Coaches Rising

There are many avenues of exploration into the psyche; Inquiry is one that brings an aliveness and immediacy that can give rise to a sense of wonder, possibility and radical awareness. In this conversation with Diamond Approach teacher Dom Liber we explore the practice of Inquiry, how it differs from analysis, the role of somatic sensing and language, applying Inquiry in coaching practice and potential pitfalls for coaches. Dominic C. Liber is an explorer, writer and teacher of the inner world. He follows a lifelong fascination with both magic and mystery, science and sense. He has been on the inner journey teaching meditation for over thirty years, a Diamond Approach student for over twenty years, and a Diamond Approach teacher since 2015. A former actuary and one of the founding partners of LeapFrog Investments, a global leader in impact investment, Dominic now works entirely with the Diamond Approach. He leads groups and works with students mostly in the UK and South Africa.

We can only move forwards if we start where we are; a powerful approach we can adopt as coaches is to cultivate deep presence and from there allow a forward movement to emerge organically. In this conversation with Focusing expert and innovator Ann Weiser Cornell we dive into the practice of focusing, how it works, why it’s so effective, working with emotions and parts, the wisdom of the body and the foundations of our inner world. Ann Weiser Cornell is internationally recognized as one of the leading innovators and theoreticians of Focusing. She has taught Focusing in eighteen countries and her Focusing books and manuals have been translated into seven other languages. Ann is well-known in the Focusing world for her attention to the language that facilitates Focusing, her popular manuals, and her co-creation with Barbara McGavin of Treasure Maps to the Soul, a body of work applying Focusing to difficult areas such as addiction, depression, action blocks, self-criticism, and unfulfilled desire.

In these uncertain times of global upheaval it is more important than ever to cultivate resilience; both in ourselves, our clients, and our communities. In this conversation with psychotherapist Linda Graham we explore transfering lessons from individual to collective resilience, the power of hope, cultivating resilient emotions, calming the nervous system, fostering positivity and working with the unsure part. Linda Graham, MFT, is an experienced psychotherapist, bestselling author and international speaker. She integrates modern neuroscience, mindfulness practices, and relational psychology in her worldwide trainings. She is the author of Bouncing Back: Rewiring Your Brain for Maximum Resilience and Well-Being, winner of the 2013 Books for a Better Life award and the 2014 Better Books for a Better World award.

Attuning to different levels of perception through our quality of listening is something we do naturally as coaches, but learning to navigate this skill with even greater nuance is a limitless endeavour that is endlessly rich. In this conversation with CEO and facilitator Veronica Love we dive into the crisis of listening, the limitations of obvious realities, dynamic coherency, the power of pausing and non-conceptual modes of perception. Veronica Love is the Global CEO of The Newfield Network and an international facilitator who trains leaders and coaches who change the world. Veronica has lead Newfield's signature coach training and leadership programs internationally in 8 countries and in two languages. She has trained everyone from individuals, to coaches, to entrepreneurs, to leaders in top organization such as NASA, Google, Fortune 50 Consulting Firms, Niki, IBM, The World Bank and more. Veronica’s unique light and playful demeanor compliment her capacity for depth and impact. She powerfully integra

As we collectively question the foundations of our global culture, its systems, and our individual lifestyles, we are in great need of guidance around human identity, values and how we create meaningful and life-honouring lives. In this conversation with author Jeremy Lent we dive into the methods and impact of meaning-making, the history and cultural differences of the human identity, mirror neurons and group coherence, hedonia and eudaimonia, and the possibility of fractal flourishing. Jeremy Lent is an author whose writings investigate the patterns of thought that have led our civilization to its current crisis of sustainability. His award-winning book, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity's Search for Meaning, explores the way humans have made meaning from the cosmos from hunter-gatherer times to the present day. He is founder of the non-profit Liology Institute, dedicated to fostering an integrated, life-affirming worldview that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably on Earth.

The emerging edge of leadership and innovation lies in the realm of the intangible. How can we become more comfortable with moving into not-knowing, given that our transformation as a culture depends on it? In this conversation with Nicholas Janni and Bob Anderson we explore the subtle capacities that are necessary for creating fields of innovation, the psychological threshold of not knowing, working with shadow, integral consciousness and the power of group amplification. Nicholas Janni has spent 30 years researching ‘the zone’ of peak performance and studying multiple mind/body disciplines. Over the last 15 years he has gained an international reputation for his transformational coaching and leadership development seminars. He works with CEO’s and senior leadership teams worldwide, is a former Associate Fellow at The University of Oxford Said Business School and teaches regularly at the IMD in Lausanne. Bob Anderson is the founder, Chairman and Chief Development Officer of The Leadership Circle and the Full

