Why Special Operators Make Great Coaches

The unique formula behind the Fearless Leaders Group boils down to two things:

1) Our cross-industry backgrounds in special operations, academia and business

2) Our uniquely powerful Fearless Leaders Group Coaching Model, which is science-based, reality-tested, and capable of generating rapid results

Much of the Fearless Leaders Group website discusses the coaching model and the science behind it, but this page is focused on the hybrid nature of our coaches and coaching.

So what's so important or beneficial to having special operators as coaches?

Special Operators create readiness, agility, and adaptability in themselves and their teams while operating in the most chaotic, rapidly changing, and demanding of environments. And, again, they do just about everything they do as a cohesive, organized team.

In short, special operators and first responders -- especially those in leadership positions -- have to confront their own psychology and those of their teammates on a daily basis in order to accomplish their missions. Moral Courage and Emotional Intelligence are absolute requirements.

This gives operators an especially deep insight into leadership. And not just battlefield leadership. It gives them insight on how to hold a team together when:

Plans have been overcome by events and have to be changed on the fly
Courageous work becomes a must-have and not a nice-to-have
Resilient bouncing-back makes the difference between failure and mission completion
Staying present in difficult circumstances is a base-level requirement of the job

So while it may initially seem like a stretch to equate the military (or elite government or law enforcement units) with highly innovative or technology focused companies, there's actually a very deep commonality around what's required to succeed.

Other Factors

Beyond their experience as operators, there are a few other factors that make these guys great coaches.

Business and executive level experience outside of the military and law enforcement. All of our coaches have co-founded businesses or held leadership and/executive level positions in business.
First hand experience as coaches under the fearless leaders program. All of the coaches have been previously coached, so they all know what it's like to be on the other side of the coaching relationship.
Extensive training on Emotional & Social Intelligence, the EQi suite of assessments, and The Fearless Leaders Coaching Model. Our coaches are all trained and certified.
Hand selected by Dr. Cathy Greenberg as great guys. We're stating it pretty boldly, here, but the truth is that Dr. Cathy Greenberg has worked with thousands of executives, leaders, and operators over the years, and these are the people that she chose to work with. And a large part of the selection process was, how genuine are they? What is their character like? What kind of natural leadership and coaching potential do they have?

Applying Operator Skills to Business

Anyone and any organization doing great work is often confronted by these same challenges when:

The market or competition or technology throws them a curve ball requiring rapidly reformulating a plan/product/campaign
Tight deadlines or envelope-pushing technology forces workers to confront the possibility of failure and to bring out their most inspired and courageous work
Set-backs threaten to crush morale
Difficult conversations and confrontations tempt leaders to mentally "remove" themselves from the moment or deal with issues from afar rather than face to face

In other words, if you're looking to become a fearless leader, the very best coach you can have is a fearless warrior who has also proven to be a consummate coach.

But as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. And we think you'll find The Fearless Leaders Group coaches to provide the most extraordinary and effective leadership coaching you've ever experienced.

Interested in working with the Fearless Leaders Coaches? Review our consulting and coaching options and pricing structures.

Or Contact The Fearless Leaders Group Directly

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Fearless Leaders grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go. It’s the most practical book I’ve read on how to heighten mindfulness and ignite personal courage. It’s a powerful book, tough at times, tender at others. From her own fearless experiences, and those of leaders she’s studied, Dr. Cathy Greenberg offers revealing self-assessments, intimate first-person examples, and engaging applied exercises. Follow the steps she outlines and they will enable you to achieve higher levels of performance and greater awareness of yourself and your environment. With Fearless Leaders as your guide you’ll make better decisions and lead a more passionate life. You can’t ask for more than that from any book!

—Jim Kouzes

Fearless Leaders tackles (and teaches) one of the most complex attributes of outstanding leaders throughout history, moral courage.

—Amy Edmondson

That's a tough one, moral courage is hard to teach and it's such an important quality for leaders. If we could get more people to step up to use moral courage more often - we would see better results.

—Jerry Boykin

After having the pleasure of recording an On Demand Seminar with Dr. Cathy Greenberg, I was astonished by her ground-breaking perspective on leadership, and the role she takes herself as an inspirational leader. Not only did I learn to sharpen my focus, she also showed me how to achieve greater confidence and courage to become an inspirational leader myself. She was truly a pleasure to work with, and I am thrilled that she accepted to be a faculty at the Gazelles Growth Institute.

—Daniel Marcos