The Top 20 Life Coaching Books You Should Read

For me, my library of books is a fantastic resource to help me formulate words and ... to copy them and attempt to achieve the same results, ... Home Blog Store Team About Contact Login Coaching&Application 23May2022 9 TheTop20LifeCoachingBooksYouShouldRead 16Aug2019byElaineMead,BSc. Nomatterwhoyouare,whereyouareinlife,orwhereyouwanttobe,mostofuswilladmittowantingtobebetterinsomedomain. Whetherthat’spersonallyorprofessionally,withinourcloserelationships,orgenerallycultivatingabettersenseofpurposeineverythingwedo. We’dallliketobeabetterlifecoachtoourselves;we’rejustnotsurehowtogoaboutit. Therearemanywayswecanapproachthis,butoneofthecoremethodsisthroughbehavioralmodeling.Weliketolooktootherswhohavegotitright,thosewhohaveachievedsuccess,andaskhowtheydidit.Thegoodnewsis,thesepeopleareusuallyquitehappytoshare,andtheexplosionoflifecoachingandpersonaldevelopmentbooksthatarenowavailableareatestimonytothis. Forme,mylibraryofbooksisafantasticresourcetohelpmeformulatewordsandideaswhenI’mstruggling.It’slikebeingabletograbacoffeewithsomeonewhogetsit,wheneverIwant,whereverIwant. BelowI’vecollectedalistoftopbooksaboutlifecoaching.Whetheryou’relookingforguidanceorabuddinglifecoachforyourself,there’ssomethingforeveryone. Beforeyoucontinue,wethoughtyoumightliketodownloadourthreePositivePsychologyExercisesforfree.Thesescience-basedexerciseswillexplorefundamentalaspectsofpositivepsychologyincludingstrengths,valuesandself-compassionandwillgiveyouthetoolstoenhancethewellbeingofyourclients,studentsoremployees. ThisArticleContains: 10BestBooksonLifeCoachingtoRead TheBest-SellingTitlesonAmazon TrainingBooksforCoaches AListofTopLifeCoachingAudiobookRecommendations RelevantResources(onourblog) RelevantResources(fromourToolkit) ATake-HomeMessage References 10BestBooksonLifeCoachingtoRead 1.TheGiftsofImperfection:LetGoofWhoYouThinkYou’reSupposedtoBeandEmbraceWhoYouAre–BreneBrownPh.DL.M.S.W. BreneBrownisaResearchProfessorandpublicspeakerwhohasdedicatedheracademiccareertoexploringdifferentareasofhumanbehavior,specificallyhowweexperienceshameandfearandwhy. Throughherresearch,shebegantounderstandsomedeepinsightsabouthowwebehaveandcameupwiththeoriesofovercomingourfearsthroughwhatshecalls‘wholeheartedliving.’ShewentontodeliveroneofthemostviewedTEDtalkseverandhassincewrittenseveralbooksbasedonthefindingsofherresearch. InTheGiftsofImperfection,Brownpresentshertenchapterguideforwholeheartedliving:whatitmeans,whatitlookslikefordifferentpeople,whatshediscoveredthroughherresearchandhowshehasimplementedthiswayoflivingforherselfandherfamily.Eachchapterisheadedasa‘guidepost’forhelpingyouliveamoreauthenticandacceptinglife. Theguidepostsare: CultivatingAuthenticityandLettingGoofWhatOtherPeopleThink CultivatingSelf-CompassionandLettingGoofPerfectionism CultivatingYourResilientSpirit,LettingGoofNumbingandPowerlessness CultivatingGratitudeandJoy,LettingGoofScarcityandFearoftheDark CultivatingIntuitionandTrustingFaith,LettingGooftheNeedforCertainty CultivatingCreativityandLettingGoofComparison CultivatingPlayandRest,LettingGoofExhaustionasaStatusSymbol CultivatingCalmandStillnessandLettingGoofAnxietyasaLifestyle CultivatingMeaningfulWork,LettingGoofSelf-DoubtandSupposed-To CultivatingLaughter,SongandDance,andLettingGoofCoolandAlwaysinControl Eachguideposthastwocomponents,oneguidingyouthroughwhatyoushoulddo,andtheotherinstructingyouwhatyouneedtoletgoof,topursueauthenticity.VotedasoneofForbes‘TopFiveBooksThatWillActuallyChangeYourOutlookonLife’,thisbookhassoldmillionsofcopiesandbeencelebratedforit’seasytoaccessandfollowguidance. FindthebookonAmazon.   2.Thinking,FastAndSlow–DanielKahneman DanielKahnemanisaseniorscholarforPrincetonUniversityandanEmeritusProfessorofPublicAffairsattheWoodrowWilsonSchoolofPublicandInternationalAffairs. Hemadeheadlineswithhisbest-sellingbookThinkingFastandSlowwhenitwasfirstpublishedin2012,withitsgroundbreakingexplanationofthe‘twosystems’ofthebrainandhowtheydrivethewayswethink. ThetwosystemsKahnemannreferstoare: SystemOne:Thissystemworksfaster,moreintuitively,andismorecloselyconnectedtoandinfluencedbyouremotions.Ourmoodhasastronginfluenceonthissystem,andevenwhetherwehaveeatenlunchornot,willimpactthedecisionswemakewhenoperatingfromthissystemofthinking. SystemTwo:Thisissystemisthe‘slow’systemofthinkingreferencedinthebook’stitle.Itismoredeliberateandlogical,andourdecisionsmadefromthiswayofthinkingwillbemorerationalandwell-thought-out. Throughhisbook,Kahnemantalksusthroughtheprosandconsofthetwodifferentsystems,specificallysystemoneandoutlinesthepervasivenessthatintuitionhasonourthoughtsandactions. Alongsidepracticalguidanceandtechniquestohelpguardagainstmakingpoorjudgmentswhenoperatingfromsystemone,it’sagreatbookforindividualdevelopmentandcoachesworkingwithclients. It’sanengagingread,exploringthedifferentwayswethinkinanewframework,andofferinggreatinsightsforunderstandingthetwodifferentsystems,howtheyworktogether,andhowtheyultimatelyshapeourdecisions. FindthebookonAmazon.   