The Coaching Edge Podcast

Most leadership programs teach skills. Max Klau teaches wholeness. The founder of the Center for Courageous Wholeness and a Harvard-trained leadership scholar, Max joins Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave to explain why shadow-integrated servant leadership is the missing piece in how we develop leaders. Learn why shadow is not the opposite of light, how a 90-minute session gets total strangers to share their shadow mission, and what the Inner Development Goals movement signals about where global leadership development is heading. If you work with leaders or are one, this conversation will change how you think about growth.

82% of coaches fail within two years of starting a business. Laura Berman Fortgang, MCC, has spent 30 years solving that problem.Laura is a founding member of the International Coaching Federation, student number 16 at Coach U, and author of five books. She now runs the A-List Coach, a program for coaches who want to build a practice that actually works.In this episode, she shares why speaking is the fastest route to a full pipeline, how to handle sales calls the same way you handle a coaching conversation, and what the rise of AI means for the future of professional coaching.

Coaching emerged to meet a need in the world. But what is that need right now? Tracy Sinclair, founder of Coach Advancement, joins Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave to explore why presence has become the most valuable thing a coach can offer. Leaders are burned out, disengaged, and running from one meeting to the next without a moment to think. Tracy makes the case that coaching's greatest opportunity is not helping people perform better. It is giving them space to be heard, settle their minds, and access the clarity that constant doing buries.

Most leadership coaching stops at mindset. Erin Hutchins, MCC and CEO of ACT Leadership, says the next layer of performance lives in the body.In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, Erin joins Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave to discuss how she helps senior leaders ground themselves before coaching conversations, why stuck emotions show up as physical pain, and how movement and music form the core of her new embodiment program.Erin also shares how she built ACT Leadership alongside her husband Mike Hutchins, hiring for trust and accountability while expanding their coach training programs across the United States.If you coach leaders or work in high-performance environments, this conversation offers a practical look at what happens when you bring the body into the room.

Most leaders manage their teams without first managing themselves. Margaret Andrews, Harvard instructor and author of Manage Yourself to Lead Others, has spent nearly 20 years closing that gap. In this episode, she shares the self-awareness framework she teaches at Harvard, covering emotional intelligence, values clarity, feedback patterns, and team resilience. Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave join her for a practical, direct conversation about what it takes to lead well from the inside out.

Coaches are trained to ask great questions. But most find selling deeply uncomfortable. Lisa Carver spent 16 years as a corporate sales leader before becoming a team and leadership coach, and she has a clear view on why.In this conversation with Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave, Lisa explains why a single LinkedIn message is only the first five minutes of a two-year campaign, how she traveled to meet a cold lead and kept that client for four and a half years, and why case studies are now more valuable than a perfect proposal in an AI world.She also covers how to measure coaching outcomes with simple, client-rated objectives so every engagement produces evidence you can use.Episode page: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/why-your-sales-background-is-an-asset-not-a-liability-lisa-carver-on-building-a-coaching-business-that-wins-clients/

Steve Hamilton-Clark spent 27 years as a CEO in the Middle East before founding The 18th Camel, his global executive coaching practice. In this conversation with Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave, Steve shares why self-leadership matters more than business strategy for executives.He reveals the single question he asks at the end of every coaching session, why CEOs are often the least heard people in their organizations, and how vision-first coaching keeps leaders moving forward. Steve explains why presence matters more than technique, how emotional connection drives team ownership, and why the future of successful leadership depends on heart count over head count.The conversation offers practical insights for coaches building their businesses and leaders wanting to show up differently for their teams.Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/steve-hamilton-clark-on-why-heart-centered-leadership-drives-real-business-results/

What if the best thing a coach could do is shut up longer? Carly Anderson, a 28-year coaching veteran who trained in Australia's first certification program, joins Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave to discuss why structure creates freedom in coaching.Carly explains why coaches default to proving expertise instead of trusting the process. When coaches stay quiet longer, clients discover wisdom they did not know they had. She shares the example of a CEO who spent 10 months listening before making any changes to his organization.The conversation also explores how AI will filter authentic coaches from those who use technology as a crutch. Carly believes the human presence remains essential for helping clients implement what they learn.Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/carly-anderson-on-why-structure-creates-freedom-in-coaching/

Your ability to lead others depends on how well you lead yourself. DeAnna Murphy, Chief People Officer at Thriven with 2,500+ hours of executive coaching experience, joins Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave to break down the fundamentals of self-leadership.DeAnna shares the four levels of leadership model and explains why psychological safety is your responsibility, not your boss's. She introduces practical tools including the "story you're telling" coaching question and the three agreements that build trust in any relationship.The conversation gets personal when DeAnna reveals how she wasted six months in frustrating meetings before taking responsibility for her own needs. Her breakthrough moment offers a lesson every coach and leader needs to hear.Whether you coach executives or lead teams, this episode delivers frameworks you can apply immediately.Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/deanna-murphy-why-self-leadership-is-the-foundation-every-leader-needs/

In this special year-end episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave reflect on launching the show in 2025, the unexpected depth that emerged from “coffee-style” conversations, and the recurring theme that coaching impact comes less from doing more and more from presence, patience, and responsiveness. They revisit a core insight heard repeatedly across guests: tools and methodologies matter—but what matters more is who the coach is in the moment, and how coach and client co-create outcomes from what’s emerging.From the business side of C-squared (Coach + CEO), they underline the importance of clear structure—enough to get moving, like steering a ship that must first be in motion—while still leaving space for creativity. They clarify distinct roles many coaches blur: the coach delivering, the CEO building systems, and the business owner focused on profit and return. They also tackle the “selling” tension coaches often face, reframing it from a transactional exchange into a celebrated investment in outcomes, shifting from selling sessions to selling a journey from Point A to Point B.Looking ahead to 2026, they explore AI as a tool (not a replacement for human connection), predict a renewed emphasis on mastery of basics (black-belt-level fundamentals), and call for greater professionalization and community in coaching—less lone-wolf, more connected learning and shared wisdom. The episode closes with a powerful reflection practice: not just reflecting on the year, but reflecting on your reflection—“As I read this, I notice…”—as a way to carry forward real learning into what’s next.Watch the full episode: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/master-the-basics-build-the-system-what-coaching-needs-next/

