20 Of The Most Important Career Insights These Coaches Have Gleaned

Forbes

2 days ago

Every coach begins their career with certain expectations and knowledge about what lies ahead, but it's often the unexpected lessons that bring the most growth. Whether learned over time or in a single pivotal moment, these insights influence how coaches work with clients, navigate challenges and define their own success.
Below, 20 Forbes Coaches Council members share some of the surprising takeaways that have shaped their careers. Whether you're just starting out in the industry or a seasoned coach looking to refine your approach, their advice can help you strengthen and grow your own practice.
1. It's About Better Questions And What's Not Being Said
The biggest surprise? Coaching isn't about having the answers; it's about asking better questions. The more I trusted that, the more impact I created. Aspiring coaches: Master the skill of listening for what's not being said. That's where the real transformation begins. - Mary Czarnecki, Mary Czarnecki LLC
2. Leaders Often Overlook Their Unique Strengths
I'm often surprised by how many leaders overlook their unique strengths. While they're quick to recognize weaknesses, they tend to dismiss the talents that come naturally to them. I believe it's essential to help leaders see and embrace these strengths so that they can intentionally invest in them and create greater impact in both their professional and personal lives. - Cindy Lamir, Impact Business Coaches
3. Your Business Reflects What You Feel Inside
The business reflects what the coach feels internally. The intention to run a business smoothly isn't enough; the right execution depends on how one is currently dealing with life. Entrepreneurs need to take care of themselves, more than ever—for the business too! - Astika Gupta, The Product Seat
4. Coaches Keep Learning From Their Coachees
The most surprising thing is that we keep learning, over and over, from our coachees. And at times, we feel like we are having a conversation with a younger version of ourselves, noticing the journey we have walked as we help others through their own journey. - Isabelle Claus Teixeira, Business and Human Development Consulting Pte Ltd
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
5. The Greatest Reward Is Witnessing Someone's Growth
What surprised me most is how deeply fulfilling it is to witness someone's growth firsthand. Seeing clients evolve, heal and thrive makes the work priceless. Aspiring coaches should know—your greatest reward won't be the income, but the impact. - Dr. Marita Kinney, BCC, Msc.D, Pure Thoughts Publishing and Wellness
6. Continuous Curiosity Fuels Endless Insights
The unlimited, bottomless insights into how people work and think will never end. It is exciting and intimidating to be in the people business during the age of AI. I did think that after 30 or so years, I would kind of have it down, knowing how people work and think. The more I learn from experience, books and workshops, the more I realize I simply don't know. The key is to stay curious. - John M. O'Connor, Career Pro Inc.
7. Helping Clients Feel Safe To Meet Themselves Is Key
I've learned that the real magic isn't in offering more tools or insights, but in holding space where clients feel safe enough to meet themselves fully. It's in consciously dropping judgment, challenging my own assumptions and being still enough to mirror back their inherent brilliance. This shift from fixing to witnessing has been the most profound pivot in my journey. - Neerja Bhatia, Rhythm of Success
8. Goals Only Work When You Create Buy-In
Goals have little meaning or impact if you can't create buy-in. Change is hard and takes time. Your clients may hire you with a specific need in mind, or they may be searching for answers. Where you ultimately have an impact is rarely what you were hired for. There will be little impact if they don't commit to a future vision, accept 100% responsibility and allow you to hold them accountable. - Edward Doherty, One Degree Coaching, LLC
9. Clients Want A Mirror, Not A Guru
Coaching isn't about having all the answers—it's about asking killer questions. The surprise? Clients don't want a guru. They want a mirror, a challenger and a thought partner. Aspiring coaches: Ditch the urge to 'fix' and master the art of listening like your Wi-Fi depends on it. That's where transformation really begins. - Anastasia Paruntseva, Visionary Partners Ltd.
10. Genuine Attention Changes Lives