As coaches it’s our job to map the internal world of our clients; understanding their unique paradigm from which they view and engage with the world is fundamental to deep transformation. In this conversation with organizational consultant Keith Merron we explore what paradigms are and how they are formed and transformed, the change process, mapping the client’s paradigm, meeting the paradigm’s needs and unlocking the pain body. Keith Merron is an organizational consultant and leadership developer and the founder and Managing Partner of Leadership Pathways as well as a partner at Barbara Annis and Associates. Keith’s early research on the relationships between human development, managerial effectiveness and high performance played a profound role in helping shape a whole new field of study called Integral Theory. Keith has designed and led over 100 seminars and workshops for leaders. In partnership with his clients, he has successfully conducted over 25 large-system strategic, cultural, and technical change e

Being aware of ancestral trauma is an important awareness to have as a coach, but what does that look like in our work with clients? In this conversation with spiritual teacher Thomas Hübl we explore the deeper layers of individual ancestral and collective trauma integration, working with subtle sensing, the process of numbing, collective healing spaces and becoming living updates. Thomas Hübl is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator whose lifelong work integrates the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Since 2004, he has taught and facilitated programs with more than 100,000 people worldwide, including online courses which he began offering in 2008. The origin of his work and more than two decades of study and practice on healing collective trauma is detailed in his book Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds.

What are we really doing as coaches? What is the key beyond the tools that creates transformation in our clients? In this conversation with conscious leadership coach Jim Dethmer we dive into the topic of presence and leadership coaching, the root causes of avoiding presence, creating sustainable transformation and key presence practices for coaches. Jim Dethmer is a coach, speaker, author, and founding partner at The Conscious Leadership Group. He has personally worked with over 150 CEOs and their teams to integrate conscious leadership into their organizations. Jim also leads monthly Forums for select leaders in Chicago and New York and trains coaches through The Conscious Leadership Group. He has spoken at Conscious Capitalism, Wisdom 2.0, Mindful Leadership Summit, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and USC School of Medicine Greenville. He is co-author of High Performing Investment Teams and The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership.

Coaching is so much more than employing the skillset we’re taught in training. If we bring all of who we are to our coaching, then necessarily our own relationship with life in all its facets will inform how deep we can go with our clients. In this conversation with life coach Marita Bolles we explore the ontological approach of her coaching, some common pitfalls for coaches, how we relate to possibility, inquiring into faith, depth in the coaching industry and the future of coaching. Marita Bolles is a professional life coach who has trained coaches and leaders within an International Coach Federation (ICF) accredited training program and works with leaders, teams, coaches and individuals on their professional and personal development. Marita’s philosophy of coaching is wholistic, and her methodology is both ontological and facilitative. She is also a practicing artist and a scholar, with an MA and PhD in music, and an MFA in visual art, with specialties in applied ontology, cybernetics, conceptual art and m

In a time that is rife with divisiveness in the exterior, how do we consciously integrate polarities within ourselves? In this conversation with mindfulness teacher Thomas McConkie we dive into the foundations of Integral Polarity Practice, its origins and applications, ascending versus descending streams, the value of voice dialogue, the deeper workings of polarity and the pitfalls of the construct-aware stage. Thomas McConkie is the founder of Lower Lights School of Wisdom and has a passion for the world's Wisdom traditions. He is trained as a developmental researcher, facilitator, and mindfulness teacher. He hosts the Lower Lights Sangha in Salt Lake City, Utah with the intention of creating a generative environment where seekers of diverse faith orientations can discover new depths and heights in their evolving personhood. Thomas is the host of the Mindfulness+ podcast and the author of the book, Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis.

We are living in times when we urgently need to start thinking in terms of systems rather than isolated parts. In this conversation with leadership consultant Paul Zonneveld we dive into the foundations of the systemic approach to working with organisations, locating the blockages, the role of sensing and intuition, presencing unwanted parts and working with the soul of the organisation. Paul Zonneveld is an internationally experienced leadership consultant who guides leaders, professionals and organizations in growth, change and transformation processes. Paul is a Mobius Executive Leadership senior faculty for top team interventions with over twenty-five years of international business experience in various roles. He has unique expertise in understanding systems, enabling him to offer insight into how to manage change and transformation for leaders of large companies, those who find themselves in complex situations or those going through M&A.

The way we ascribe meaning informs every aspect of our lived experience; it may be the single most impactful place to look when we want to create change. In this conversation with executive leadership coach Darren Gold we explore the impact of meaning-making on leadership behaviour, locating leadership blockages, how adult development impacts meaning-making and wiring beliefs into the body. Darren Gold is the CEO of The Trium Group where he is one of the world’s leading executive coaches and advisors to CEOs and leadership teams of many of the most well-known organizations. He combines leadership development, executive coaching, and management consulting to help organizations turn leadership into their greatest competitive advantage. Darren trained as a lawyer, worked at McKinsey & Co., was a partner at two San Francisco investment firms, and served as the CEO of two companies.

