There are twenty-three thousand certified coaches in the United States and over seventy-one thousand worldwide. In fact, the number of active coaches has increased by 35% in the last five years in the U.S. alone! Despite industry growth, access to coaching is limited, especially among minorities. A recent survey from the non-profit Jobs for the Future found that 55% of Black learners and workers have never had a coach. One of the main reasons found was simply the high cost associated with personalized coaching programs. Personal coaching sessions can vary depending on the coach’s certification, expertise, or program. According to the National Coach Academy, hourly rates can range from $100 to $600 per hour!
There are several traits that make a person good at what they do. Gay Hendricks’ book The Big Leap, goes into detail on how you can reach high-performing success in life and at work via his Zone of Genius framework. Gay claims that in order to achieve your Zone of Genius, you must have a unique mixture of three key ingredients: skills, strength, and talent. In essence, your Zone of Genius is when all three of these components are combined, making you most productive and allowing your skills to naturally shine.
Many years ago, I was bullied at work by my supervisor. He’d recently been hired as the Executive Director of Corporate Marketing, and my creative team fell under his guard. I was quite excited about his hiring as our department had been without a director for months and we were in desperate need of a visionary leader. Unfortunately, we had no idea what a terrible boss he would be.