape the way they participate. Basic skills—sharing your story, starting spiritual conversations, facilitating groups, and explaining the gospel—can be developed. People also need community and encouragement because evangelization works best as a team sport . 8. A Discipleship Pathway Connects All Four Movements Jim shares the story of St. Francis Cabrini Parish in Omaha, which had experienced decades of decline. The church intentionally developed each stage: Building relationships in the surrounding community. Using Alpha to introduce people to Jesus. Developing home-based small groups for formation. Equipping people to understand their gifts and become disciple-makers. The result was a dramatic turnaround in attendance, giving, engagement, and the overall vitality of the church. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "Where do you naturally have influence and connection?" "We have a responsibility. We have a mission field." "What does it look like for us to preach the gospel?" "What do you want them to do? How do you want them to live?" "The person talking is the person learning." "Evangelization, at its best, is a team sport." "There is a call on my life to share my faith, but the Lord has made me to do that in a very unique way." A healthy discipleship pathway answers four questions: Where do we connect with people? Where do we introduce them to Jesus? How do we mature them as disciples? How do we send them out to make disciples?
September 3, 2026Episode 53327 min
How Regional Leaders Can Become the People Pastors Want to Call
Episode Overview Regional church leaders occupy a unique position: they carry a larger vision while serving local churches with vastly different needs, cultures, and challenges. In this conversation, Brian Miller talks with Jim Jansen, founder of Anchor Consulting, about why coaching may be one of the most valuable tools a regional leader can develop. Drawing from Jim's years of working with local churches, they explore how coaching can turn denominational leadership from something local pastors resist into a relationship they welcome. Key Ideas & Takeaways 1. Regional Leaders Have an Advantage Outsiders Don't Outside consultants can bring valuable expertise, but regional leaders already understand the denomination's culture, language, priorities, relationships, and history. They can see patterns across churches and connect leaders with resources and people they already know. Jim describes them as potential "inside coaches." 2. Organizational Authority Can Be an Asset—or a Liability A visit from a denominational leader can trigger the question: "What do they want?" Local leaders may expect another request for money, another program, or the latest organizational initiative. Coaching changes the posture from "Here's what we need from you" to "How can I help you?" 3. People Don't Necessarily Want Coaching—They Want Breakthroughs Jim's team began simply giving coaching away. As pastors experienced progress, encouragement, and helpful conversations, coaching began to "sell itself." The relationship changed because regional leaders were increasingly experienced as helpful rather than intrusive. 4. A Shared Vision Doesn't Require a Uniform Plan Regional leadership still has an important role in establishing vision and priorities. Jim's organization had a clear emphasis on evangelism and mission. Coaching allowed each local church to answer the question: What does that vision look like here? 5. Local Leaders Need to Own the Plan A regional leader can cast a compelling vision, but the local church ultimately has to make it its own. The pastor and congregation understand their particular people, community, opportunities, and limitations. Coaching helps them develop a plan that fits their context instead of merely implementing someone else's strategy. 6. Coaching Demonstrates Trust in Local Leadership Jim argues that regional leaders should trust that the Spirit of God is at work in local pastors and leaders. The regional leader doesn't have to determine exactly how the larger vision will be implemented everywhere. Coaching creates space for local leaders to discern how that vision should come alive in their particular setting. 7. Coaching Can Produce Organizational Fruit Jim describes having roughly one-third of ministry leaders engaged in some cadence of coaching. Over six or seven years, what felt ordinary day-to-day produced significant results. He credits the coach approach as an important foundation for the fruit and goodwill they experienced. 8. Coaching May Be the Missing Tool for Regional Leadership Regional leaders often have vision, relationships, and access but lack a reliable way to help local leaders translate vision into action. Equipping trusted regional staff with coaching skills can extend the ministry of senior denominational leaders across many churches. Coaching connects big-picture vision with local ownership, action, and accountability. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "People don't want coaching. They want the breakthroughs." "How else can I be of help to this local church?" "You could have a vision, but it's the local pastor, it's the local church, that has to not only make the vision their own, but they have to make the plan." "Have a little bit of respect for the Spirit of God at work in local leadership." "Coaching is probably the missing tool to help you extend your ministry to all the local churches." "We saw so much fruit and so much goodwill built when we began to approach things with a coaching mindset."
