Coaching for Public & Nonprofit Leaders: A "Luxury" that is Actually Essential

I know that to many leaders, especially those in the nonprofit, education, and government sectors, Coaching seems like a luxury. It has all the qualities of luxury: it's relatively expensive, it's a personalized experience, it's fairly uncommon, and it honestly feels luxurious.

Coaching seems like a luxury because, in many ways, it is. It is luxurious for a leader to:

• Be deeply listened to in a confidential space

• Feel safe to reveal their inner thoughts

• Be seen for the hard decisions they have to make

• Know they have a thought partner when they face complex and stressful challenges

• Have dedicated time to grow their leadership, vision, and strategy

And yet, I would argue that these experiences are essential for a leader. It is a means of self-care that goes beyond bubble baths and movie nights. As Audrey Lourde says,

"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation..."

Every leader should have a safe place they can go to explore their thinking, dedicated time to take care of their unique professional development needs, and confidential conversations to tackle complex and consequential issues.

So, why don't more nonprofit, education, and government leaders access this critical self-care support?

Maybe there's a feeling of guilt when a leader who serves others requests help for themselves.

Maybe there's a sense that personalized professional development is too big an ask for a mission-driven organization.

Maybe there's a stigma that coaching is a remediation strategy for people struggling rather than a support for reaching one's full potential.

Maybe it feels like there just isn't enough time in the week to add one more hour-long call to the schedule.

Those are all reasonable thoughts when you're a busy leader, stretching time and money to best serve your mission and community.

BUT, it's also reasonable to invest in the essential act of self-care to fill up your cup so you can keep pouring into the causes and communities that you care about.

Because a burned-out leader can't light the way.

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For more information about coaching, stories from coaching clients, and research on the benefits and ROI, I'd recommend checking out the International Coaching Federation's website: www.experiencecoaching.com