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Compared to T-ball, little league was nothing. At five and six, we were all agile, dashing across the field, trying out every position, and tossing balls at each other even if the other player wasn’t ready for it. Try to picture a three ring circus gone crazy: that was our team, at least until our coach strode to the mound and straightened us out. He had us all sitting around him in less than a minute, our grimy young faces turned up to him and listening intently. As an adult, I’m fascinated by how he brought this rowdy group to cohesion, order, and goal-directed behavior. Our parents couldn’t get us to slow down enough to concentrate on the tasks at hand. Even our Sunday school teacher couldn’t get us focused. Our grade school has a well-worn path to the principle from all our shenanigans. Similar to what a leadership coach does today for business professionals, in short order he had us all organized and back on track. A leadership coach is a sports coach for the professional world. He knows where the "team" is, where they’re going, and the desired end result. He sees potential, recognizes areas of needed improvement, and guides professionals in building the necessary skills to reach the goal. Ultimately, the professional coaching will provide the needed help that ensure that professionals can excel, and solidifies the team’s ability to succeed. To make progress and achieve success, three areas frequently must be altered: mental (how people think), emotional (how people feel), and behavioral (how people act). Through a combination of training and experience, a leadership coach has developed the skills to help people make the necessary changes. Mental coaches assist with making changes in all three areas - thoughts, feelings, and actions. So do leadership coaches - but they make these changes with a leadership focus in mind. A good idea that is achieved can mean the difference between success and failure for a team. Regardless of who comes up with an idea, coaches assist players in realizing those ideas by motivating the team to do so. By affirming the behaviors of the team that will help reach the goal, and correcting behaviors that do not, the coach ensures the goal will be reached. In this way, the coach keeps the team moving in the right direction to achieve success. Leadership coaching is an emerging field that provides personalized assistance to those wishing to improve their leadership skills. Leadership coaches take life coaching to a whole new level. They can analyze your personal and professional goals and help you adapt your thinking and your behavior to allow you to best meet those goals. They can work with either individuals or business teams to refine your direction and your methods for best results. In order to see any success, one must change in three areas: mental, emotional, and behavioral. A leadership coach has skills in all three areas. Just as mental coaches assist with behavioral issues, not just with thoughts and feelings, the leader coach handles many skills simultaneously. One other area that professional coaching can greatly assist with is motivation. You can have one of the greatest ideas ever, however, without motivation, it’s useless. Because coaches understand the desire to reach a goal, and the steps to get there, they can encourage individuals or teams by becoming a cheerleader, always encouraging positive forward motion, until goals are reached.