My Mentor

Thomas Leonard is regarded as the “grandfather of the coaching industry.”  He started the first coach training school, Coach University, where I received my formal coach training.  Later, he created another coaching company called CoachVille.  Sadly, Thomas passed away in the year 2003.  He is sorely missed.

I remember the day I read Thomas’ 28 principles of attraction in his book, The Portable Coach.  The material was so genius yet simple.  That year, it was my Christmas present to many of my friends and family. I shared the book with others hoping it would have the same impact. Well, it certainly has.

Thomas was one my personal mentors.  I admired him so much I jumped at the chance to travel with him during a coaching promotional tour in the year 2000.  Hundreds of applicants applied for the position, including me.  Fortunately, I was one of three finalists interviewed for one, rare job opening working very closely with Thomas.  During the interview, we discovered the traveling position wasn’t ideal for me and started to brainstorm other ways to work together. In the end, Thomas created a position for me and my ‘apprenticeship’, as I like to call it, started right away.

Known for his super fast pace, prolific ideas and incredible productivity, Thomas was one of the best mentors I’ve ever known.  We talked frequently, emailed regularly and discussed ideas.  He encouraged me in many ways and I believe a large degree of my success as a coach is directly related to Thomas Leonard and the wealth of knowledge I learned by observing him.  He was THE master coach.

To be honest, Thomas was an enigma.  When I first met him, he was somewhat reclusive and spent hours creating coaching material and leading conference calls from the solitude of his home.  He knew himself very well and created an environment that nurtured him at the time.  He needed personal space and solitude in order to create the volumes of courses taught at his coaching schools.  Sure, he could’ve been warmed by the glow of the spotlight or followed the many paths of television and media fame offered to him.  Yet, he chose not to. 

I met Thomas before he embarked on a nationwide coaching promotional tour.  He felt so strongly about the potential for coaching to transform people, he knew knew he needed to take his show on the road, so to speak.  And, so he did.  The picture you see above was taken during that time.

Since Thomas’ passing in 2003, I’ve felt a strong calling to continue some of his work.  Sadly, some of Thomas’ original coaching material, such as the 28 attraction principles, are no longer being taught.  I’d like to revive those principles again and honor his legacy.  With permission from Coach University, I am doing that now!

 

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