3.Mindset:TheNewPsychologyofSuccess–CarolS.Dweck CarolDweckhasbuiltaphenomenalcareerstudyinghumanbehaviorandmotivation,specificallystudyingwhatmakesthedifferencebetweenpeoplewhosucceedandthosewhodon’t. Throughherresearch,shedevelopedhertheoryofthetwomindsetsandtheremarkabledifferencetheyhaveontheoutcomesofsuccess.Briefly,thetwomindsetsare: GrowthMindset:AGrowthMindsetiswhereanindividualbelieves(oriseducatedtobelieve)thatskillscanbedevelopedthroughhardwork,motivation,goodlearningstrategies,andconstructivefeedback.Peoplewhooperatefromagrowthmindsetbelievetheyhavecontrolovertheirsuccess,andthatpersonalgrowthispossiblethroughtryingnewthings.Whentheydoexperiencefailure,challenges,orsetbacks,theystillseetheseasuncomfortable,butultimatelyasopportunitiestolearnandgainfurthergrowth. FixedMindset:IndividualswithaFixedMindsetbelievethattheirabilitiesarefixedandcannotbeimprovedbeyondacertainskilllevel,orcannotbeattainedatall.Peoplewithafixedmindsettendtoplateauearlyintheirachievementandoftengetheldbackbyanxietyandstress.Whenfacedwithchallenges,setbacks,orfailure,theyseethisasasignthattheycan’tdosomethingandshouldgiveup,ratherthanlookfortheopportunityforgrowth. Herbooksynthesizesmorethanadecadeofworkandresearchandclearlyoutlineshowbothourconsciousandunconsciousmindimpacthowweact.Inthisedition,Dweckgoesfurthertooffernewinsightsandintroducesanewconceptfromherresearch,the‘falsegrowthmindset.’ Thisbookisafantasticresource.Itteachesthatwiththerightmindset,youcanmotivateyourselforthoseyoucoachtomakeachievablechangeswithlong-reachingimpact. FindthebookonAmazon.   4.Grit:ThePowerofPassionandPerseverance–AngelaDuckworth Dr.AngelaDuckworthisanassociateprofessorofpsychologyattheUniversityofPennsylvania,andaworld-renownedexpertinwhatisreferredtoasnon-IQcompetencies(skillsthataren’tdirectlyrelatedtoourIQ,suchasgritandself-control). Duckworth’sresearchwasbornoutofpersonalexperienceandperseverance.Shetellsthestoryofbeingayoungchildandhavingherscientistfathergood-humoredlylamentingthatshewas‘no-genius,’whichinstilledinherdeterminationtoprovehimwrong. Shewentontosmashallofheracademicgoals,becomingoneofthemostsought-afterinternationalspeakersonhertopic.Asanadult,herresearchhasfocusedonthequestion:whydosomepeoplesucceed,andothersfail? It’sthequestionsheseekstouncoverinherbest-sellingbookonGrit,whichsheascertainsisoneofthemorecrucialfactorsasaguarantorofsuccessfarmorethantalent. Shetakesthereaderonajourney,exploringhowothershavecultivatedtheconceptofgritfortheirpersonalgoals.Usingexamplesfromhistoryandresearchonpeakperformance,andsharinginterviewsandinsightsforsomeoftheworld’shighestachievers. Asasupportingbookforlifecoaching,it’saninsightful,compassionate,andlight-heartedreadforcultivatingotherpartsofourcharacterworthdevelopingforsuccess,andhowtodoso. FindthebookonAmazon.   5.The7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople:PowerfulLessonsinPersonalChange–StephenR.Covey Dr.StephenR.Coveywasaninternationalleaderandauthorityonleadershipandinter-familyrelationships.Heworkedasahighlysought-afterspeaker,consultantandacademic,guidingandcoachingmillionsthroughhisbooksandteachings. Hisbook,The7HabitsofHighlyEffectivePeople,wasaninstantsensationwhenpublishedin1989,andcontinuestotopbest-sellerliststodaywithmorethan25millioncopiessoldworldwide. Fromhisinteractionsandworkwithdifferentpeople,Coveyidentifiedsevenkeytraitsthathighlyeffectiveandsuccessfulpeopledemonstrate.Theyare: BeProactive Beginwiththeendinmind Putfirstthingsfirst Thinkwin-win Seekfirsttounderstand,thentobeunderstood Synergize Sharpenthesaw Coveyadvisesthatwhilewemaylooktosuccessfulpeopletounderstandhowtheyhavedoneit,tocopythemandattempttoachievethesameresults,thismethoddoesn’taddresstheunderlyingissuesorbarriersthatpreventusfromachievingsuccessonourownterms. Hearguesthatwemustmakeprofound,fundamentalbehaviorchangesinourselvestoreaplong-lastingsuccess.Thisiswherethesevenhabitscomein.Thefirstthreehabitsfocusonself-masteryandgainingindependence.Habitsfour,five,andsixarecenteredoncollaborationandcommunicationskills,creatinginterdependence,andthefinalseventhhabitfocusesoncontinuousself-improvementandgrowth. Covey’sbookhasinfluencedmillions,fromhighprofileCEO’stoindividualslikeyouandmeforover25years.It’sastapleforanylifecoach. FindthebookonAmazon.   