Coaching Pioneers: Laura Whitworth and Thomas Leonard

Vikki Brock

This article first appeared in the International Journal of Coaching in Organizations, 2009 7(1), 54-65. It can only be reprinted and distributed with prior written permission from Professional Coaching

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ISSN 1553-3735

2009

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coaching Pioneers: laura Whitworth and thomas leonardVIKKIBROCK

This article about two pioneers in the field of organizational coaching — Thomas Leonard and Laura Whitworth — is based on the author’s interviews with more than 170 senior practitioners in the field — including interviews with one of these two pioneers (Whitworth). Offering anecdotes from her interviews, as well as her own personal acquaintance with Leonard and Whitworth, Vikki Brock serves up many insights about the early days in this field, as well as about the distinctive characteristics exhibited by these two founders and rule-breakers.

Iamagreatadmirerof LauraWhitworthandThomasLeonardfortheirsignificantcontributionstothefoundation,structureandinstitutionsof fieldof coaching.IfirstmetThomasin1996andwasanavidfollowerof hisinnovativeprogramsuntilhisdeathin2003.IdidnotmeetLaurauntil2006whenIinterviewedherandsubsequentlyattendedthelastBiggerGameworkshopsheled.

My intentwith this article is topresent abalancedandholisticperspectiveof LauraandThomas. Myviewsareinfluencedbymy own relationship with them and the interviews I conductedwiththosewhoknewbothof them.Withouttheircontributions,takensolelyortogether,thefieldof coachingwouldnotexistasweknowittoday.

BacKGroundLauraandThomashadrichandfulllivesprior to meeting in 1985 and beginningtheircoachingcareersin1988.

Laura’slifewasaseriesof transformations.Married several times, she spent time inAlaska conducting adventure tours andhuntingbears.At20she joinedthePeaceCorpsand spent twoyearsasavolunteer

inNepal.Priortothat,shewasapoorstudentwhodidnotthinkof herself assmart.ReturningfromNepalsheenrolledintheCollegeof BusinessandManagementat theUniversityof Marylandandgraduated cum laude. Spending two successful years as a CPAwithArthurAndersen&Company,shegotboredandreturnedtoCalifornia.Oncethere,in1987shetookWernerErhard’sestcourses,whichtransformedheragain.Therestof her lifewas focusedonmakingadifferenceintheworld.In1997attheageof 50herlifetransformedyetagainwhensheandJudyPikebecamelifepartners.©

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Thomas was born in 1955 and raised in theSan Francisco area. Graduating from highschool,he tookdistancecourses tobecomeafinancial planner and accountant. Living inSanFranciscoduringthesixtiesandseventies,whereWernerErhardalsofoundedest,Thomaswasexposedtotheprinciplesandidealsof thehumangrowthmovement froman early age.In the mid to late 1980’s, he worked in the

accountingdepartmentof WernerErhardandAssociates(WEA)wherehefirstencounteredtheconceptof coaching.Agypsyatheart,he lived inSaltLakeCity,Seattle,HoustonandPhoenixduringthe1990s,whenhewasn’ttravelingtheUnitedStatesinhismotorhomewithhisdogFringe.Openlygay,hedescribedhimself assupersensitiveandwasdescribedbytheCoachingInsideras“anenthusiasticpowerhousewhowasconstantlycreating”.

WHo WErE laura and tHoMas?Thereweretwosidesof Thomas–hewashighlycollaborativeononehandandhighlycompetitiveontheotherhand.Thomaswasamanof contrasts.Thereweretimeswhenpeoplewere‘in’andpeoplewere‘out’.Hecouldbestubborn:“If Ican’thavemywayI’mgoingtodomyownthing.”Severalof thepeopleIinterviewedsuggest that Thomas refused to become involved with TheCoachingCaucusduringthemid-1990’sprimarilybecauseLaurawasinvolved.ThisCaucuswastheprecursortotheProfessionalandPersonalCoachesAssociation(PPCA)andtheInternationalCoaching Federation (ICF) (originally created for students andgraduatesof CoachUniversity).Alternatively,Thomascouldbethevisionarywhocreatedandcontributed.Intheearly2000’shecreatedtheInternationalAssociationof Coaches(IAC)whentheICFbeganmovinginadirectionhedidn’tsupport.AsnumerouspeoplewhomIintervieweddescribed,itwasonlyinlateryearsthatThomasfullyrecognizedthathewasbi-polar–whichaccountedpartially for him being totally prolific and generative, and thengettingdepressedand removinghimself toanewenvironment.Atruegenius,hewasamixof fiercecompetitorandabundantgenerositywhocouldbechallengingandpolarizing.

