
Competency No. 5
Around 4% of the 55,000 + coaches certified with the International Coaching Federation hold the revered status of Master Certified Coach. Why so few? I'm about to find out. Competency No. 5, the podcast, explores how we maintain presence when we coach, lead, and live our lives. We interview coaches and others whose very livelihood depends upon staying calm and present with those they serve. We also chronicle my attempts (as a self-retired professor and global business reporter from New Zealand) to become an MCC coach. This effort requires beaucoup coaching hours, mentoring, and adhering strictly to the ICF's seven core competencies, especially the deceptively tricky Competency No. 5, maintaining presence.
Podcasting since 2023 • 55 episodes
Competency No. 5
Latest Episodes
Pride, yearning—and a giant test for parents. The big college migration
Pharmaceutical executive Jill Staudacher took things harder than she thought when her middle son Dean moved out of home and seven hours away for his studies and baseball. I’ve struggled moving my oldest son Nicholas into his dorm la...
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Season 3
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Episode 17
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27:15

Staying calm amidst crisis. Tech leader Suhail Syed on active listening, leadership, and presence
When Fortune 500 Chief Technology Advisor Suhail Syed learns that clients are upset, the instinct is to jump in and solve. That’s what often feels right. Something’s broken; so fix it. But as someone intent on staying calm amidst crisis, Syed f...
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Season 3
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Episode 16
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26:16

The Harvard Mum Project. Chapter 3: The Graduation and Send-Off Party
The Harvard Mum essay project is my documentary essay series on immigrant motherhood, immigrant dreams, leadership, and all the deep lessons on staying calm and present as my oldest son joins the Harvard University class of 2029 ...
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Season 3
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Episode 15
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28:23

"Art helps us detach from our fears and release all control." An interview with coach and artist Tese Mascari
If you've ever had your hands in clay, you know: The experience can connect you to a deeper part of yourself--as it does with any art medium. Art unlocks. It connects us to our body. And the flow state helps us detach from our fears and a want ...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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19:38

How do we facilitate growth as we lead and coach? Honoring the ICF Core Competency No 8
The International Coaching Federation’s Competency 8 asks its certified coaches to work with clients in ways that great leaders do with their team: consider possibilities, create action plans, and explore learning. It also requires develo...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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31:32
