Reflections on Coaching
Jeremy Davis with his coach at the New Mexico gathering.
One of the New Mexico gathering highlights shared by the fellows was the opportunity to meet face-to-face with their coaches — the individuals who walk alongside them throughout their fellowship journey. The fellows describe their coaches as the bridge from learning leadership skills to embodying leadership in their everyday lives, helping them navigate emergent professional issues, putting their new skills into practice and holding them accountable to their commitments.
We invited five fellows to reflect on their coaching experiences: what makes coaching important for today’s leaders, how coaching has sparked their motivation and accountability, how it complements their wider leadership journeys and what they want others to know about coaching’s impact on their work and lives.
Shequite Wilson-Johnson taking a photo with Class Two fellow, RJ Martinez.
What makes coaching an important tool for leaders today?
For Shequite Wilson-Johnson, co-founder of the GAP Leadership Program serving the Mississippi Delta, coaching is about being seen and appreciated. “Sometimes we don’t see the value that other people can see in us. And in the same way, sometimes we overlook things that may be hindering us or stopping us from reaching our full potential. I’ve been blessed to be able to have access to someone who is truthful, able to bring my thoughts into perspective and give me ideas and choices to choose from.” Jeremy Davis, an education advocate in New Orleans, expands on the role of coaches, referring to them as “kings and king-makers who are able to give you the advice and direction that you need in order to find the path.”
Katie White, who uses they/them pronouns, is an advocate working at the intersection of child welfare and immigration systems in Michigan and has been in leadership roles since their early 20s, largely learning by trial and error. They note “The heat has only cranked up in the world, and in the problems, the brokenness. Having someone that I feel has experience, wisdom and insight that they intentionally pour into me has been really helpful.” For Kim Nall, who works with Native communities in California, coaching creates space for reflection, with her coach showing her “what’s working, what’s not working and thinking through what could change.” Anahi Mena Hernandez, a community food education program manager from El Paso, Texas, shares that coaching helps her stay grounded: “There’s a lot of emotional heaviness that comes with the work. Coaching helps us take a step back and look at the bigger picture.”
Kim Nall participating in a group session at the New Mexico gathering.
How does coaching encourage motivation and accountability?
Kim finds motivation in coaching’s structure. “I’m motivated when I have something that’s solid, something that gives me purpose, something that reminds me I said I would do this. Coaching helps me stay on track.” Similarly, coaching helps Katie “carry the threads through” from gathering to gathering, breaking her work down into manageable steps. They also appreciate the way their coach encourages them to shift directions when it’s called for. “We can have grace for ourselves, we can pivot — it’s a relief because [my coach]doesn’t feel judgemental.”
Anahi finds accountability in coaching when it’s paired with personal reflection. “You can reflect all you want, but without a plan it’s not going anywhere. Coaching is a good way to reflect and take our own right actions instead of reacting to everything.” For Jeremy, accountability comes from coaches “asking sometimes tough questions, questions that help you be able to reflect and think about yourself and get more self-aware. When the conversation moves into asking what to do next . . . it’s motivating because I’m not just out there not knowing which direction I’m going to go.” Shequite’s coach helps her stay accountable by regularly checking in with a call, a text or a reminder, but perhaps the largest gift has been helping her know what to release. “My coach said you have to let go of some things. Although my program is my baby, I let go and it was our best year ever.”
Katie White engaging in the Educational and Informational Tour at the Zia Pueblo in New Mexico.
How has the coaching experience complemented other parts of your fellowship and leadership development journey?
Jeremy thinks of coaching as the link between what happens at the gatherings and what happens back at home. “For me, it’s been a good bridge between what we’ve been doing here and how I see it showing up at work — how I can take the feedback I’m getting from folks and make a plan for what I do with that feedback.” For Katie, coaching provides an important pause point. “My life is so fast paced. Coming to the gatherings has given me the chance to step back and really think things through and be more intentional about the way I‘m moving through life, and to process what we learn in the fellowship.”
Anahi’s coach provides the space for her to open up and figure out what to do about situations that arise. “She has this very good way of transforming what I’m trying to put together into pieces that seem more functional and more sustainable.” Kim’s coach, who she refers to as a “reflective partner,” keeps her from avoiding what needs to be done. “Sometimes the difficult things are the things that we often want to avoid, and that inhibits our growth. Without the coaching, depending on our temperament, our personality and our leadership style, we might not accomplish as much in this fellowship.”
Shequite’s coaching experience feels highly personalized, at times like therapy, expanding beyond her leadership role to her broader life. “It’s given me an opportunity to think more than just about myself, because part of creating me is making sure that my family is okay. I want to make sure that I’m nurturing life as a wife, as a mom and as a provider.”
Anahi Mena Hernandez listening intently to one of the speakers.
What would you want others to know about the impact of coaching?
Katie reminds us that coaching is a way of retaining generational knowledge. “I think if we’re not learning from the people who came before us, we’re losing some of that generational knowledge and experience.” Anahi’s coaching has been a healing experience. “Having a coach helps you have a structure, an outlet, not just to think about things you’re doing, but how to get better.”
Kim sees coaching as something transformative for all people. “I don’t think coaching is just for leaders. I think coaching is for everybody . . . it’s a purposeful way to make a plan and follow through.” Shequite adds “I don’t care how many degrees you get, how much you live — there’s always something different to learn. Someone who’s able to pour into you what you never would have expected.”
Jeremy offered a closing invitation to us all. “If there is an area in your life where you are seeking to make some changes, find a coach, find someone that has either traveled that path or does this kind of work. If you have a goal and there’s a pathway, find someone to help you get there.”