LikeThomas,Laurawasverypassionateaboutitall.MorethanThomas,however,Lauraseemedtocreateheractionsinserviceof humanity.Laurawasopentowhatothersweredoingandcommittedtocollaboration–sheattendedacoachingpresentationbyDavidPetersonattheUniversityof MarylandwhereshemetTimothyGallweywho laterbecamehercoach.SheconnectedwithJohnWhitmoreintheUK,whokeynotedatthefirstPPCAconference,andattendedoneof JulioOlalla’scoachingontologyconferencesinMexico.Laurawasamemberof bothPPCAandICF.Infact,theideaforTheCoachingCaucusheldinSanFranciscoduringthe Spring of 1994 was birthed from conversations Laura hadwithSandyVilasof CoachUniversity.Theyagreed that itwas

Laura did much to lay the groundwork for what we know as coaching today. Though just as passionate about coaching and its potential to serve humanity, Thomas was the exact opposite on the MBTI framework - being introverted, sensing, thinking and judging (which means systematic and organized) (ISTJ).

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abouttimetocreatesomethingfor thecoaching industry.Theirgoalwastoinviteasmanyleadersintheworldof coachingastheycouldfind.Lauraneverbroadcasther role– instead shewavedtheflagandsaid‘followme.’Accordingtosome,theInternationalAssociationof ProfessionalCoaches (IAPPC)andPPCA,whichwasbirthedoutof TheCoachingCaucus,wouldneverhavebeenbornwithoutLauraasthecatalyst–creatingthespaceforbothtoemergeandthenasking,“Whowillrunthis?”

Laura stood firm for her beliefs and principles, whether it wasthepopularthingtodoornot.Oneverypublicexampleof thiswasatthe1997ICFconferencewhereCoachUdemonstratedamethodologytheycalledTheFishbowl.AccordingtoLaura:

Theyhadfourcoachesonapanel,onastage,includingmyself,andthentheywouldbringupaclientof CoachU, and each coach would have at the client for a littlewhile–starttellingyouwhatyou’refeeling,whatyou’rethinking,whatyoushoulddoandwhatyoushouldn’tdo.Icouldn’tparticipateinitandcallitcoaching.Anditisn’twhatCoachUmeantascoachingeither.

JeffRaim,thepresidentof ICFatthetime,wroteanemailclarifyingwhathadhappened:

Thereseemstobemuchtalkaboutwhathappenedduringthe Sunday morning hot seat demonstration. Such thatI determined it was important to bring some additionalclarity and context to all our members. One of ourpanelists,LauraWhitworth,aPPCAandICFmemberfeltwhatwasbeingdemonstrateddidnotfitherdemonstrationof coachingandremovedherself fromthepanel.

In 2000 when Laura started The Bigger Game Company withRickTamlynherfocuswastotakecoachingintoprisons.Whenshe was diagnosed with cancer in 2004 she set up the prisonsprojectsootherpeoplecouldrunandsustainit.HernewbiggergamebecamesurvivingcancerwhilemakingadifferenceintheworldaboutthewaythatWesternmedicineandthegovernmentsupportpeoplefightingcancer.

tHE coacHInG BuGThecoachingbugsoundslikeitbeganforLaurafollowingestandcollaboratingwithThomasLeonard.AftertakingtheForum,LaurawantedtogotoworkforWernerErhardandAssociates(WEA).ShewantedtobearounditmoreanddecidedshewasgoingtogotoworkforWernerErhard&Associates.AccordingtoLaura:

