The Power of Professional Coaching — Ep 2: Seeing What We Don’t See

Harinath K
3 days ago
4 min read

Harinath

Strategy & Growth – Reliance Retail; EI Outlook Editor

Insights from our Book Club Discussion on The Power of Professional Coaching

Before we met for the book-club evening, everyone had two to three weeks with the book and their assigned stories. Four seasoned coaches—each carrying decades of lived experience, corporate journeys, and human observations—joined an audience that was equally curious, ambitious, and hungry for personal growth.

If Episode 1 explored awareness, Episode 2 moves deeper into the terrain of blind spots, belief systems, and the courage to see oneself without filters.

What unfolded wasn't just a book discussion.

It was a masterclass in understanding the human mind.

When we pause to understand ourselves, the path ahead becomes unmistakably clear.

1. When a Person’s Limiting Belief… Mirrors the Coach’s

An audience member asked a provocative question:

“What happens if the coachee’s limiting belief is also the coach’s?”

The room paused—because this was real.

Coaches are human too.

One of our panelists explained that this is where training becomes essential.

Coaching—unlike advising—requires the coach to suspend their own bias, their instinct to solve, their mental shortcuts. The coach must ask questions the way a child would:

with curiosity, with innocence, with no hidden agenda.

They spoke about undergoing months of practice:

recording sessions
being evaluated for unconscious judgement
being checked for “solution-giving tendencies”
learning to hold silence
learning to trust the coachee’s pace

Coaching, therefore, is not expertise talking down.

It is awareness rising up.

2. The Challenge of Fast Thinkers vs. Slow Responders

Another insight emerged when someone asked:

“How do you switch between two clients in a day who are completely opposite in temperament?”

One coach described working with people from different countries—UK, Europe, India—and how cultural conditioning shapes how people express discomfort, confidence, or disagreement.

The lesson for all of us was clear:

You don’t coach the résumé—you coach the person sitting in front of you.

This reinforced something meaningful for our EI community:

Even in families, teams, committees, and volunteer groups, each person’s style needs a different kind of listening.

3. Story from the Book: The Woman Who Wanted to Remove Her Glasses

Narrator 4 shared one of the most memorable cases from the book.

A senior IT leader walked into a coaching session and said:

“I want to get rid of my glasses today.”

It sounded odd—until she explained that her glasses “made her see the world’s sadness”.

She felt overwhelmed by everything she could not fix.

At work, she was a fast problem-solver.

But outside work, she felt helpless when there was no quick solution.

Through coaching, she realised:

Some problems are not hers to solve.
Some situations only need acknowledgement, not action.
Helplessness reduces when acceptance increases.

The audience quietly absorbed this.

Many nodded—because many of us carry invisible burdens we never name.

4. Story from the Book: The Housewife Rediscovering Her Identity

Another story explored a highly educated woman who got absorbed into household responsibilities. She worked in her husband’s company but did not feel like she owned her life.

Coaching helped her articulate something she had never said aloud:

“I want freedom—not permission.”

The story wasn’t about rebellion.

It was about reclaiming agency—choosing work that reflected her identity, not her circumstances.

This resonated deeply with the EI audience—especially those restarting careers after breaks, relocations, caregiving, or transitions.

5. Culture Shapes Confidence—But Coaching Shapes Clarity

A question arose:

“Does the culture of a company shape the personality of the person?”

The coaches agreed: Yes.

And not just companies—countries, families, teams, and even towns shape us.

But the deeper insight was this:

Coaching creates a space untouched by culture—a room where a person can examine themselves without outside noise.

That is why leaders across the world—from CEOs to first-time managers—are turning to coaching. It is the only space where:

nobody interrupts
nobody evaluates
nobody instructs

Just presence.

Just questions.

Just clarity.

6. Why Some People Seek Coaching and Some Don’t

An audience member asked:

“People who need coaching the most don’t know they need it. What do we do?”

The coaches smiled knowingly—because this is universal.

They explained that meaningful change begins when:

a person becomes aware of their blind spots
someone they trust offers honest feedback
the organisation creates a culture that encourages reflection

One panelist shared a striking contrast:

In some global companies—even CEOs regularly undergo coaching.

In India, many CEOs nominate others for coaching but avoid it themselves.

The takeaway was simple and powerful:

Growth begins the day we accept that success does not make us complete—it only makes us visible.

Conclusion: Coaching Is Not Advice—It Is Awareness

This Episode taught us that:

Coaching is not for “people with problems.”
Coaching is for anyone seeking greater clarity, courage, and choice.
The true change happens not in the session but between sessions—
when awareness blends into behaviour.

As we wrapped up, the coaches left us with one thought:

“Every person is capable of change. What they need is a space safe enough to see themselves clearly.”

This episode is dedicated to creating such spaces within our EI community.

These experts offer their time for a nominal fee—just enough to ensure commitment, not cost.

Contact me for details