August 27, 2026Episode 53224 min
Two Kinds of People
Why do some people fixate on details that seem irrelevant to you? Why do others jump quickly to patterns and possibilities? And why can a decision that seems perfectly logical to one person feel completely wrong to someone else? In this solo episode, Brian uses the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to explore two particularly useful personality distinctions: Sensing vs. Intuition and Thinking vs. Feeling . These preferences describe how people tend to take in information and how they tend to make decisions. Understanding these differences can increase self-awareness, reduce frustration in relationships, and make coaches more effective by helping them recognize when they are unconsciously expecting clients to process information and decisions the same way they do. Key Ideas & Takeaways There really are different ways of processing the world. Brian opens with a conversation with his longtime friend Travis about a thorn in his thumb. Travis wanted to know exactly what kind of plant the thorn came from; Brian could not understand why that detail mattered. The exchange illustrates how differently two people can naturally gather information. Sensing and Intuition describe how we prefer to take in information. Sensing tends to focus on facts, details, experience, and concrete evidence. Intuition tends to focus on patterns, possibilities, connections, meaning, and what could be. Neither approach is better. Each notices things the other can easily miss. Our own preference can feel like common sense. Because we have spent a lifetime processing information in a particular way, it can be difficult to understand why another person doesn't see what seems obvious to us. Thinking and Feeling describe how we prefer to make decisions. Thinking tends to emphasize logic, consistency, and what makes the most sense. Feeling tends to emphasize values, people, relationships, and the human impact of a decision. Feeling is not the same thing as being emotional, and Thinking does not mean being uncaring. Different decision-making styles strengthen communities. Logic matters, but so do shared values and the impact decisions have on people. Healthy families, teams, churches, and organizations benefit from both perspectives. Coaches need awareness of their own preferences. Coaching frequently involves helping people gather information and make decisions. A coach who assumes the client should process those things the same way the coach does can unintentionally limit the conversation. The opposite preference can generate powerful coaching questions. A coach might invite a strongly Sensing client to consider patterns or possibilities, or ask a strongly Thinking client to consider how a decision fits the values of the people affected. The goal isn't to change the client's preference but to expand what they are able to consider. Assessments should create awareness, not pigeonhole people. Myers-Briggs describes preferences rather than limitations. Knowing a preference can help explain differences without turning personality type into an excuse or rigid label. Brian closes by introducing CAM 509: Coaching and Assessments , beginning September 22, 2026, an eight-week course exploring assessments and how coaches can use them effectively. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "I think the easiest recognition of this is when I'm around somebody who I don't understand." "You are really going to assume that everybody takes in information and makes decisions like you do—and that they should." "I see patterns before I see specifics." "Feeling isn't about being emotional." "I process differently would be a better way of saying that." "As I'm coaching, I want to try to set aside my own biases and preferences toward how I take in information and how I make decisions." "There are options out there that you have not considered."
August 20, 2026Episode 53122 min
Do Credential Matter with Mary Selzer
Episode Overview Do coaches really need credentials? Since coaching isn't a regulated profession, anyone can call themselves a coach—but should they? In this conversation, Brian Miller and Master Certified Coach Mary Selzer discuss the value of coach credentialing, not as a status symbol, but as a commitment to excellence, credibility, and continual growth. They explain how credentials shape the coach as much as they assure the client, creating a solid foundation for transformational coaching. Key Ideas & Takeaways 1. Credentials Bring Credibility Coaching is an unregulated profession, making it difficult for clients to distinguish trained coaches from consultants or advisors. A recognized credential communicates that a coach has invested in learning and has been evaluated against established standards. Credentials help build trust before the coaching conversation even begins. 2. Coaching Is Different from Consulting Many people use the title "coach" while actually telling clients what to do. True coaching helps clients think, discover, and take responsibility rather than simply receiving advice. A credential reinforces the distinction between coaching and consulting. 3. Credentials Change the Coach Mary describes receiving her first credential as a significant mental shift: "I'm legit." The process develops confidence as well as competence. Credentials aren't merely external validation—they transform the coach's identity. 4. Excellence Requires Preparation Coaching people well deserves intentional training. Brian and Mary argue that serving clients with excellence means continually sharpening coaching skills rather than relying on natural ability or experience alone. Excellence honors both the client and the calling. 5. Every Coach Needs a Foundation Every coach operates from a particular coaching philosophy, whether they recognize it or not. Credentialing provides a clear framework and common language for effective coaching. Knowing where your coaching comes from strengthens both confidence and consistency. 6. Competencies Matter Brian highlights the value of the ICF Core Competencies as a practical roadmap for coaching conversations. Competencies help coaches understand how to create awareness, establish agreements, listen deeply, and facilitate action. They provide concrete areas for ongoing improvement. 7. Great Coaches Never Stop Growing One benefit of credential renewal is the expectation of continuing education. Mary shares that after earning her MCC, her first question was, "What's next?" Coaching is about growth—and coaches should model the same lifelong learning they encourage in others. 8. The Credentialing Process Shapes Character Brian reflects that earning his PCC required more than improving techniques—it changed how he thought about people, coaching, and transformation. Rigorous standards don't simply test knowledge; they develop the coach. Memorable Quotes & Ideas "There are many people who call themselves coaches—but they're really consultants." "When I received my first credential, there was a mental shift: 'I'm legit.'" "We aren't the expert on the client's problem—we're the expert on the conversation that creates transformation." "Excellence honors both the client and the calling." "Every coach is coming from somewhere. A credential tells people where you're rooted." "Coaching is about change and growth—and coaches should experience that too." "Getting my PCC didn't just change my coaching; it changed who I was."
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