ThomasLeonardwasthepersonwhohiredmewhilehisbosswasonvacation.IamarecoveringCPAandhewasafinancialplannerandhewasworkingintheaccounting

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departmentandhiredmeintheaccountingdepartment.While he was working for est, he only knew about thisprogramfromaparticipant’spointof view.That’swhereLeslieMitchell,amotheringtypewhowasoneof Thomas’sgreatestfriendsatthattime,keptencouragingThomastodowhathewasdoing.IntheprocesshestarteddoingsomefinancialplanningformajorcourseleadersatWEA.

ThomasleftWEAin1988tostarthisownbusiness.Bytheendof theyear,afterattendingThomas’sLifePlanningWorkshoppilot,Laurahadalsolefttostartherownbusiness.Laurahaddiscoveredduringtheworkshopthathavingabuddycontributedandwouldbeworthpayingfor.UntilthenLaurahadbeenapersonwithanemployee-mentality,ratherthananentrepreneurialmentality.InLaura’swords:

Thomas, who had offices at 560 Commercial St., said,“Youwanttostartabusiness,I’llloanyouthiscornerof myofficespaceforareallyreasonablerent.”Iscaredtheheckoutof myself,but I tookhimupon thatnear theendof 1988.IstartedabusinessthatendedupbecomingacoachingbusinesscalledPriorityOne…Idiscoveredamethodologyforcoachingthatreallyparticularlyworkedforme.Iwasalsointheroomwherethecopiermachinewas and Thomas would come in and hear what I wasdoingonthephonewithmyclients.We’dhangoutwithandrubbedoffoneachother.

ThomasandLauramergedparallelcoachingtrack–coachtrainingand coaching respectively. He created an organization calledTheCollege forLifePlanningand conducted severalmorepilotworkshops,oneof whichwasinLaura’sapartmentandattendedbySandyVilas.Studentswerepursuingthedesignationof certifiedlife-planner and Laura began calling herself Life Coach. Lauramet Henry Kimsey House at a Werner Erhard course called“Presentation,Negotiation,andEnrollment”inNewYorkCityin1989.Henrybecamehersecondclientwhenshecorneredhimintheparkinglotof theErhardcourseandsaid“WeatPriorityOnearelookingforpeopleof yourcalibertoworkwithforcoaching.”According to Alan Collins, at this point in time Thomas wasconductingseminarsfor200peopleinFloridaat$10ahead.

In1990LaurastartedgettingtogetherwithHenryaboutfoundingtheCoachTrainingInstitute(CTI).Thoughhewasnotinterestedat thetimeshehadthetenacitytomakeithappen.Afterbeingout of the business for six months in 1990, Thomas resumeddoingcoachtraining.In1991,ThomasofferedLauraandHenryKimsey-HousehisCollegeforLifePlanningmaterialstocreateacoachingworkshopfortheCaliforniaregion,whichhehadgiventothem.InLaura’swords:

Thomas and Laura’s contributions to coaching are extensive, both engaging concepts from Erhard’s Landmark Forum and life design movement, as well those of other people who fed Erhard their ideas.

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And when Thomas said, “Here, you guys want to startthinkingaboutcoaching?”hegaveushismaterialandwesatwithitforawhileandthenwelookedat...youknow,we’rejustnotthatstyle.ThomaswasalittlemoreontheErhardside.HerehehadaprogramcalledTheCleanSweepandhegotpointsandtheproblemwithitisthatit’sdogmatic,itsaid,youknow,if youworetherightkindof sunglassesandif youbrushedyourteethacertainwayyougotpointsanditwasn’tlikeTheCleanSweepwastheendallandbeall,butitwasarepresentationof theprogramtellingtheclientthewaytheyneededtobe.Thomashadlotsof goodstuffandhewenttoalotof differentplaces,hegotlotsof exposuretoalotof things,andpulleditalltogetheranditwastoomuch.