6.ThePowerofHabit:WhyWeDoWhatWeDoinLifeandBusiness–CharlesDuhigg CharlesDuhiggisaPulitzer-prizewinningbusinessjournalistandauthoroftwobooksfocusingonthepowerofhabitsandproductivityforachievingsuccess. InhisbookThePowerofHabit,Duhiggexploresnewscientificresearchexplainingwhywehavehabits,howtheyarebuilt,andhowwecanchangethemtocreateapositiveimpactinourlives. BuildingondataandcasestudiesfromcorporatebusinessessuchasProctorandGamble,toprofessionalsportsplayersfortheNFL,andthecivilrightsmovement,Duhiggpresentshowunderstandingthepowerofourhabitshasarangeofpotentialforsuccess. Thebookisbrokendownintothreecoresections,eachexploringhowourhabitshaveanimpact: TheHabitsofIndividuals TheHabitsofSuccessfulOrganizations TheHabitsofSocieties Eachsectionwalksthroughhowourhabitsimpactourlivesateachlevelandofferdata,resources,andpracticalguidanceforharnessingthepowerofourhabits. FindthebookonAmazon.   7.FeeltheFearandDoItAnyway:HowtoTurnYourFearandIndecisionintoConfidenceandAction–SusanJeffers SusanJefferswasaworld-renownedpsychologist,publicspeaker,andbest-sellingauthor.WhenherbookFeeltheFearwasfirstpublishedin1987,itrevolutionizedthewaywethinkaboutfearandhowweapproachthechallengesofourlives. Basedonherworkasapsychologist,Jeffershashelpedthousandsofpeopletounderstandbetterwhytheyfearthethingstheydo,howourfearsareoftendeeplyrootedinpasttraumaorpain,andhowtoovercomethistoliveamorefulfillinglife. FeeltheFearisfullofinsights,casestudies,andpracticaltools,toaidyoutostartlivingthelifeyouwant,makebetterdecisions,movepastpainandanxiety,andembraceaction. FindthebookonAmazon.   8.FindingYourOwnNorthStar:ClaimingtheLifeYouWereMeanttoLive–MarthaBeck MarthaBeckholdsaPh.D.fromHarvardandisaninternationallifecoach,speakerandbest-sellingauthorofseveralbooks.Herworkfocusesonsupportingindividualsandgroupstoachievetheirlifegoalsandfindpersonalandprofessionalsuccess. FindingYourNorthStarstartswithasimplepremise–weallhaveaNorthStarinourlivesthatguidesus,wehavetoseekitout: ExplorersdependontheNorthStarwhentherearenootherlandmarksinsight.Thesamerelationshipexistsbetweenyouandyourrightlife,theultimaterealizationofyourpotentialforhappiness.IbelievethataknowledgeofthatperfectlifesitsinsideyoujustastheNorthStarsitsinitsunalteringspot. Throughherbook,Becksharesherstep-by-stepcoachingprogramforyoutofollowtodiscoveryourownNorthStar.Brokendownintoeasytofollowchapters,withexercisestohelpyoualongtheway,thisbookpromisesto: Helpyoulocateandreadyourinternallifecompass Provideyouwiththerightlanguagetoarticulateyourgoalsanddesires Guideyouinidentifyingnegativebeliefsyouholdaboutyourselfandhowtorepairthemtounblockyourprogress Helpyoutapintoyourintuitionandusethistoguideyoutowardsamoresatisfyinglife ScatteredamongstthechaptersareanecdotesandcasestudiesfromBeck’sownlifeandsuccessfulclients,alongwithquestionnairesandresourcestosupportyourNorthStarjourney. FindthebookonAmazon.   9.HowtoWinFriendsandInfluencePeople–DaleCarnegie DaleCarnegiewasabest-sellingauthorandself-helpcoach,whosepersonalstoryofsuccesshasbeensharedbymillions.BornonafarminMissouri,hewentontobecomeoneofthemostsuccessfultravelingsalesmenwhowouldthengoontoteachpublicspeakingataNewYorkYMCA. HiscoursewouldprovetobesosuccessfulthathefoundedtheDaleCarnegieInstitutetoaccommodatethedemandforhisteachings,andin1936hefirstpublishedtheinternationalhitbookHowtoWinFriendsandInfluencePeople. Morethan60yearslater,thebookisstillaninternationalbest-sellerandisastapleoncurriculumreadinglistsforbusinessandleadershipcoursesaroundtheworld. Itspremiseisquitesimple:howdoyougetalongwithpeopleinyourday-to-daybusinessandsocialinteractionsforsuccess? Therearefivekeysectionstothebook: Effectivetechniquesforhandlingpeople Sixprovenwaystomakepeoplelikeyouandincreaseyourpopularity Howtowinpeoplearoundtoyourwayofthinking Howtoleadwithoutoffenseorresentment Howtohandlecomplaintsandavoidarguments Filledwithpersonalanecdotesfromhisworkasasalesman,andupdatedwithinsightsintohowtoachieveimportantgoals,increaseyourinfluence,andbecomeabetterspeaker,conversationalist,andsocialmagnet.Thisisaniconicbookforanyaspiringcoach. FindthebookonAmazon.   