We were debriefing, looking back over the span of our 6 coaching sessions working together, and he'd generously offered to put together some quotes for me.
He sat a few seconds, searching for words to express his sense of what it had been like, and then said 'Catalyst'.
He hadn't put it into a sentence yet. And he could have no idea how significant the word he'd picked was for me.
Long ago and far away, I had come across the word, and got the strange sensation that it described me, or what I wanted to be. And the exactness of the fit felt intensely at odds with the fact that I had no idea what practical expression this quality inside me could take. Instead of a thing that didn't have a name, it was a name that did not yet have a tangible expression to match it.
And here I was, sitting across the table from someone who had picked that exact word to describe what working with me was like. Wow.
He wanted to be sure I grasped his meaning fully: 'Do you know what catalyst means, in chemistry?'
Oh yes – it is the property of being able to promote or accelerate a process while not taking part in the chemical reaction itself. In the presence of a catalyst, things can happen that without it remain inert, or only progress slowly. It is what I'd wanted to be: the promoter of wonderful things. A guide, a companion, a contributor and a witness to people's wonderful unfolding.
He found what he wanted to say:
'Margarita is a catalyst that enabled me to make the most of my expertise, to be a leader in my field.'
What would you wish to give a boost to, in your life or work?
If you had a catalyst, what would you use it to create?
Your best thinking has taken you this far. To go further, you need to expand your horizons, reach out into the as-yet-unknown.
ByHeart Coaching uses proven coaching methodologies to support you in achieving your goals. We add Psychosynthesis psychology and expertise in leadership into the mix, both of which allow you to resolve long-standing tangles, take fuller ownership of your potential and your destiny, and venture ahead unhindered.
Margarita Steinberg ByHeart coaching introduction
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Margarita Steinberg
I am a Leadership Coach with a specialism in Psychosynthesis psychology. I am the founder of ByHeart Coaching, and this blog grows out of my coaching work. I am also a qualified and experienced teacher, and draw on training in counselling skills.
I work with individuals and couples, as private clients; I also work with organisations through running leadership coaching programmes and group workshops.
PUBLICATIONS A chapter on my innovative learning format using embodied learning appears in the book 'Disrupting traditional pedagogy: Active Learning in Practice' published by University of Sussex Press in June 2019.
In preparation: my first book 'One step at a time: how to thrive in a dynamic world'