Thomascamebackfivetosixmonthslaterin1992andrequestedthatthematerialsbereturned,justbeforeLauraandHenrydidtheirfirstworkshop.Laura,HenryandKarenKimsey-Housesubsequentlycreated their own materials and delivered the workshop. Lauradescribedherreactionas:

Soweprobablywentoverboardgoingtheoppositedirection.Sowestartedtohavealittlebitof aproblem,Thomasandmeinparticular—becauseIcouldn’tsayyestohismaterial.Wegrew,butwegrewinadifferentdirectionthanThomasandwe felt thatourmaterialhadadifferentflavor to it,neithergoodnorbad,butaverydifferentflavor.Thomaswasunhappywithmeaboutthis.

ThissituationcreatedaschismwhenThomasthreatenedlawsuits,andafiercecompetitionbetweenCTIandCoachUbegan.

concEPtual InFluEncEsBothLauraandThomaswereconceptuallyinfluencedbyErhard,whointurnwasinfluencedbyFernandoFlores.Thesimilarityendedthere.Thomasusedmuchof thelanguageandperspectivefrom the WEA in his curriculum at Coach University—in factLandmarksuedhiminthemid-1990swiththesuitbeingsettledoutof courtandtheborrowedlanguagebeingremovedfromthecurriculum.Lauratooktheoppositeapproachanddideverythingto ensure CTI’s coaching was not forceful, as the coaching atWEAhadbeen.Laurabroughttheviewsof CarlRogers,creatorof client-centeredtherapy,tothePPCAandCTI,aswellasthecorecompetenciesandcredentialingprocessof theICF.Shealsobroughtforththedistinctionbetweenfindingandgivinganswers.

Anotherdifferenceintheinitialevolutionof CTIandCoachUconcernedthevenueinwhichcoachtrainingtookplace.Face-to-facetrainingswereconductedatCTI,whereasCoachUmadeuseof internetand telephone technology.Thephonewasaperfectvehicle for Thomas. He could comfortably connect with otherpeoplebytelephone.Thecoredifferenceatalaterpointconcerned

Thomas is credited with extensive cross-disciplinary borrowing—which has continued to be a distinctive hallmark of professional coaching.

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thesequencingof trainingevents.CoachUtaughtpeopleaformof depthcoachingfromDayOne.Bycontrast,CTIwouldstartwiththecoachingskillsandmovetothedepthcoachinglaterintheirprogram.

aPProacH to coacHInGAnotherway to lookat thedifferencesbetween theapproachestakenbyThomasandLauraisfromtheperspectiveof scoresontheMeyers-BriggsTypeIndicator(MBTI).Basedonfourpolarityscales,theMBTIframeworkisasfollows:

Introvert-Extravert–whereapersongetstheirenergySensing-Intuition–howapersontakesininformationThinking-Feeling–howapersonmakesdecisionsJudging-Perceiving–aperson’sorientationtotheworld

Lauraco-foundedanextraverted,intuitive,feelingandperceiving(ENFP) company.Acharismatic individualwitha knack forgathering groups of people and empowering them to carry hisvisionforward,Lauradidmuchtolaythegroundworkforwhatweknowascoachingtoday.Thoughjustaspassionateaboutcoachinganditspotentialtoservehumanity,Thomaswastheexactoppositeon the MBTI framework - being introverted, sensing, thinkingand judging (which means systematic and organized) (ISTJ).He viewed coaching from a business perspective, developingconceptualmodels that shiftedandbroadenedperspectives (likethe Attraction Program) along with programs that were moreprescriptive and detailed (like the Clean Sweep which had 100points). A visionary with the ability to generate materials andattractmediaopportunities,Thomas,likeLaura,didmuchtolaythegroundworkforcoachingasweknowittoday.