10.YouAreaBadass:HowtoStopDoubtingYourGreatnessandStartLivinganAwesomeLife–JenSincero JanSinceroisabest-sellingauthorandsuccesscoach,whohasworkedwithhundredsofpeoplegloballytohelpthemstartlivingthepersonalandprofessionallifetheyreallywant. Afewyearsago,SincerodesiredtoleaveherhomeinCaliforniaandtraveltheworldindefinitelyinpursuitofherpersonalgoals.Inthisnewbook,shesharesinsights,resources,exercises,andpersonalanecdotestohelpyoudothesame. Throughincrediblyengagingandhumorouswritingbrokendowninto21digestiblechapters,Sincero’sbookwillguideyouthrough: Identifyingtheself-sabotagebeliefsandbehaviorsyouhaveandhowtochangethem Stepbystepinstructionsonhowtostartmakingrealmoney Authenticallycreatingthelifeyou’vealwayswanted YouAreaBadassisaimedatindividualswhoarereadytotakecontroloftheirlife,understandwhotheyareandwhytheybehaveinthewaystheydo,andwhoarepreparedtomakebigchangestostartlivingthelifetheytrulywant. FindthebookonAmazon.   TheBest-SellingTitlesonAmazon ItprobablycomesasnosurprisethatsomeofthetoplifecoachingbooksarealsosomeofthetopbestsellersonAmazon!Nomatterwhatareaoflifeyou’reseekingtoworkon,there’sabooktohelp. BelowarethetopfivebestsellersonAmazonforlifecoachingandself-help:   1.33StrategiesofWar–RobertGreene,DonaldCorenandHighBridge Publishedin2007,33StrategiesofWarmightnotsoundlikeoneofthemostsignificantsellingself-improvementbooksoutthere,butit’sgotaverysolidpremise. Utilizingcasestudiesandexamplesfromdifferentpointsofhistory,Greenepresentssomeofthemosteffective,ingenious,andsuccessfulprinciplesandstrategiesfromvariousmilitaryleaders. Greenethendrillsthemdowntosimplifiedversionsofhowthesestrategiescanbeusedineverydaylifetoachievegoals. It’scurrentlynumberoneonseveralofAmazon’sbestsellerlists. FindthebookonAmazon.   2.TheSubtleArtofNotGivingaF*ck:ACounterintuitiveApproachtoLivingaGoodLife–MarkManson,RogerWayneandHarperAudio MarkMansonisaself-madeself-helpblogger,entrepreneur,andtheauthorofthreebest-sellingbooks.TheSubtleArtofNotGivingaF*ckishissecondbookandquicklydominatedthebestsellerslistwhenitwasreleasedin2016. Celebratedforbeingsomeonewho‘tellsitlikeitis’Manson’sbookisareversalonthesocietaltendencytofocusononlyfeelinggoodandfalsepositivity.Backedbyacademicandscientificresearch,Mansonexploresthefulfillmentthatcanbeachievedbyacceptingourlimitations,fears,andfaults. Heusespersonalstories,humorousanecdotes,andexperience,aswellasreal-lifeexamplestomakehispointscometolife,andhowtheprocessofcaringlessaboutbeinghappyallthetimeandmerelyembracinghonestyandcuriositycanleadtogreatthings. ThisbookisanumberonebestsellerintheAmazonmotivationalself-helpsection. FindthebookonAmazon.   3.12RulesforLife:AnAntidotetoChaos–JordanB.Peterson JordanPetersonisaclinicalpsychologist,soughtafterpublicspeaker,andprofessorofpsychologyattheUniversityofToronto.Hisworkexploringhumanbehaviorandpersonalityhashelpedtoreshapeourmodernunderstandingofthetopics. In12RulesforLife,Petersoninterweavesideasfromhisownresearch,ancientwisdom,anddecadesofadditionalpsychologicalideastocreate12coreprinciplesforlivingameaningfullife. Coveringeverythingfromkeepingyourhousetidytonotjudgingothersorcomparingyourpresentselfwithyourpastself,it’snosurprisethisbookhasdominatedthebestsellerlistssinceitwaspublishedinApril2019. FindthebookonAmazon.   4.AtomicHabits:thelife-changingmillioncopy#1bestseller–JamesClear Publishedattheendof2018,Clear’sbookwasaninstantNewYorkTimesBestsellerandnominatedastheFinancialTimesBookoftheMonth. Clearisablogger,author,andentrepreneurwhohasspentmostofhiscareerexploringhumanhabitsandpotential,tryingtofindananswertothequestion‘Howcanwelivebetter?’. InhislatestbookAtomicHabits,Clearsetsouttoclarifywhythebigchangesandhabitswetrytomakeoftenfail,andhowthepowerofsmalldailyhabits–whichhecallsatomichabits–canmakethemostsignificantimpactandpositivedifferencewhenworkingtowardssuccessfulgoals. Usingpsychologicalresearchandcasestudiesfrominspiringindividuals,Clearoutlinesseveralsimpleandpracticallifehacksforharnessingthepowerofyouratomichabits. FindthebookonAmazon.   5.Can’tHurtMe:MasterYourMindandDefytheOdds–DavidGoggins AnotherNewYorkTimesbestsellerandnumberfiveontheAmazontopsellerlistformotivationalself-helpbooks,Can’tHurtMeisthetruestoryofDavidGogginsandhowheovercamechildhoodtraumabarrierstobedubbed‘TheFittestManinAmerica.’ GogginsstoryoftransformationfromdepressedandoverweightyoungmantocompletingsomeofthemoststringentU.S.ArmedForceseliteprogramsandbecomingatop-performingenduranceathleteisastonishing. Inhisbook,GogginsshareshistheorybehindhisresilienceandhisThe40%Rule,wherehebelievesthatmanyofusonlyevertapinto40%ofourabilities.It’sanenlighteningreadthatwillleaveanyonemotivatedtopushasidetheirbarriersandreachfortheirfullpotential. FindthebookonAmazon.   TrainingBooksforCoaches Thebooksouttherearen’tjustforpersonaluseanddevelopment;there’salsoavastrangeofbooksaimedatsupportingcoachestohelpthemlearn,train,andgrowasapractitioner.Thesebookshavebeenwrittenbysomeofthemostprominentcoachespracticingtodayandarepackedwithresources,tips,andguidanceonhowtobeabettercoach. Herearefiveofthetopsellersforaspiringcoaches:   1.Co-ActiveCoaching:TheProvenFrameworkforTransformativeConversationsatWorkandinLife–HenryKimsey-House,KarenKimsey-House,PhillipSandahl,andLauraWhitworth Firstpublishedin1988,thisisthefourtheditionofthebookwrittenbythefoundersofTheCoachesTrainingInstitute. Oftenreferredtoas‘thebibleofcoaching,’itcontainsagreatrangeofprovencoachingmethods,tools,andresourcestohelpaspiringcoacheselevatetheirpractice. Notonlydoesitcomprehensivelycoverdifferentcoachingmethods,butitalsoincludesethicalguidelines,frameworks,andin-depthcoachingphilosophiestosupportyouinunderstandingtheworkyouundertakeasacoach. FindthebookonAmazon.   2.TransformationalLifeCoaching:CreatingLimitlessOpportunitiesforYourselfandOthers–CherieCarter-ScottPhD Dr.CherieCarter-Scotthasbeenalifecoachsince1974,longbeforeallthesocialmediahappycoachesweseetoday. Asaveteranofthepractice,she’sworkedwithherbusinesspartner,LynnStewart,tocreateatrulyinformativeandcomprehensivebookthatcoverseverythingyouneedtoknowaboutbecomingalifecoach. ThebookcontainsprovenstrategiesthatDr.Carter-Scottusesherselfwithclients,alongsidespecifictoolsusedtotraincoachesunderhermentorship. Whatmakesthisbooksouniqueisthatitexploresthecoachingprocessfromtheperspectiveofboththecoachandthecoachedclient,providingdifferentinsightsintothecoachingrelationship. Thisadditionmakesthisbookagreatstapletothebookshelves. FindthebookonAmazon.   3.CoachingQuestions:ACoach’sGuidetoPowerfulAskingSkills–TonyStoltzfus Thisbookfocusesononecoreaspectcoaching:theimportanceofaskingtherightquestions. Communicationisessentialforsuccessfulcoaching,andthismeansknowingwhatquestionstoask,howtoaskthem,andwhentoasktogetthebestanswersfromyourclient. AuthorTonyStoltzfuspartneredupwithtwelveothersuccessfulcoachestocompilearangeofexercisestohelpaspiringcoachesgettogripswithlearningthisvitalskill. Thebookisalsoagreattoolkittokeeptohandasitcontainsmorethan1000examplesofdifferentquestionstoaskandbuilduponwhencoachingclients.Bothnewandexperiencedcoacheswillfindthisavaluableresource. FindthebookonAmazon.   4.BecomingaProfessionalLifeCoach:LessonsfromtheInstituteofLifeCoachTraining–DianeS.MenendezandPatrickWilliams PatrickWilliamsisalong-servinglifecoachandfounderoftheInstituteofLifeCoaching(ILCT).Hehaspreviouslywrittentwobooksaboutcoaching,andthis,histhirdbook,isadeepdiveintoallaspectsofthecoachingjourney. Usinglessonsandteachingsfromhiscourses,training,andworkshopsattheILTC,thisbookprovidesaseamlesspathofinstructionforallthecoachingfundamentals.Fromcommunicationandlisteningskills,language,effectivequestioning,downtohowtoprepareandplanapositivecoachingsession. Thebookalsocoversmorein-depthtopicsaroundcoaching,includingethics,corecompetencies,specificwellnesscoaching,andtheimpactofpositivepsychologyandneuroscienceonthecoachingjourneyandrelationship. FindthebookonAmazon.   5.TheLifeCoachingHandbook:EverythingYouNeedtobeaneffectivelifecoach–CurlyMartin   CurlyMartinhasbeenaprofessionallifecoach,author,andNLPMasterPractitionerformorethantwentyyears,andherbookhasbeenhailedasthe‘essentialguide’foraspiringlifecoaches. ThebooktakesthereaderthroughherAdvancedLifeCoachingSkillsprogramthatshehasusedwithawiderangeofpractitioners,includingHRmanagers,counselors,andtherapists. It’saone-stoptoolkitforanyonenewtotheprofession,withwalk-throughscenarios,questioningtechniques,resources,andactivitiestohelpyouonthewaytobecominganeffectivelifecoach. FindthebookonAmazon.   