People don't come to be fixed—they come to be seen. We often assume that coaching is about delivering insight or strategy. But real transformation begins when someone feels genuinely met. Aspiring coaches can benefit from remembering that it's not your brilliance that changes lives—it's your attention. The most powerful thing you can offer is a clear mirror and a steady heart. - Jerry Colonna, Reboot
11. Doing Less Often Helps Clients More
Doing less, although it feels counterintuitive, is often the most profound thing you can do. As an aspiring coach, I assumed that more effort equals better results for my clients. I've learned that sitting back and holding space, even if it feels uncomfortable, is where the real work happens. - Tanya Edgar, Tanya Edgar Ltd
12. Viewing Clients As Capable Unlocks Potential
I learned from a mentor almost a decade ago that as a coach, if you view everyone you work with as creative, capable and resourceful, it will unlock your ability to have them build what success looks like to them. Instead of dictating what a client needs to do, having this perspective shifts a coach from being a provider of solutions to setting up an environment for creative thinking and innovation. - Bryan Powell, Executive Coaching Space
13. Coaching Requires Connection, Not Control
I learned early on that you can't coach those you don't revere. To sit with someone as they untangle is sacred. If you don't believe they are already whole and resourced, you'll reach for control instead of connection. Integrity begins in the gut, so trust it. It knows who you're meant to hold and who you're not. Coaching is not performance. Its presence requires deep belief. - Ashley B. Stewart, The Corvian Group
14. Humble Curiosity Is Powerful
One surprising lesson I learned is the power of humble curiosity—becoming truly adaptable and flexible doesn't happen overnight. This required me to set ego aside, unpack complex challenges and deeply understand root causes rather than applying surface-level fixes. Aspiring coaches can benefit by adopting the same posture: Stay curious, dig deeper and lead with openness to learning. - Dr. Adil Dalal, Pinnacle Process Solutions, Intl., LLC
15. Coaches Grow Alongside Their Clients
I learn as much as my clients do, if not more, as I can synthesize information across a broad range of experiences. This has been the greatest part of the experience for me. For aspiring coaches, make a deliberate effort and focus intensely on your learning journey. - Ed Brzychcy, Lead from the Front
16. Transformation Begins With Safety
The most surprising lesson? Transformation begins with safety, not strategy. Until clients feel seen, heard and safe, even the best tools fall flat. Aspiring coaches should master presence before performance; real breakthroughs come from deep trust, not clever frameworks. - Dr. Sunil Kumar, Dr Sunil Kumar Consulting
17. Holding Silence Longer Can Lead To Breakthroughs
Interestingly, my clients seek clarity that they already sense but cannot articulate. Aspiring coaches should learn to hold silence longer, trust the pause and resist the itch to be useful too soon. Real breakthroughs emerge not from advice, but from questions that echo in the space where no one dared to ask before. - Thomas Lim, Centre for Systems Leadership (SIM Academy)
18. Coaching Only Works If Clients Want To Change
Coaching only works if the client truly wants to change. You can have all the tools and insight, but if they're not ready to do the work, it won't stick. Real transformation doesn't happen because of the coach. You're not there to fix anyone; you're there to guide those who are ready to grow. The client drives the change. You just help them steer. - Veronica Angela, CONQUER EDGE, LLC
19. Alignment Is Critical For Transformation
It surprised me to learn that transformation occurs through alignment, not just insight. Aspiring coaches seek breakthrough moments, but lasting impact comes when a client's beliefs, values and behaviors align. Coaching is less about adding more frameworks or doing more. It's about helping leaders access and integrate what is already available within them. - Lisa L. Baker, Ascentim
20. The Real Change Happens After The Session
Coaching doesn't end when the session does. The real transformation happens in the quiet after. It's in the silence that clients reflect, replay and wrestle with what surfaced. Aspiring coaches must learn to hold space, then let go. Trust that your presence plants seeds that flourish in your absence. - Justin Patton, The Trust Architect Group