ThomaswasdescribedbyonepersonIinterviewedaswantingtocalltheshots.Hewaswillingtoworkhistailofftoprovidevaluesothathewouldbeperceivedastheleaderof thisnewly-emergingindustry.Thiscompetitionwasalwayspushingandinspiringhimtopursueexcellenceandcomeupwithnew ideas.At the sametime,Thomasdescribedhimself asasuper-sensitiveperson.Hewasknowntocreateamassiveamountof informationandthencrash,asmanygeniusesdo.Intheworldof beinganddoing,Laurawasonthesideof beingandThomaswasonthesideof doing.

Oneof Laura’sstrengthswasherabilitytoconnectwithpeople,whichwasoppositeof Thomas’sgreateststrengthstoconnectandsynthesize ideasandconcepts.When lookingat their respectiveaccomplishments, Thomas achieved his largely alone, whileLauraachievedhers inpartnership.Thomas’saccomplishmentsincludefoundingCoachU,theInternationalCoachFederation,Coachville, and the International Association of Coaches.Laura’s accomplishments are just as impressive: co-founder of the Coaches Training Institute (CTI), founding member of the

Thomas Leonard helped create the coaching industry with his vision, his ability to assimilate and simplify complex concepts, and his marketing and media savvy.

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PersonalProfessionalCoachesAssociation(PPCA),co-founderof the Alliance of Coach Training Organizations (ACTO) andco-founderof TheBiggerGameCompany.

In 1998, Laura co-authored Co-Active Coaching, which continuestobeoneof themostrecommendedcoachingbooksof alltime.Thomasauthoredsixcoach-relatedbooksafter1998:Working Wisdom, The Portable Coach, Becoming a Coach, Simply Brilliant, The Coaching Forms Book(6thedition)andThe Distinctionary,alongwith14internallypublishedworksavailableexclusivelytothecoachesatCoachUniversity..

contrIButIons to coacHInGThomas and Laura’s contributions to coaching are extensive,bothengagingconceptsfromErhard’sLandmarkForumandlifedesignmovement,aswellthoseof otherpeoplewhofedErhardtheirideas.Thomassynthesizedandgeneratedtools,programs,strategiesandsolutions.CoachUniversity’scurriculumandmodelwas perfected through the College for Life Planning – whicharticulated, simplified, commoditized and made assessable theprinciplesof Landmark.Thomastrainedpeoplewhoimpactedthehundredsof peoplewhoarebehind them in their life.Hisbusinessstrategywastogiveawayhisbeststuffonthefrontendandchargeonthebackend.Generouswithhistime,materials,knowledgeandwisdom,hewasasavvybusinesspersonwho,dueto his introverted nature and fascination with technology, gavecoachingthephonemodelof coaching.

Laura’sapproachwassimilarandyetmarkedlydifferent.Involvedin coaching from the very beginning, when Thomas invitedher to a pilot for a Life-Planning Workshop in 1988, Laurawas focused on making a difference through collaboration andconnection.CoachTrainingInstitutewasbirthed in1992whenLauraandHenryKimsey-Housedid theirfirstworkshop.FromthebeginningLaurawasinterestedinprofessionalizingcoaching.In1994shewasinstrumental inthestart-upof theProfessionalandPersonalCoachesAssociation(PPCA),whichlatercombinedwith the International Coach Federation, (ICF) and, in 1998,her involvement ledtothefirstExecutiveCoachingSummit.In2000, the Co-Active Coaching Training program was deliveredinaFederalPrisoninColoradotoagroupof inmateswhowereworkingwithYouthatRisk.ThisprojectbecameknownasLaura’s“BiggerGame.”

Laurasawdevelopmentof anassociationasacommunitymoveandThomassawownershipof theassociationasabusinessmove.ThomascreatedCoachUniversityin1992,followedbyprovidingseedmoneyfortheInternationalCoachFederation(ICF)in1995,whichwascreatedasanalumniassociationandinreactiontothePPCA.ThispatternwasrepeatedwhenCoachvillewasfoundedin2001(atthetimewhenThomas’snon-competeclausewithCoach

Coaching lost two of its pioneers, Thomas and Laura, just four years apart on February 11, 2003 and February 28, 2007 respectively.