AListofTopLifeCoachingAudiobookRecommendations Ifsittingdownandreadingabookisn’treallyforyou,don’tworry!You’renotalone,andmanyofthebestsellersarealsoavailableasaudiobooks.There’sagreatrangeofaudiobooksfocusedondifferentaspectsoflifecoaching.Theseareperfectforthosewhoprefertoabsorbinformationthroughlistening. BelowareafewofthemostpopularI’vefound:   1.LifeCoachingforDummies–JeniPurdie,KateHarperandJohnWily&Sons,Inc. Partoftheextraordinarilypopular‘ForDummies’series,whichbreaksdowncomplexsubjectsintoengagingandeasytodigestbooks,thisbookisfulloftips,techniques,resources,andguidanceforimprovingpersonalperformance,findingbalance,settingprioritiesandachievinggoals. Whetheryou’relookingtocoachothers,self-coach,orbetterunderstandthecoachingjourney,thisbookisanexcellentguideforwhattoexpectanddebunksseveralmythssurroundingtheconceptoflifecoaching. ThebookwaswrittenbyJeniPurdie,ahighlyexperiencedlifecoachwhopracticedintheUKandEuropeandisnarratedbyKateHarper. FindthebookonAmazonAudible.   2.MakeMoneyasaLifeCoach:HowtoBecomeaLifeCoachandAttractYourFirstPayingClient–SallyMiller,MelissaRickerandSarah-JaneVincet Ifyou’vebeenconsideringbecomingalifecoach,butareunsurehowtogetstartedorwhatyoucanofferasacoach,thisisthebookforyou. AuthorsSallyMillerandMelissaRickerhavebothstarteddownthepath,madeafewwrongturns,butultimatelywentontocreatehighlysuccessfulbusinessesascoaches.Intheirbook,theysharethemistakesthey’vemadeandtheprovenstepstotaketogetontherightpathtobecomingasuccessfullifecoach. Throughtheiraudiobook,Miller,andRickerguideyouthrough: Identifyingyourcoachingniche Developingastrongmarketingstrategytoattractclients Howtoconduct‘discovery’callswithnewclientsandgetthecoachingrelationshipstarted Theauthorsaimtomakeyourjourneyintolifecoachingasseamlessandsuccessfulaspossible.Sarah-JaneVincentnarratesthebook. FindthebookonAmazonAudible.   3.TheProsperousCoach:IncreaseIncomeandImpactforYouandYourClients–SteveChandler,RichLitvinandMauriceBassett SteveChandlerisamastercoach,whohasworkedwithhundredsofhigh-profileprofessionals.Heistheauthorofmorethan30books,ahighlysoughtafterpublicspeaker,andfounderoftheCoachingProsperitySchool. RichLitvinrunsaleadershipconsultancyandisalsoamastercoach,workingwithhighachieverstoachievethe‘impossible,’Togetherinthisbooktheysharetheirtoptips,resources,guidance,techniquesandmethodologyforworkingwithalreadyhighlysuccessfulindividualstohelpthemelevatetheirsuccess. Thisbookisaimedatnewcoachesandprofessionalcoaches,tohelpyouelevateyourstatusasasoughtaftercoach.It’sbeenwell-reviewedforofferinggreatinsights,butremindingthereaderthatwhatworksforonewillnotalwaysworkfortheother,andprovidinghelpful,practicaladviceforuncoveringyourpath.Theauthorsnarrateit. FindthebookonAmazonAudible.   4.Co-ActiveCoaching:ChangingBusiness,TransformingLives–HenryKimsey-House,KarenKimsey-House,PhillipSandahl,LauraWhitworth,TimAndresPabon,andGildanMedi,LLC TheauthorsofCo-ActiveCoachingfoundTheCoachesTrainingInstitutemorethan20yearsago,settingthestagefortheprofessionofcoachingatatimewhenitwasn’tasculturallypopularasitistoday. Thefirsteditionoftheirbookwaspublishedin1998andwentontobetranslatedintomorethantenlanguages. Now,initsthirdedition,ithasbeenhailedasthedefinitiveguideforprofessionalandpersonaldevelopment,coachingprograms,andcorporatecoaching. ThethirdeditionofthebookhasbeenupdatedtoincludethefullcoursecurriculumfromTheCoachesTrainingInstituteandthenewlyupdatedCo-ActiveCoachingModel,whichemphasizesthetransformationalchangeaclientgoesthroughonthecoachingjourney. Themodelhasalsobeenextendedtosupportleadershipmanagementandorganizationaleffectiveness.Thisaudiobookeditionincludesanonlinecoachingtoolkitandover35exercises,questionnairesandresourcesfortheaspiringcoach. FindthebookonAmazonAudible.   5.TheCoachingHabit:SayLess,AskMoreandChangetheWayYouLeadForever–MichaelBungayStanier,DanielMateandPostHypnoticPressinc. Thisbookistargetedtowardspeoplewhoarealreadyworkingasmanagersofleaders,withateamofpeoplewholooktothemforguidance.Itspremiseissimple:coachingisacoreskillforeffectiveleadership,yetit’sonethatmanystruggleswith. BungayStanierisahighlysuccessfulCEO,coach,andleader,andinhisbookheoutlineshisformulaforbuildingeffectivecoachingintoyourday,injusttenminutes,soteamscanfocusonhavingagreaterimpactthroughgoodwork. Hismethodcentersaroundasetofstructuredquestioningtechniques: TheKickstartQuestion:Usedtogetstraighttothepointoftheconversationyouwanttohave TheAweQuestion:Ensuringtheconversationstaysontrack TheLazyQuestion:Cuttingoutunnecessaryconversationandsavingtime TheStrategicQuestion:Askingtherightquestionstosavetimeforothersandyourteam TheFocusQuestion:Gettingtotheheartofanyinterpersonalchallenge TheFoundationQuestion:Gettingtotheheartofanyexternalchallenge Thisbookpromisestomakeyouamoreeffectivecoachandleaderinashortamountoftime.ItisnarratedbyDanielMate. FindthebookonAmazonAudible.   