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What We Can Learn From Five Famous Leaders Who Had A Coach

Forbes Coaches Council

Business Is My Religion coach. French real estate investor. My mission: enable people to access financial security | My Billionaire Business

What do Bill Gates, Tony Robbins and Oprah Winfrey have in common? These famous people, who are all leaders in their respective fields, have employed the help of a coach. Whether you work in business, the film industry or the sports sector, a coach can help you gain new insight, grow from feedback and find the clarity needed to move forward in your career.

Bill Gates: "Everyone needs a coach."

At the start of his TED talk a few years ago, Bill Gates said: "Everyone needs a coach." The Microsoft founder gave the example of his bridge coach, Sharon Osberg, who helped him to improve his game and went on to say that "We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve."

Gates, who has also been mentored by Warren Buffet, recognizes that a coach can bring a fresh perspective to a situation. A coach can help you to step back, observe your weaknesses or the problem from a different point of view and help you to thoughtfully question yourself.

Bill Clinton: "[A coach] teaches us the most important lesson that every individual has to learn about living day to day, which is that you have choices in every circumstance."

The former president of the United States is also among the personalities who have worked with a coach. He was coached by Tony Robbins, a well-known coach in the U.S. In talking about his coach, these are the words that Clinton used in a speech: "He teaches us the most important lesson that every individual has to learn about living day to day, which is that you have choices in every circumstance. And you have to make up your mind how you will respond to whatever it is that happens, as well as how you will try to make new things happen."

Using their own methods and tools, a coach's job is to accompany you on your journey from point A to point B. Some people delude themselves by thinking they will act in their lives. In reality, a coach's role is limited to guidance. Through their expertise, they help you see the various opportunities that may be available to you, but taking action remains your responsibility.

Jim Yong Kim: "One of the most important things about leadership is that you have to have a kind of humility that will allow you to be coached."

Jim Yong Kim, also known as Kim Yong, is an American physician, anthropologist and former president of the World Bank. He has been coached by Marshall Goldsmith, a renowned executive coach, and told the Washington Post, "Marshall has had a huge impact on how I work as a leader. One of the most important things about leadership is that you have to have a kind of humility that will allow you to be coached. No matter how good you think you are as a leader, my goodness, people around you will have all kinds of ideas about how you can get better."

Kim also talks about the importance of being open to feedback—even when it may not be something you want to hear. A good coach is an unbiased expert who can team up with you at a specific moment in your life to help you navigate feedback and improve your performance so that you can reach your full potential.

Oprah Winfrey: "Coaching helps you to stop the crazy mind chatter in your head."

Oprah Winfrey is a famous talk show host in the United States. Her background has made her a very influential woman in business, and while her own life coach, Martha Beck, said Winfrey is the last person who needs a life coach, Winfrey says that coaching helps you to "stop the crazy mind chatter in your head that tells you all the time that you're not good enough."

A life coach is a professional who can help you to do in-depth work, including recognizing and overcoming imposter syndrome. He or she accompanies you so that you do not get discouraged along the way and can help you to become aware of your difficulties and resolve them in a progressive manner.

Tony Robbins: "[A] coach can see what you can't see because you are in the forest, while they are outside of it."

As previously mentioned, Tony Robbins is a renowned personal development coach, but he himself was coached by Jim Rohn. Robbins says "A coach just has a different perspective... The coach can see what you can't see because you are in the forest, while they are outside of it."

When you are in the thick of things, it is often difficult to have an objective and global view of the situation. Coaching offers an outside perspective. Often, people have "self-limiting beliefs" that keep you chained in place and inhibit you from moving forward. A coach can help you see differently so that you can unchain yourself from these limiting beliefs and move in the right direction.

Feedback is valuable information that can be used for continuous improvement. That’s the reason why even some of the most talented leaders have a coach. They recognize that everyone, including themselves, can get better and that coaching is a way to bring out the best in themselves.


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