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Uhadexpired).Similarly,Thomasprovidedseedmoneyin2003tostarttheInternationalAssociationof Coaches(IAC)inreactiontotheICF.

ThomasLeonardwasavociferousreaderandmasterfulsynthesizer,whileLaurawasaconnectorwhosearchedoutpeoplewithwhomshecouldcollaborateand fromwhomshecould learn. In2006LauracharacterizedThomas’abilitiesas:

Backwhenwewerestillbothworkingforest,heinvitedmeandhepaidmesomethinglike$7anhourtocometohishouseandsitwithhimwhilehewentthroughmagazinesand pulled out information to help him create catalogsof informationaboutthings....Thomaswasinnovativeincreatingallof thetime,andhewasdoingalotof hisinnovationandcreationfromalotof differentmaterial.Hisownmaterialwasbuiltoffof orstepping,standingontheshouldersof others-thatwashisforte.Iknowhewasdefinitelydigestingallthetime.

Thomasiscreditedwithextensivecross-disciplinaryborrowing—whichhascontinuedtobeadistinctivehallmarkof professional

Figure 1. organizational creations of laura Whitworth and thomas leonard

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coaching.DaveBuckdescribedThomasLeonardasa“synthesizer”workingwith“hundreds,thousandsof peopletocreate.HisR&Dteams were where anyone could get in on the ground floor of generativity.Yetwhilehewascollaboratinghealsohadhisvision—avisionof himself beinghighlyimpactful,beingaleader,beingcompetitiveagainstothercompaniesdoingsimilarthings.”

Thomasco-wroteThe Portable Coachin1998,whichreachednumbernineatAmazon.comthankstohismediaexpertise.WhileLaurais credited with professionalizing coaching, Thomas is creditedwithpopularizingcoaching.AnthonyGrantsays:“If youhadtosaywhowastheonepersonwhocommercializedandmarketedcoachingitwouldhavetobeThomasLeonard.”Thomashadapublicitymachine,of whichhedescribestheimpactathiswww.thomasleonard.comwebsite:“Inearly1996,themediadiscoveredCoach University and I got to be on the major TV networksand large daily newspapers, Donahue and received coverage ina number of other countries. Over 250 stories worldwide werepublishedfromFebruary1996toDecember1999.”

David Goldsmith describes the steps taken in anticipation of aNewsweekarticleoncoaching:“[wewere]organizingteamsof peoplejusttorespondtoallthephonecallscomingin.Itcreatedmuchattentioninothermedia.[Theystarted]doingstoriesoncoaching.[There]wasjustanenormousamountof newspaper,radioandTV.Itallcameoutof theNewsweekarticle”.DavidPetersonsaidduringhisinterview:“ItwasThomaswhopopularizedcoachingand helped with the market perception of executive coaching.Andif hehadn’tbeendoingthat,executivecoachingneverreallywouldhavetakenofflikeitdid....Thomasdidn’tonlypublishbooks, when you talk about popularizing, that’s where you talkabout creating theseprofessional organizations and the ‘ask thecoach’columnintheLondonTimesandtheNewsweekarticle”.

From the beginning, the IAPPC and PPCA were professionalassociationsinthetraditionalsense.Membersinbothwerefromdiverse backgrounds and training programs, and paid dues tobelong.Eachhadaprintednewsletter,electedofficers,andcreatedacodeof ethics—characteristicsof anewly-emergingprofessionduringthe20thCentury.Bycontrast,acoachbecameamemberof ICFbyvirtueof beingagraduateorstudentof CoachUniversity.Nodueswerepaid.EmailwasusedforICFcommunications inlieuof aprintednewsletter.Officerswereappointedfromamongthe board members who were also on the Coach U board. Anethicscodedidnotexist inICF.Thesecharacteristicsaremuchmorealignedwithanalumnigroupthanaprofessionalgroup.

