Join triathlon coach and author Mike Porteous as he shares insights from his diverse journey, from academia to civil service and beyond. He emphasizes that confidence isn't a static trait but a mix of excitement, composure, and fluency. Discover how empathy trumps athletic prowess in coaching and why guiding athletes to find their own solutions fosters resilience. Mike argues for a holistic, confidence-centered coaching approach that prioritizes emotional balance and personal growth over mere performance metrics.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
From Mediocre Rider to Empathetic Coach
Mike Porteous shared how being a relatively mediocre mountain biker led him to coaching newcomers with empathy.
Despite technical shortcomings, he helped build confidence by being alongside learners on their journey.
insights INSIGHT
Three Coaching Approaches Explained
Mike distinguishes three coaching approaches: performance, development, and confidence-centred coaching.
Confidence-centred coaching prioritizes how people feel, focusing on subjective experience over measurable outcomes.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Draw Out, Don't Instruct
Coaches should draw out learning through feelings instead of just instructing.
Encourage athletes to tune into their own sensations for more durable skill development.
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In this conversation, I sit down with Mike Porteous, triathlon coach and author of the brillliant book 'Beyond Belief' - the art of confidence-centred coaching. Mike's journey from academic to civil servant to failed mountain bike business owner to successful triathlon coach reveals fascinating insights about what really matters in developing both athletes and coaches. We explore Mike's approach to confidence-centred coaching, which places how people feel at the very heart of the coaching process. Rather than focusing purely on performance metrics or development outcomes, Mike argues for a third way that prioritises the subjective experience of both coach and athlete.
Three Key Takeaways:
Confidence isn't a thing you acquire - it's actually a combination of three feelings: excitement (thrilled anticipation), composure (control over what you can influence whilst being calm about what you can't), and fluency (losing yourself in the moment and finding flow).
The best coaches often aren't the best athletes - Mike's own journey from being a mediocre mountain biker to helping athletes achieve extraordinary feats shows that empathy, presence, and the ability to be alongside someone on their journey matters more than technical prowess.
Drawing out beats putting in - Rather than instructing athletes what to do, confidence-centred coaching focuses on helping people discover their own solutions through feeling and awareness, creating more resilient and self-reliant performers.
This conversation will change how you think about coaching, confidence, and what it really means to help someone reach their potential. Ready to transform your coaching approach? Join 'The Guild of Ecological Explorers' learning group by heading to www.thetalentequation.co.uk and clicking the 'join a learning group' button. Let's explore these ideas together and revolutionise how we develop talent.
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