The following is an amazing excerpt from John Maxwell's equally amazing book "The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth":
I love the word coach. I read in my friend Kevin Hall's book "Aspire" that the word derives from the horse-drawn coaches that were developed in the town of Kocs during the fifteenth century. The vehicles were origiannly used to transport royalty, but in time they also carried valuables, mail and common passengers. As Kevin remarks, "A 'coach' remains something, or someone, who carried a valued person from where they are to where they want to be." So if you had a coach, you knew you would end up at your desired destination. In a piece called, "A Coach By Any Other Name," Kevin goes on to describe what it means to be a coach. He writes:
In other cultures and languages, coaches are known by many different names and titles.
In Japan, a "sensei" is one who has gone father down the path. In martial arts, it is the designation for master.
In Sanskrit, a "guru" is one with great knowledge and wisdom. "Gu" means darkness and "ru" means light -- a guru takes someone from the darkness into the light.
In Tibet, a "lama" is one with spirituality and authority to teach. In Tibetan Buddhism, the Dalai Lama is the highest-ranking teacher.
In Italy, a "maestro" is a master teacher of music. It is short for 'maestro de cappella," meaning master of the chapel.
In France, a "tutor" is a private teacher. The term dates to the fourteenth century and refers to one who served as a watchman.
In England, a "guide" is one who knows and show the way. It denotes the ability to see and point out the better course.
In Greece, a "mentor" is a wise and trusted advisor. In "The Odyssey," Homer's Mentor was a protective and supportive counselor.
All these words describe the same role: one who goes before and shows the way.
No matter what word you use to describe them, coaches make a difference in others' lives. They help them grow. They improve their potential. They increase their productivity. They are essential to helping people effect positive change. As my friend Andy Stanley says in "The Next Generation Leader," "You will never maximize your potential in any area without coaching. It is impossible. You may be good. You may be even better than everyone else. But without outside input you will never be as good as you could be. We all do better when somebody is watching and evaluating...Self-evaluation is helpful, but evaluation from someone else is essential.
In my opinion, good coaches share five common characteristics. They...
Care for the people they coach
Observe their attitudes, behavior and performance
Align them with their strengths for peak performance
Communicate and give feed back about their performance
Help them to improve their lives and performance