Laura andThomasbothhadamajor impact on the emergenceandevolutionof thecoaching industry.TableOneportrays theiraccomplishmentsandkeyfactsof theirlives.

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conclusIonsThomas Leonard helped create the coaching industry with hisvision, his ability to assimilate and simplify complex concepts,andhismarketingandmediasavvy.IfirstmetThomasinApril1996 when I traveled to Houston, Texas where he was leadinganin-personworkshopforCoachU.ThomasandIwerestayingwithSandyVilas–meonthecouchandThomasinthesecondbedroom. About 11pm the sliding door opened and Thomasentered.Wegreetedeachotherandproceededtohavea45-minuteconversation in the dark about his discomfort with speaking tolargegroups,hissensitivityandhisvisionforcoaching.Ourpathswould cross many times over the next seven years and he wasalwaysavailableandgenerouswithhimself andhiswisdom.

Laura Whitworth helped shape the coaching industry with herboldness,creativity,humanness—and,intheend,askedonlythateachpersonfindmeaning in lifebyplayingtheirBiggerGame.Thisorientationwasapparentwhen in2000she successfully ledtheeffort to take theCo-ActiveCoachingmodel into the federalandCalifornia stateprison system.Though Iknewof Laura formanyyears,IfirstmetherinApril2006whenI interviewedherformyPhDdissertationontheevolutionof coaching.Beingsuchapioneer,we endeduphaving two lengthy interviewsabout theearlydays.Laurawasgenuine,gracious,humbleandverygenerousasIcametoknowherduringourinteractionsoverthenextyear.IattendedTheBiggerGameworkshopsheco-ledinmid-April2006andmyadmirationgrewforherasahumanbeingandtrueleader.

Coachinglosttwoof itspioneers,ThomasandLaura,justfouryearsapartonFebruary11,2003andFebruary28,2007respectively.Withverylittlewarning,Thomasdiedof aheartattackwithmanyprojectsandideasleftunfinished.Just20monthslaterLaurawasdiagnosedwithcancerforasecondtime,thoughthistimeitwaslungcancerratherthanbreastcancerasitwasin1990.InalettershewroteinSeptember2004,shedescribes:

table 1. category comparison between laura and thomas

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“You have a spot on your lung. It looks like cancer.” Iheardthosewordslikeanavalanche,andmyworldhasnotbeen the same since.Yes. I’vebeendiagnosedwith stageone lungcancer,andrecent surgery removed themiddlelobeof myrightlungandseverallymphnodes.Theytellme the prognosis for my recovery is good — statisticallyan80% survival rate after5 years, especially if I pursueChemotherapy.Still,Iworry...Itfeelssostrangetocalmlytypethesewordshere...Oneof thegiftsof adiagnosislikethisisthatitbringsthealwayslurkingprospectof imminentdeath to the foreground, providing a constant new lensthroughwhichtovieweachandeverymoment.”

Laura thought that she had discovered coaching and Thomasthought that he discovered it — yet both of them had beeninfluenced by Werner Erhard. At Laura’s memorial it was said“ThomasLeonardevolved thebusinessof coaching,andLauraWhitworthevolvedtheheartandsoulof coaching”.Ittookbothof them,andmanyothers,tobringcoachingtowhereitistoday.

aBout tHE autHor

Vikki Brock, Ph.D., EMBA, MCC, CEC

Phone: 805-676-4200Email: coach@vikkibrock.comWebsite: www.vikkibrock.com

A Master Certified Coach (MCC),Certified Executive Coach andProfessional Mentor Coach, VikkiBrockbringsthewisdom,experience,andprovenprocessestomoveleadersand individuals to higher stages of personalawarenessandeffectiveness.Employingamultifacetedapproachtoindividualdevelopment,shepartnerswith and respectfully provokes herclients to createauthentic strengths-based success from the insideand by their own definition. Hercoachingemphasisisonauthenticity,talent development and individualimprovement for personal andorganizational health and increasedproductivity. Her role as coach isto “raise awareness so clients are atconsciouschoice”.

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