RelevantResources(onourblog) Ifachunkybookorlengthyaudiobookisn’twhatyou’relookingforrightnow,thenIhavegoodnews–thereisplentyofgreatcontentonourblogtohelpyoudipatoeintotheworldofLifeCoaching.Mytopfourfavoritesatthemomentare: 38BestCoachingToolsandAssessmentstoUseWithClients 4PositivePsychologyExercisestoDoWithClientsorStudents YourUltimateLifeCoachingToolsLibrary2019(+PDF&Exercises) ActiveListening:TheArtofEmpatheticConversation   RelevantResources(fromourToolkit) Alongsidereadingandaudioguidebooks,there’safantasticrangeofpracticalresourcesandworkbookstohelpyouonyourwayasalifecoach.Whetheryou’relookingforsomethingtosupportyourpersonalexplorationandprofessionaldevelopment,orsomeresourcestouseduringasessionwithaclient,thePositivePsychologyToolkithaseverythingyouneed. BelowI’veselectedafewrelevantresources,coveringdifferentaspectsofthecoachingjourneythatyoumayfindhelpful:   1.20GuidelinesforDevelopingaGrowthMindset CarolDweck(2017)isattributedwithcoiningtheterm‘GrowthMindset,’anditrevolutionizedhowwethinkaboutourabilitiesandcapacitytoachieveourgoals.Agrowthmindsetseesustakingonchallenges,setbacks,orfailureinlifeasopportunitiestolearnandgrow,comparedwithafixedmindsetthatseesproblemsaslifetellinguswecan’tdosomething. Researchhasshownthatwecanchangeourmindsetthroughdifferentinterventions(Aronsonetal.,2002)andthisresourceisanexcellentguidelineforhelpingclientstoswitchtheirthinkingfromafixedtoagrowthmindsetperspective.   2.30StrengthSpottingQuestions Gettingtotheheartofaclient’sstrength’sskillsetisanessentialfirststepinthecoachingjourney,andthereareseveralwaystodothiseffectively.Oneofthemisthroughinterviewsandquestioning,butdifferentclientswillresponddifferentlytothesamequestions. It’simportanttomakesureyouhaveawiderepertoireofdifferentquestionsthatyoucantailortoyourclient’scharacter.Thisresourceisagreatstartingpointforbuildingarangeofdifferentquestionstyles.   3.5KindsofStrengthsQuestions Helpingclientstoidentifyandacknowledgetheirkeystrengthstosupporttheirgrowthisacorepartofcoaching.Followingonfromthe‘30strengthspottingquestions’,thisresourceprovidesfivedifferentstylesofquestioningthatcanbeusedtohelpuncoverandidentifyaclient’sstrengths.Eachsetofquestionsfocusesonaspecificarea: QuestionsforSurvival QuestionsforEsteem QuestionsforSupport QuestionsforExceptions QuestionsforPossibilities   4.Active-ConstructiveResponding(Communicationskillsdevelopment) Aswe’vealreadytouchedon,communicationskillsareessentialforeffectivecoaching.Ensuringyouuseawiderangeofcommunicationtechniquestoengageandmotivateclientsiscrucial.Gableetal.(2004)foundthatsharingpositiveeventshasbeenlinkedtoincreaseddailypositiveaffect(mood). Langston(1994)wentfurthertoshowthathowwerespondwhenpositiveeventsaresharedisequallyimportantontheoutcomeofthesharer’smood.Weoftenstruggletofeelpositivewhengoodthingshappenforotherpeopleasitremindsusofareaswealsowanttoimproveorworkonforourselves. Thisresourceprovidesagreatactivityforcorrectingresponsestoensureapositiveexperienceforallinvolvedinthesharingexperience.It’sgreatforcoachespersonally,andfordevelopingclients.   5.AwarenessofProgressandAccomplishments Aclientwillusuallyengagewithalifecoachwithaspecificareaoflifeorgoal/stheywanthelpwith.Forthecoach,thisisgreattostartdevelopingasessionplanandanactionplanforhowtosupporttheclient.Whatoftengetsoverlookedonthisjourneyarethesmallgoalsandaccomplishmentsalongthewaythatleadtothebiggerachievement. Researchhasshownthattrackingprogressalongthewaycanincreasepositivebehaviorchange,leadingtobetterlastingoutcomes(Harkinetal.,2016).Thisresourcehelpsboththecoachandtheclientreflectonandbuildawarenessoftheirprogressthroughoutthejourney.   6.AnalyzingRelationshipCommitment Thesuccessandoveralleffectivenessofanycoachingrelationshipwilldependonthecommitmentoftheclient(andthecoachtothesameextent).Commitmentisdrivenbymotivationindifferentways. Thisresourcecouldbeexcellenttotapintowhentherelationshipwithaclientdoesn’tappeartobeyieldingthedesiredresults.Byevaluatingthecommitmentandmotivationofeachpartyinvolved,youcandecideonanewplanofactionofwhethertherightcommitmentistheretoproceedwiththejourney.   7.17PositivePsychologyExercises Ifyou’relookingformorescience-basedwaystohelpothersenhancetheirwellbeing,thissignaturecollectioncontains17validatedpositivepsychologytoolsforpractitioners.Usethemtohelpothersflourishandthrive.   