This book is an anthology of various writing by the author about models, theories, frameworks and narratives relating to coaching and mentoring. It’s almost like a “best of” collection from the 70 books and countless articles David has written in the course of his career. David is one of the founders of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council and is one of the leading coaching researchers and practitioners in the world.
The contents are loosely grouped under nine themes: the importance of evidence based approaches; communications; corporate leadership and governance; mentoring; human connection; coaching and mentoring culture; coach practice and development; team coaching; and ethics, the coaching profession and the looming presence of artificial intelligence.
This book is an eclectic mix of writing and isn’t really designed to be read from start to finish. Each chapter and each topic is written as a stand alone piece, so it’s more designed as a dip in and out resource. There are lots of little gems and prompts for reflective practice.
What I love about David’s work is that he’s constantly questioning the status quo and then engaging in quality research to test his ideas. He’s open to changing his mind (and in fact has done so on a few topics throughout his career). He is also a very clear writer, and makes things accessible to everyone. This book is a great resource for anyone who works as a coach, mentor, or leader of any kind.