The impact of our relating is becoming ever more recognised as a crucial piece of the puzzle in our ability to thrive. In this conversation with psychologist and consultant Debra Pearce-McCall we dive into interpersonal neurobiology, the emergent property of mind and how to harness it in coaching, emotional contagion and its implications, the dance of emergence and structure and relationality in the workplace. Debra Pearce-McCall, PhD, is a psychologist, consultant and mind coach, who brings the latest understandings of our relating minds and brains into everything she does. She works with leaders, healthcare professionals, coaches, educators, and other folks who want to bring mindful, compassionate presence and applied neuroscience into their lives and their mentoring work with people. Debra has been active in the cutting-edge field of interpersonal neurobiology for over a decade and integrates its meta-framework with state of the art tools, including mind-body methods that help strengthen the nervous system

Learning how to motivate ourselves and our clients is key to creating the changes we want. Simply knowing what’s good for us isn’t enough for us to change our behaviour, so what role does desire play in the physiology of habit formation? In this conversation with desire coach Kiosh Iselin we explore the mechanics of desire, the role of desire in habit creation, hacking the dopaminergic reward system and working with self-blaming and procrastination. Kiosh Iselin is the founder of The Desire Clinic, whose mission is to reconnect desire, pleasure and health. The Desire Clinic was born out of a passion to further understand how motivation functions in habit formation after Kiosh discovered that the desire system (known as the dopaminergic reward system) has a significant impact on behaviour. He is a Mayo Clinic Trained Wellness Coach, has a Masters of Science in Physical Therapy and a Masters of Arts in Political Science.

We are facing the shifting of an age. Humanity can and must radically transform - what individual and collective actions are constructive to facilitate this process? In this conversation with entrepreneur Thomas Björkman we take a meta view of the current times of social and political upheaval and explore lessons from deep history to deep psychology, considerations in transforming complex systems, the fragility and transformation of social constructs and the individual shifts we can make. Tomas Björkman is a social entrepreneur, thinker, writer, and philanthropist. Formerly a serial entrepreneur in banking, real estate, media and IT, Tomas has since shifted his efforts toward catalyzing a human culture of consciousness development that can drive societal change. He is the co-founder of the Ekskäret Foundation in Stockholm, which aims to catalyze higher levels of individual and societal consciousness by supporting social entrepreneurs and operating arenas that bring change agents together. He is also the autho

As coaches, we understand the need to meet our clients where they’re at and instinctively tune into their nervous systems. Polyvagal theory helps us refine this capacity and provides a framework to help our clients understand their nervous systems better. In this conversation with consultant Dab Dana we explore the three organising principles of polyvagal theory, coregulation, methods of self-regulation, how to adapt to your client’s nervous system and how to approach trauma. Deb Dana, LCSW, is a clinician, consultant, author and speaker specializing in complex trauma. Her work is focused on using the lens of Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve the impact of trauma in our lives. She is well known for translating Polyvagal Theory into a language and application that is both understandable and accessible - for clinicians and curious people alike. Deb is a consultant to the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium in the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University and the author of several books, including the upc

The way we engage with the world is largely rooted in learned habits that are deeply embodied. How can neuroscience and embodied coaching inform how we help our clients change? In this conversation with leadership coach Amanda Blake we dive into the neuroscience of change, ways of knowing, how to work with embodied habits and the deep philosophical waters of transformation. Amanda Blake is a Leadership Coach, creator of the popular Body = BrainⓇ course on the neurobiology of experiential learning and author of the forthcoming book Your Body Is Your Brain. In addition to teaching about the art and science of embodiment, she works with leaders worldwide to help them become their best self, enjoy life more, and make a bigger contribution. She is a Master Somatic Leadership Coach and holds a degree in Human Biology from Stanford University.

Purpose is often spoken about as an elusive thing that requires a certain amount of luck to locate it. But what if purpose was something that was woven throughout our lives, leaving hints at every turn? In this conversation with master coach Holly Woods we explore purpose as a golden thread throughout our lives, how to recognise it, how purpose manifests through stages of development and the magic and struggle around purpose that manifest in the later stages of development. Holly Woods PhD is a master coach, mentor and the founder of Purpose Launch Lab who works with individuals, organizations and businesses to align their lives and work with soul purpose. She brings 30 years of consulting and coaching in human and organizational development and two decades of experience building and scaling business and products to help entrepreneurs, visionaries and innovators create impact. Holly helps clients uncover their nuanced purpose, gain the capacities and mindset to attain their unreasonable goals, and align decis

Coaching is still a relatively new modality and remains unregulated; as such it’s a rich ground for innovation as well as ethically questionable behaviour. In this conversation with master coach Ram Ramanathan we discuss the dark side of the coaching industry, systemic coaching, working with stakeholder perspectives and fostering collective intelligence. Ram S. Ramanathan MCC is a master coach for leaders who wish to embark on their Hero's Journey and founder of Coacharya. As a leadership development coach, Ram works with groups and individuals on issues of team-building, alignment of cultural values, co-creation of vision to action plans, strategic performance issues of engagement, and coping with VUCA. He has authored several books on Eastern philosophy and published articles internationally on mindless awareness in coaching. He teaches as an adjunct faculty at post graduate programs and speaks at events related to human development.