Michael Bungay Stanier: Bestselling Author of The Coaching Habit

A conversation with author, teacher, and coaching industry rockstar Michael Bungay Stanier. Michael is known for writing The Coaching Habit, which has sold over a million copies, as well as the unconventional but accessible approach that has earned him high profile fans like Brene Brown and Marshall Goldsmith.

In this episode, Michael talks about how coaches can lean into curiosity to navigate uncertain times. He shares his “advice monsters” model, which is used to identify and address the ways in which a coach’s ego can show up in their practice. 

Michael also shares guidance on how coaches can tame their need to add too much value to their sessions, causing information overload, and instead strive for simplicity on the other side of complexity.

It’s clear that Michael has had many previous lives, and he talks us through them in this episode. He almost became a solicitor before discovering coaching, then when he created his coaching practice he felt called to dismantle it and pursue another path. He is the founder of Box of Crayons, a training company, but he has chosen to step down as CEO.

During this candid chat with Coaching.com CEO Alex Pascal, Michael explains how both courage and lack of courage have informed his bold career decisions. He also shares how his “big purpose” and his “big business purpose” inform how and where he directs his energy.

Listen in to find out how he thinks coaches should embrace ambiguity and stop oversaturing sessions by adopting a “teach the least to have the most impact” approach.