A few months ago on an episode of one of my favorite podcasts, the host was interviewing a well-known psychologist who also happens to be an elite performance coach. After some discussion about what, in their opinions, coaching is and isn’t, the host said, “I’ve got a real problem with these life coaches. If you’re gonna’ be pitching me on being my life coach, you better really have your shit sorted out - like a perfect life.”

Boy, did he miss the point.

Most of us come to a place where we decide to embrace a life committed to servant leadership as a coach or some other form of guide based on our own experiences. Those experiences are seldom ones most people would label “positive”. What those challenges reveal to us about ourselves, primarily in the way we choose to face and move past them, is often what motivates us to assist others.

What these experiences provide is perspective, learning, growth, and most of all empathy. It’s that last piece that’s the most important to develop wh...