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, Erwin de Grave and Dr. Steve Jeffs sit down with Dr. Anita Kishore, an executive coach for analytically minded leaders. With a background spanning a PhD in chemistry, pharma, consulting, and global health, Anita shares how she moved from hard science into the deeply human world of coaching — and why those worlds are far more connected than many leaders think.Anita explores what happens when brilliant, data-driven executives hit the limits of analysis. She explains why most decisions are, at their core, emotional, and how ignoring emotion doesn’t make us more analytical — it just makes our decision-making incomplete. She describes her work with “overthinkers” and analytical executives who want to become more inspirational leaders by integrating intellect and emotion, leading with both head and heart.The conversation dives into practical tools for leaders:How to notice what you’re feeling in high-stake meetings without losing focus.Using a simple “inner narration” technique in your notes to stay grounded and present.Expanding your emotional vocabulary beyond the three “corporate-approved” feelings of happy, disappointed, and frustrated.Helping teams feel safe to express emotions without everyone rushing in to “fix” or rescue.Anita also talks about decision-making when the data is incomplete, the realities of risk for senior leaders, and why emotional information is still data. Looking ahead, she shares her thoughts on AI’s role in leadership and coaching, and her hope for workplaces that combine psychological safety with real intellectual rigor.If you work with technical, scientific, or highly analytical leaders — or you are one — this episode offers a grounded, practical roadmap for becoming both more effective and more human as a leader.Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/when-data-isnt-enough-anita-kishore-on-leading-with-both-head-and-heart/

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, co-hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave sit down with Rusty Tugman, leadership trainer, coach, and creator of the first internal coaching program in the history of Oklahoma state government. After 30 years in full-time ministry, Rusty transitioned into the role of leadership trainer and coach at the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS), a 6,000+ employee government agency serving some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens. What started as coaching a single employee organically grew—through word of mouth—into a robust internal coaching program offering executive, leadership, conflict, group, and team coaching.Rusty explains the unique challenges and opportunities of internal coaching versus external coaching. As an internal coach, he is “one of us” inside the system, dealing with real power dynamics, conflicts of interest, and the reality that some clients technically have the authority to fire him. Yet that same embedded position gives him something external coaches rarely have: day-to-day visibility of behavior change, team dynamics, and cultural shifts in real time. He also shares how critical it is to position internal coaching away from discipline and “fixing” people, and instead as a positive, future-focused resource designed to unlock potential and support growth.A major part of the conversation centers on how Rusty built and scaled an internal coaching program. He walks through four key pillars he used to design it:Clear purpose – What problem does coaching solve, what value does it bring, and how does it support organizational goals?Standards and structures – Using ICF competencies and ethics as quality anchors while allowing individual coaching style.Measurement and impact – Demonstrating value, especially ROI and outcomes such as performance, engagement, and culture.Delivery and consistency – Actually delivering results so coaching becomes a budget-worthy, permanent part of the business.Unexpectedly, one of the strongest outcomes of the program has been employee well-being. Rusty shares that the most common feedback from coachees is not only about better performance, but about feeling supported, having a safe place to talk, and being able to process the emotional load of the work. For leaders—especially senior leaders—coaching becomes a rare space to think out loud, explore ideas without everything being taken as a directive, and confront their own self-doubt.Rusty and the hosts also explore how internal coaches can coexist and partner with external coaches, aiming for alignment and consistency rather than competition. Ultimately, Rusty’s vision is a true coaching culture at OKDHS, where coach-like leadership, thought partnership, and human-centered support are embedded throughout the organization—not just reserved for the top of the org chart.Watch the full episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/inside-the-rise-of-internal-coaching-how-rusty-tugman-built-a-coaching-culture-from-the-inside-out/

In this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, money coach and licensed counselor Jeannie Dougherty—dubbed a “money whisperer” by her clients—dives into the emotional and behavioral side of finance. Jeannie traces her path from mental health counseling to money coaching through a deeply personal family story that reshaped her views on trust, boundaries, and financial agency.She introduces a powerful lens: is money “outside” of you (an elusive goal that controls you) or “inside” you (a tool you direct)? From that frame, Jeannie explains how shame, secrecy, and avoidance keep money stuck—while clarity, honest conversations (with partners and advisors), and values-aligned choices create flow.For coaches and entrepreneurs, she shares pragmatic sales guidance: practice your offer, deliver it cleanly, then stay quiet; expect (and allow) a “no”; and protect your time from misaligned prospects. With couples, she anchors budgets in values, not comparison, and shows how different priorities can coexist when you design for both needs and wants. Jeannie also cautions against quick-money promises, urges discernment with ads and online schemes, and reminds us that all money problems are personal problems—and therefore coachable.Her central message: develop an empowered, internal relationship with money—use it consciously as a tool, give and receive to keep it flowing, and let your energy and boundaries attract right-fit clients and right-fit decisions.Watch the episode here: https://thecoachingedgepodcast.com/from-money-myths-to-money-flow-jeannie-dougherty-on-building-an-inner-wealth-mindset/