Lists of Best Coaching Books of All Time
We share 16 of the best life coaching books for coaches, focusing on the first three books. They believe that coaches need a broad base of knowledge to succeed and become adaptable.
Many coaches gain coaching knowledge but ignore the field of psychology and human behaviour. The author’s recommendation that every new coach should read all books on what makes us tick is overly ambitious.
Amazon links to these books are affiliate links, and the author encourages readers to read them in random order. The author believes that a broad base of knowledge is essential for success and adaptability in coaching. Well, below is the list of the best coaching books for people trying to pursue their career in the coaching business:
- The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay-Stanier
- The Clarity Method by Tim Brownson
- The Life Coaching Handbook by Curly Martin
- Co-Active Coaching by Kimsey-House, Sandahl, Whitworth
- Making Habits, Breaking Habits by Jeremy Dean
- Your Brain At Work by David Rock
- Barking Up The Wrong Tree by Eric Barker
- Methods of Persuasion by Nick Kolenda
- The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Shwartz
- Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hansen
- 10% Happier by Dan Harris
- The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
- You’re It by Alan Watts.
- The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge
- The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal
- Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman
Michael Bungay-Stanier’s book, The Coaching Habit, is a life coaching book that offers valuable insights for both new and established coaches. The book is short and slanted towards management and business, but it is a fantastic resource for those looking to improve their coaching skills.
In Bungay-Stanier’s coaching approach, she asks impactful questions like “What’s on your mind?” to swiftly delve into the core of the issue.
Tim Brownson’s book, The Clarity Method, is another life coaching book that delves into the world of core values and shares the most important work he does with traditional clients.
Brownson believes that core values work has given him more breakthroughs than any other tool he uses combined.
The book also includes access to a video explaining how to use the process and a demo of Brownson working with a client. Both books offer valuable insights into the world of coaching and the importance of focusing on core values in coaching.
Curly Martin’s Life Coaching Handbook is a valuable introduction to life coaching, aimed at newbies and UK-centric. Co-Active Coaching by Kimsey-House, Sandahl, and Whitworth is a seminal book that spurred an entire industry by teaching the best modality for helping elicit permanent beneficial change with clients.
Co-active coaching involves asking great questions and helping clients see things differently.
However, the book has some criticisms, such as the lame scripts of examples of coaches working with clients and the fact that it doesn’t always work in real-world coaching situations.
While Co-Active Coaching is considered the best modality, it is not the only one and doesn’t always work.
Jeremy Dean’s Making Habits, Breaking Habits explores the science of psychology and how the brain works. He dispels the myth that habits take a predetermined amount of time to implement, revealing that the average time is 66 days.
Dean also dismisses the myth that worrying serves no purpose, as it allows defensive pessimists to perform better at work than others.
David Rock’s Your Brain at Work is an absolute classic that has never strayed from my top 3 of all time. Rock takes cutting-edge research from the neuroscience industry and distils it to help us understand not just how our brain works.
Also how we can apply that information in real life. This knowledge helps us understand our own brain functions better and better understand our coaching clients.
In my opinion, Curly Martin’s Life Coaching Handbook, Sandahl’s Co-Active Coaching, Dean’s Making Habits, and David Rock’s Your Brain At Work are all excellent books that provide valuable insights into the world of life coaching.
Barking Up The Wrong Tree by Eric Barker is a book that provides a fresh perspective on the myths and lies surrounding self-development. Barker delves into the science behind why everything you know about success is (mostly) wrong, focusing on common wisdom that is often common but frequently not very wise.
The book begins with a story about a girl who couldn’t feel pain, which is a major problem. Pain alerts us to something that’s wrong, and if we cannot feel it, we cannot do anything to rectify it.
Barker also discusses the importance of confidence, core values, and helping others in the workplace. He also explores the concept of grit, which is important when you should quit.
Life coaching books on popular psychology are essential for understanding how clients think and make decisions. Nick Kolenda’s Methods of Persuasion curates groundbreaking information on persuasion.
The authur presents research from greats like Amos Tversky, Daniel Kahneman, Robert Cialdini, Dan Ariely, and Richard Thaler in an easy-to-digest and fun style.
This knowledge can help life coaches tailor their offerings to their ideal clients and better market themselves.
The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Shwartz is a book that transfers techniques developed by the authors to help athletes perform at a top-class level in business and self-development.
