Let me tell you a short anecdote.

This young engineer finds himself in a room full of very senior leaders - part of a leadership development course at work.

I have often struggled with striking the right balance on the advising-mentoring-coaching spectrum. Where does one end and the next begin? Sometimes in the same conversation - one moment guiding, the next moment sensing an opening, an opportunity for a new way of thinking.

So I thought to write it down and the closest model for engagement that comes to mind is that of a ‘thought-partner’:

Coaching is truly a different realm of interaction - domain independent, knowledge independent, dynamic, alive, alert to every moment. A lovely interplay between the client and coach, sometimes a dance, sometimes a voyage, sometimes a tour de force. And sometimes just shared silence - a pause, a break from the endless stream of consciousness.