Sept. 3, 2025

Great Coaches Don’t Know More—They Do This | Truth #3

Send us a text "Great coaches don't know more. They notice more." This powerful insight challenges the fundamental misconception that keeps so many coaches—both beginners and veterans—from reaching their potential. If you've ever felt like you need more tools, frameworks, or knowledge before you can truly help others, this episode will transform your approach to coaching. We explore why the most meaningful breakthroughs rarely come from impressive techniques or clever questions. Instead, the...

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Send us a text

"Great coaches don't know more. They notice more." This powerful insight challenges the fundamental misconception that keeps so many coaches—both beginners and veterans—from reaching their potential. If you've ever felt like you need more tools, frameworks, or knowledge before you can truly help others, this episode will transform your approach to coaching.

We explore why the most meaningful breakthroughs rarely come from impressive techniques or clever questions. Instead, they emerge from creating space where both coach and client can slow down enough to see what's actually happening. When you're fully present, you notice subtle body language shifts, significant word choices, and energetic changes that might otherwise pass unacknowledged. These observations often lead to the most transformative moments in coaching.

The distinction between knowing and noticing couldn't be more relevant in today's information-saturated world. With AI making knowledge increasingly accessible, what people truly crave isn't more information—it's greater clarity that comes through genuine presence. Great coaches understand this intuitively; they coach the whole person, not just the intellect. This same quality of attention transforms not only coaching relationships but all human connections. Think about when someone last gave you their complete attention. How did it feel? We challenge you to bring that level of presence to everyone you meet today—your family, colleagues, and clients. You might be surprised by what becomes possible.

Ready to discover why trying to be the "best" coach might actually be making you worse? Join us for Truth #4 in our next episode.

Interested in learning more about our Coaching Certification program?
Visit us at: https://www.modernleadership.us/certification


Want a personalized strategy session for free? Book a free call with Marc or Teresa: https://www.modernleadership.us/apply

Whether you're looking to master your ability to coach, you're going through a challenge, or working on a powerful goal, join Marc or Teresa for a 20-minute strategy session and leave the call with a plan to make it happen!


Chapters

00:00 - The Coaching Knowledge Myth

00:30 - Noticing vs Knowing

01:10 - What Great Coaches Notice

02:20 - Challenge: Practice Full Presence

02:55 - Preview of Truth #4

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.381 --> 00:00:04.371
So many new and experienced coaches feel like they don't know enough to be great.

00:00:04.371 --> 00:00:05.945
What would you say to them?

00:00:05.945 --> 00:00:11.393
I would say that belief holds more people back than anything else, and it's not true.

00:00:11.393 --> 00:00:25.065
Most people think that being a real coach just means you have a lot of tools, a lot of structure, a lot of framework, a whole ton of knowledge and a whole bunch of experience, and all of those things are powerful, but they're not going to help you when it comes to getting started.

00:00:25.065 --> 00:00:28.972
The real truth here, though, is that great coaches don't know more.

00:00:28.972 --> 00:00:30.943
They notice more.

00:00:30.943 --> 00:00:36.683
That's a powerful one, because real coaching is about presence, not simply performance.

00:00:37.185 --> 00:00:39.531
I want you to think about a powerful breakthrough that you went through.

00:00:39.531 --> 00:00:47.993
Most of the powerful breakthroughs that I've helped somebody through happened when we slowed down and we both had an opportunity to see what was happening.

00:00:47.993 --> 00:00:58.335
It didn't have to do with any impressive question that I asked, but it had everything to do with just giving us the time and space and presence so that we could see what was actually going on.

00:00:58.335 --> 00:01:00.582
That's why today's quote is the best.

00:01:00.582 --> 00:01:02.706
Coaches don't impress you with what they know.

00:01:02.706 --> 00:01:05.972
They change you by what they notice.

00:01:05.972 --> 00:01:10.028
What are some of the things that great coaches notice that others don't.

00:01:10.028 --> 00:01:12.947
There's a couple of things, one of which is body language.

00:01:12.947 --> 00:01:27.829
When you see somebody lean in, when you see them lean out, when you see them excited, when you notice that they are looking down, these are all things that tell you what is actually going on in your client's mind, and if you're not present with them, you're going to miss it.

00:01:27.829 --> 00:01:31.567
Another thing that I've seen is words that certain coaches glance over.

00:01:31.567 --> 00:01:40.923
Like if I'm on a group call and I hear somebody say something very specific, I won't glance over it, I will call it out, but you have to be present in order to even hear those words.

00:01:40.923 --> 00:01:47.668
And when you do and you ask that follow-up question, you'll be amazed at how much that actually helps the other person.

00:01:48.111 --> 00:02:00.451
Now, inside of our certification, we talk you through a process of how to be deeply present, so you're there to coach the whole body, not just the brain, because the truth is, the world doesn't need more information, especially with all the AI out there.

00:02:00.451 --> 00:02:03.650
What they do need is more clarity and presence.

00:02:03.650 --> 00:02:10.056
I want you to think about the last time you felt really connected to someone and what that experience was like for you.

00:02:10.056 --> 00:02:11.621
Were they fully present?

00:02:11.621 --> 00:02:13.687
Were they listening to everything you were saying?

00:02:13.687 --> 00:02:15.491
Were they watching your body language?

00:02:15.491 --> 00:02:16.681
It's powerful.

00:02:16.681 --> 00:02:21.173
What can unlock when somebody gives you that level of time, energy and presence?

00:02:21.173 --> 00:02:23.824
And I want to challenge you to go out there and do that today too.

00:02:23.824 --> 00:02:30.444
This is not just with coaching, but also with connection with your family, your spouse, your kids, people at work.

00:02:30.444 --> 00:02:35.461
You'll be amazed at how much you get when you're just fully present with them.

00:02:35.962 --> 00:02:37.325
So today was truth number three.

00:02:37.325 --> 00:02:40.860
If you missed truth number two, definitely go back and check it out.

00:02:40.860 --> 00:02:44.771
We talked about why coaching isn't about helping or fixing, it's about leading.

00:02:44.771 --> 00:02:52.688
And now that you know that presence matters more than knowledge, here's the next trap that a lot of coaches fall into, and that's truth number four.

00:02:52.688 --> 00:02:57.407
It's all about how trying to be the best coach actually could be making you worse.

00:02:57.407 --> 00:02:59.171
We'll see you in episode four.