They suggest that to excel, you need to get all aspects of your life right, including spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical aspects. They also discuss the need for proper nutrition, exercise, and disengagement from work, including family and social time.
Rick Hansen’s Buddha’s Brain is a fantastic book for anyone interested in the science and research behind meditation. Hansen is a neuroscientist by trade, but he’s also a Buddhist and a meditation teacher.
By 2015, Barker almost never failed to mention meditation to clients and even included it on his client intake forms.
Barking Up the Wrong Tree by Eric Barker, in my opinion, is a comprehensive book that delves into the science behind the myths and lies surrounding success.
It provides valuable insights into the importance of confidence, core values, and the science behind the benefits of meditation.
Life coaches can benefit from reading these books to better understand their clients’ thinking and decision-making processes, ultimately leading to more successful and fulfilling lives.
In this list of books, I have included Dan Harris, Stephen Covey, and Alan Watts. Dan Harris is a life coaching book that focuses on finding peace of mind through meditation and interviews with gurus Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, and His Royal Highness, The Dalia Lama.
He believes that a 10% improvement in one’s life is worth striving for, and his book is a great resource for those looking to improve their lives.
Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is another book that has been criticised for its repetition and padding. However, it is essential to remember the sage advice contained in this book.
The book emphasises the importance of understanding others before trying to get others to understand them. It also encourages people to focus on creating win-win situations rather than treating everything as a zero-sum game.
Alan Watts’ You’re It is a unique and unusual approach to self-development, as he brilliantly melds Eastern and Western philosophy while dismissing neither. This collection of lectures is difficult to capture in an audiobook, but when heard lucidly, it is quite remarkable.
Watts avoids preaching or imposing religious dogma, and his understanding of diverse religions and philosophies makes it challenging to understand his perspective.
In my opinion, these books offer valuable insights into the spiritual side of self-development, offering a unique perspective on the importance of understanding others and creating win-win situations.
While some may argue that these books are not for the closed-minded, they provide valuable insights into the spiritual side of self-improvement and the importance of prioritising what is truly important over what seems urgent.
Norman Doidge’s book, “The Brain That Changes Itself,” explores the concept of neuroplasticity and the lack of stimulation that causes brain degeneration.
The book provides scientific proof against the urban myth that a leopard never changes its spots.
Kelly McGonigal, a Harvard lecturer and humanitarian, is known for her work on meditation and compassion. She explains why avoidance tactics don’t work and how glucose can be used to fight our urges.
McGonigal also discusses why being good now can increase the possibility of being bad later and why we crave things that seldom deliver to the extent we expect them to.
Martin Seligman’s book, “Learnt Optimism,” presents the science behind positive affirmations and thinking. He argues that optimism is not always as helpful as some people in our industry would have you believe.
Instead, being optimistic about your ability to change things encourages you to look for solutions.
Seligman’s research is grounded in serious science, not in whimsical hopes and dreams. The benefits of thinking optimistically include better health, better prospects for success at work, and a longer lifespan.
In conclusion, Norman Doidge’s book, “The Brain That Changes Itself,” Kelly McGonigal’s “The Willpower Instinct,” and Martin Seligman’s “Learned Optimism” are all excellent books that provide valuable insights into the human mind and its ability to change.
FAQs
What are the 4 pillars of life coaching?
The four pillars include Education, Inspiration, Support, and Accountability. It is imperative to acknowledge that the allocation of emphasis across these facets is not uniform; it varies according to each individual’s distinct needs and aspirations.
Can I teach myself to be a life coach?
If you want to formalise your expertise, look into accredited coaching programs, such as those offered by the International Coach Federation (ICF). By following these steps and committing to ongoing learning and practice, you can successfully teach yourself to be a life coach.
What are the best books about coaching?
Co-Active Coaching (Fourth Edition)
Coaching for Performance (fifth edition)
The HeART of Laser-Focused Coaching.
The Portable Coach.
The Discomfort Zone.
Who is the father of life coaching?
Thomas J. Leonard is known as the founding father of professional life coaching. Thomas’ big dream was that everyone was a coach, and that the very best of the best would be called to become professional coaches.
Who is the father of life coaches?
Thomas Leonard and John Whitmore are often the two public figures credited with pioneering the field. Thomas Leonard, considered the father of life coaching, founded Coach University in 1992, the first institution dedicated to training professional coaches.