ATakeHomeMessage Asapracticingcoachmyself,Iknowhowrewardingitcanbewhenyousupportaclienttoachievetheirgoals.IfinditsoimportanttoensureIdon’tbecomecomplacentinmyskillsandmypersonaldevelopmentsothatIcanbethebestversionofmetobestsupportmyclients.Readingarangeofbooksisamassivepartofthatforme. Ifthere’sonethingIwantyoutotakeawayfromthisarticle,it’sthatforwhateverstageofthecoachingprocessyou’reat;thereisalwaysopportunitytolearn,gainmoreknowledge,anddevelopbetterskills.Lifelonglearningisacorepartofbecomingasuccessfullifecoach.Luckily,there’splentyofliteratureouttheretohelpyouachievethis!Makesureyouaddasubstantialreadinglisttoyourrepertoireofprofessionaldevelopment. Areyouanaspiringcoach,orhaveyoubeenpracticingforawhile?Whatbookshavehelpedyoualongtheway? Wehopeyouenjoyedreadingthisarticle.Don’tforgettodownloadourthreePositivePsychologyExercisesforfree. References Aronson,J.,Fried,C.,&Good,C.(2002).ReducingtheeffectsofstereotypethreatonAfricanAmericancollegestudentsbyshapingtheoriesofintelligence.JournalofExperimentalSocialPsychology,38,113–125. Dweck,C.(2017).Mindset:ChangingtheWayYouThinktoFulfilYourPotential.LittleBrownBookGroup;UK. Gable,S.L.,Gonzaga,G.,&Strachman,A.(2006).Willyoubethereformewhenthingsgoright?supportiveresponsestopositiveeventdisclosures.JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology,91,904–917. Harkin,B.,Webb,T.L.,Chang,B.P.,Prestwich,A.,Conner,M.,Kellar,I.,Benn,Y.,&Sheeran,P.(2016).Doesmonitoringgoalprogresspromotegoalattainment?Ameta-analysisoftheexperimentalevidence.PsychologicalBulletin,142,198-229. Langston,C.A.(1994).Capitalizingonandcopingwithdaily-lifeevents:Expressiveresponsestopositiveevents.JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology,67,1112-1125. Abouttheauthor ElaineMead,BSc.DualHonours,isacounselor,passionateeducator,writer,andlearner.Sincecompletingherdegreeinpsychology,shehasbeenfascinatedbythedifferentwayswelearn-bothsociallyandacademically-andthewaysinwhichweutilizeourexperiencestobecomemoreauthenticversionsofourselves.SheiscurrentlycompletingherdiplomainCognitiveBehaviouralCoaching&Mentoring. Howusefulwasthisarticletoyou? Notusefulatall Veryuseful 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Submit Sharethisarticle: Articlefeedback PleaseletusknowwhatwecanimproveCAPTCHANameThisfieldisforvalidationpurposesandshouldbeleftunchanged. Comments Whatourreadersthink RajeevKumar onApril22,2022at15:59 Youaremissing“Youcancoach”bySidharthRajsekharpublishedbyCleverFoxPublishing. https://www.amazon.in/dp/939085072X/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_TYRC78RXKTJH2SZSFQ3D Reply HareendranE onMarch1,2021at17:00 HelloElaine, ThanksforyourfantasticarticleonLifeCoaching.Asabeginner,Igotalotoftakeawaytipsfromthiswrite-upwhichisreallyhelpfulformetostartasaLifeCoach.Thebooksyouhavementionedhereareamazingandithelpsmetogetin-depthknowledgewhichaCoachmustneedtounderstandtheclientbetterbeforeprovidingthesolutions. Hareendran Reply Apocalypsehereandnow!Areyouready? onAugust4,2020at02:56 Ifsomebodywroteyoulovelettersandyoulovedit,wouldyoureadthoselettersorjustletthemcatchdust?WemustneveroverlookGod’sLoveletterstousaswritteninHisWordofTruth,theBible.TherearethosewhoaskwhyshouldIreadtheBibleorBetsyFritcha’sbooks?Whynotreadthemandconsiderwhatispresentedinthemthatcanenhanceyourpresentcircumstancesaccordingtohowyoufreelychoose.Thesearenotordinarybooks. https://www.heartofgodvoice.com/books-everyone-should-consider-reading/ Reply ViswanathThalakola onJuly29,2020at11:49 Greatrecommendationsofsomegoodbooks.Ihavereadafewofthem. Iwouldliketorequestyouto addabookthatIhavewrittenabouthowtoliveasensiblelifebyhandlingeverythingthatyouencounterinlife.HereistheURLofthebook:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G1Z3LH6 Reply AriesYeo onDecember7,2019at19:48 Thisisawonderfullist.IwishIhaveseenthismuchearlierbecauseIhavereadmorethantherecommendedoneandhavetosaytheyaretrulywellrecommended.WilldefinitelypickupthosethatIhaveyettoread.Thankyou Reply Srinivas onApril7,2022at04:27 Verygoodinformation,useful Reply Vanessa onOctober22,2019at20:29 Alotofgoodreadingandtips!Thanks!Iwillprintout. IwouldbeinterestedinknowingwhereyouaregettingthedegreefromCognitiveBehaviouralCoaching&Mentoring?Itsoundsveryinteresting. Reply JanP.deJonge onAugust20,2019at18:11 Greatarticlewithsomeinterestingreadingtips! Thankyou,Elaine! Jan Reply ElaineMead onAugust22,2019at12:35 Thanks,Jan,foryourpositivecomments!GreattoconnectonTwittertoo. Best, Elaine Reply LetusknowyourthoughtsCancelreplyYouremailaddresswillnotbepublished. Savemyname,email,andwebsiteinthisbrowserforthenexttimeIcomment. 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