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What actually helps people change — and what quietly gets in the way?

In this episode of The Coaching Book Club Podcast, Christy Stuber and Ken McKellar explore Helping People Change: Coaching with Compassion for Lifelong Learning and Growth by Richard Boyatzis, Melvin Smith, and Ellen Van Oosten.

This conversation is especially relevant for coaches, leaders, managers, and anyone working in a helping role who wants to move beyond compliance, urgency, and performance pressure — and toward change that is sustainable, human, and meaningful.

We explore:

• Why real change begins in trust, safety, and relationship
• The difference between coaching for compassion vs. coaching for compliance
• Intentional Change Theory and the role of the ideal self
• How positive emotional attractors create conditions for learning
• Why a learning orientation supports deeper growth than a performance mindset
• What this means for feedback, supervision, and coach development

Whether you’ve read this book before or are encountering it for the first time, this episode invites you to slow down and reconsider what actually creates movement — in coaching, leadership, and learning.

📘 Get the book: Helping People Change

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In this episode of the Coaching Book Club Podcast, Christy and Ken explore Simplifying Coaching by Claire Pedrick — a short but powerful book that challenges the assumption that more complexity makes coaching better. Instead, Claire invites coaches to do less, listen more, and create space for transformation.

You’ll hear:

• Why coaching isn’t about doing for the client, but creating conditions for thinking
• The importance of contracting and shared clarity in every session
• How tools & models support — but shouldn’t drive — the coaching conversation
• Practical takeaways to strengthen your coaching presence and confidence

Whether you’re an emerging coach or seasoned pro, this conversation offers clarity about when to step in — and when to step back so your clients generate their own insights.

Get the Coaching Book Club Guide to Simplifying Coaching + earn CCEs: https://the-coaching-book-club-podcast.kit.com/23165c82d1

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In this episode of The Coaching Book Club Podcast, Christy Stuber and Ken McKellar explore The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul—a compelling look at how thinking extends beyond the brain and into our bodies, environments, and social interactions.

Whether it’s tuning into physical sensations, noticing client gestures, or walking in nature to spark creativity, this book offers a fresh lens on embodied coaching. Christy and Ken share their favorite insights and real-life coaching reflections on:

• Why gestures can reveal deep, unspoken ideas
• How movement activates insight for both coaches and clients
• The powerful role of thinking with others in supervision and peer groups

If you’re looking to integrate more somatic intelligence, curiosity, and creativity into your coaching, this episode is for you.

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