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WEBB BOOK REVIEW
Book Review: Keith Webb, The Coach Model for Christian Leaders
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
Abstract
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WEBB BOOK REVIEW
The term coach is a title often referred to as someone leading a team. However, a new field of
coaching has emerged, known as Life Coaching. A Life Coach is someone who helps empower a
person by allowing them to empower themselves. Keith Webb develops a COACH model to
help guide a coach during a session. Coaches should have a certain mindset, skill set, and tool
kit to succeed. Coaches must learn to keep their thoughts, reactions, and beliefs out of the
sessions. A life coach needs to help the coachee develop independently by actively listening and
asking open-ended probing questions. It is up to the coach to create a safe connecting
environment for the coachee to generate the outcome they are looking for, become aware of
themselves, and build their course of action. The COACH model is an example roadmap of how
to accomplish this.
Summary Of Author's Key Points
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The book titled The Coach Model for Christian Leaders: Powerful Leadership Skills for
Solving Problems, Reaching Goals, and Developing Others, authored by Keith Webb, was
written to help Christian coaches to have a model of how to coach. While coaching and
counseling have many similarities, they are pretty different. Counseling helps people reach their
potential by working through the issues and providing advice. In contrast, a coach helps to
inspire change in an individual by allowing them to see the potential within themselves.
Webb begins the book with Coaching Mindsets. The main idea behind this chapter is that
for us to help, we need to have the right mindset. Webb explains how he learned that he had to
change his communication and leadership skills to help people succeed. Many people suffer
from know-it-all-ism, which "affects the ability of the mind to take in information and process it
without prejudice. The illness causes blindness to opinions, answers, and solutions other than
their own” (Webb, 2019, p. 2). To be a good coach, one cannot have this mindset, and they need
to be able to actively listen and ask open-ended questions that will help the coachee to recognize
their solutions and feel inspired (Webb, 2019). Webb also points out that as a Christian Coach,
one should remember that the Holy Spirit will guide them and, ultimately, is the one that will
help change a person.
In the next chapter, What It Really Means to Coach, Webb defines coaching as “an
ongoing intentional conversation that empowers a person or group to live out God's calling fully"
(Webb,2019, p.14). Coaching is an ongoing process that helps a person get from point A to point
B with empowering conversations that put the coachee in control by exploring options by asking
questions that are relevant to the goal that is being pursued. To be a successful coach, one must
focus on the client and not allow their agenda or thoughts to influence the decisions of the
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coachee. This requires a coach to possess a coaching mindset, skillset, and toolset unique to
coaching.
The book's primary purpose is to teach aspiring coaches the COACH (Connect, Outcome,
Awareness, Course, Highlights) Model that can be used in each session. Connecting is one of the
most critical parts of the relationship between a coach and coachee. If there is no connection, it
will be hard to move forward. The way to begin a session should be less formal and more of a
personal conversation to help break the ice and build on the connection (Webb, 2019). This type
of connection will help to build trust in the relationship. I
In the outcome chapter, Webb emphasizes that in coaching, the coach always needs to
approach the session knowing the end goal for the coachee and work towards that outcome. In
this part of the session, it is essential to discuss the progress made since the last session. It is
important to note that the coach in no way should make the coachee feel ashamed of the gain but
guide them with questions that will help them to evaluate themselves.
Coaching is a process that helps the coachee become aware of themselves. “Coaches
facilitate these discoveries and help the coachee take action based on their insights” (Webb,
2019, p.67). Once the coachee becomes more aware, they can develop the course of action they
want to take to reach the desired outcome. The coachee needs to be the one that creates the path
they want to take. The coach helps with this by asking probing, open-ended questions based on
the coachee's plan and not their own. The final stage of the session should be to highlight the
session. This is an opportunity for the coachee to summarize the session in their own words.
The purpose of this is to help the coachee to reinforce what they learned that day as well as the
next steps of the course and allow the coach to provide any additional feedback as well (Webb,
2019). In the next session, it is vital to have a follow-up conversation on the progress of the
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action steps committed to in the prior session. Webb states, "The purpose of following-up is to
debrief the coachee on actions taken. This process helps to reinforce forward-moving thoughts
and behaviors, generates learning and insight, and allows the coach and coachee to troubleshoot
difficulties while creating next steps” (Webb, 2019, p.124). The coachee is the one that needs to
develop insight as to what helped them or not and how they felt about what they accomplished or
not.
The book's last chapter talks about a coach's next steps. Life Coaching is still a new
method; however, it has grown. A coach needs to continue to learn as this field is evolving. One
thing a coach can do to build their mindset, skill set, and toolkit is to learn more. The suggested
ways to learn are from books and additional training through workshops and seminars. Coaching
is a journey that requires a particular set of skills that must be reinforced with knowledge, and a
coach should continue to grow themselves as well.
Personal Response
Keith Webb's book The Coach Model was a well-written, easy-to-read book. It provided
powerful insight into the role of a Christian Life Coach. The author did an excellent job
outlining his model and its reasoning. The use of personal stories of learning examples from his
personal life made it even more impactful.
Webb did an excellent job explaining what a life coach is and what it is not, which was
truly appreciated. Before reading this book, I thought that a coach was someone who helped
someone with personal insights, gave advice, and helped the coachee to come to a decision.
Webb clearly explained that this was not the case. The coach is someone that helps a person get
from point A to B by allowing them to see they have all the answers within them.
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After reading this book, I walked away with knowing what a Life Coach is and what they
do and a road map on how to put this into practice with his method that has been tried and
proven to work. I genuinely appreciate the work the author put into putting this book together.
Personal Application
Helping others is something that I know that I have been called to. I am passionate about
helping those addicted to substances, the homeless, and those coming out of incarceration. Up to
this point, I was unsure how I would put this into action. Since reading this book, I have learned
a method and the purpose of Life Coaching, and I found how God will allow me to do so.
Webb has given me a blueprint for handling sessions with my future coachee; however, I
understand that I need to start somewhere now. My wife and I always discuss goals; however,
we never fine-tune them to develop a course. There has always been a disconnect. Talking with
my wife about our plans, I can use the COACH model to help us determine the course of action
we need to take. I can also use this method in conservations with my children to enable them to
realize that they have the power within themselves to change and create their destiny.
In the meantime, in I will also make myself available. Webb talked about how many
connections and conversations can lead themselves into a coaching session. I need to listen
more actively when the opportunity presents itself to be able to offer what I have learned. I will
also let my Pastor and accountability partners know what I am studying and my vision and offer
my services to someone looking to move from one lifestyle to another. I not only have personal
experience, I now have the education behind it.
The main thing I will be doing until I can make Life Coaching a profession is to read
more on the topics and look for seminars to attend. I will also be looking more into the
certification process to see which one will help me with my niche. I have also thought about
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looking into getting my Life Coach not only to learn from but also to help me accomplish God's
plans for my life.
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Reference
Webb, K. (2019). The coach model: For Christian leaders. Morgan James Publishing (New York,
New York).
