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.
Competency No. 5
The Harvard Mum Project. Chapter 2: High School Graduation Brings Harvard Closer
This month, the U.S. reaches historic milestones in some lovely and not so lovely ways. In my world, June 2025 brings joy and hope to 3.9 million high school graduates. Class of 2025 becomes the largest and most diverse class in history, experts say, and with historically high competition for college placement, too. My son, Nicholas, and his friends joined those millions this past Sunday at Muskego High School here in Wisconsin.
What the media skips over is the deep emotions and new perspectives graduation brings for students and parents, especially those emerging from more egalitarian cultures like New Zealand which favor equality and humility and discourage displaying our success.
And that’s what I’m documenting in my second essay for the Harvard Mum project, an essay project on all that I’m learning about leadership, confidence, my American dream, and immigrant motherhood as my son joins Harvard University’s Class of 2029 this fall. The moment feels far closer now he’s high school graduated — and with that, I’ve much to process. You can read my first essay here.
You can read along with this essay on Medium here.
Your show host, D G McCullough is a former reporter for the Guardian, the Economist, and the FT of London. She runs Hanging Rock Coaching and serves as a communications coach to leaders all over the globe. Find her on LinkedIn. Join her Brag Like a Boss three-hour workshop on Maven here and check LinkedIn for free Lightning Lessons.
