Coaching World Issue 1: February 2012 | Page 3

The seven principles of thinking like Leonardo Di Vinci Connessione – Systems thinking We all want to be around people who make us be our best. People who help us connect to our highest values, connect to our deeper purpose.” “It’s hard to overstate how important this is for coaches. For instance, when you’re in the presence of a really great coach, they truly see what’s going on. They hear your voice tone, they see your body language, they look at your facial expression and they are instantly aware of any discrepancy between your body language, voice tone, and what you’re actually saying. This is a huge part of the art of coaching! “A lot of very sophisticated coaches still grew up with this paradigm which stated that your mental potential is effectively done growing at a certain age, therefore your intelligence and mental ability is fixed at a certain period. That was an accepted view of science when we grew up. We now know that you can continue to develop and improve your brain throughout your life. Your brain can improve with use.” –Michael Gelb For more information, visit www.michaelgelb.com. 3 Coaching World | February 2012 | www.coachfederation.org Research As a coach, this is a skill you want to be developing for the rest of your life. You want to be sharpening your listening skill, your observational skill. You want to be able to read a person’s queues in the moment, and then again, asking the right questions based on the feedback you perceive.” Parts of us do wear out, such as our knees and hips, your brain does not. The only question is; what’s the best way to use it? Improving your mind is a core issue that underlies everything all coaches and leaders do. As we age, each person’s mind is either getting worse, staying the same or getting better. Gelb’s new book Brain power: improve your mind as you age – is a collection of state of the art, research validated, and practical exercises that will improve your mind as you age. These exercises can change everything currently assumed about one’s self concept and help govern your sense of the potential of your clients. Marketing 4. Sensazione – Sharpening the senses Iron rusts from disuse; stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen; even so does inaction sap the vigor of the mind. –Leonardo Di Vinci Benefits “Everything connects to everything else. Leonardo is considered a genius because he made connections that nobody else had made before. Make new connections; see things in a new way. This is what a coach really does. Coaches help somebody see something in a new way. Help them make a connection that they haven’t made before, which enlivens them, mobilizes them, and helps them solve their toughest challenges. Profiles 3. Michael Gelb was a keynote speaker at the 2011 ICF Annual International Conference. Click here to visit ICF’s international conference archive where keynote session videos and audio recordings are available. Leadership M. Gelb