The Quiet Power of Mentorship in a Coach’s Journey | by Dr Steve Jeffs

Coaching is a profession of curiosity, connection, and continual growth.

As coaches, we hold space for others to explore who they are, navigate uncertainty, and step into their potential. Yet often, in the quieter moments of our own professional lives, we’re the ones left wondering.

Who holds that space for you?

Who do you have in your corner?

Mentorship is one of the most underestimated yet transformational relationships in a coach’s development. It’s not about learning more tools or chasing (yet) another qualification. It’s about you having access to the support you need when you need it. That support to help you navigate your own journey towards mastery: personally, professionally, and everything in between.

Mentorship Matters at Every Stage

As we grow as coaches, our needs change. The ICF recognises the levels of ACC, PCC and MCC, but what about your needs in between these levels? In the early days, it might be uncertainty, around niche, messaging, or where to find clients. Perhaps you're navigating the complexity of coaching in organisations, or you've landed your biggest client yet – and feel a little overwhelmed. Later, the challenges shift. You may need to build more systems to support your coaching, or perhaps you are looking to scale. Or, perhaps you just feel stuck with a client or project.

Coaching Is Rewarding—And Often Lonely

Beyond the practical challenges, there’s the emotional weight we carry. Doubt. Isolation. Imposter syndrome. Decision fatigue. Even successes can bring unexpected questions, about what we really want next, or how to grow in a way that feels aligned and sustainable. Coaching is rewarding, but it can also be surprisingly lonely. We’re so often the ones offering presence and perspective, yet we, too, need spaces where we’re supported, seen, and challenged to grow.

And sometimes, you just want to know that you’re not the only one feeling this way.

That’s where mentorship comes in.

A good mentoring relationship offers something rare and powerful: a space where you don’t need to have it all figured out. Somewhere you can ask questions AND get answers. A place where you can show up as yourself, with your ambitions and uncertainties, and be met with respect, insight, and compassion. It’s not about being given a formula. It’s about being listened to deeply. Being asked better questions. And connecting with the expertise and experience of others who have 'been there'.

As coaches, we often answer a question with a question – but sometimes, all we really need is another perspective, one shared through experience.

Not Just for Beginners—or Burnout

Mentorship isn’t just for new coaches, or for when things go wrong. It’s for any coach who wants to grow and get better, both in coaching and in business. For those moments when you feel the pull to grow, but can’t yet see the path forward. It’s for when you’re ready to do the deeper work. It’s for when you want more, not just more clients or more income, but more clarity, more purpose, more fulfilment. Or simply to rediscover a sense of lightness and joy.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve tried learning from the internet, reading books, watching videos and there's something always missing. But having a conversation with an expert, asking them the questions and having them give an answer – not just a general answer, but one that fits where you are now. Being able to ask questions about that answer so that you understand it, AND then knowing that they are still there as you apply the answers.

That’s what mentorship makes possible.

Who’s in Your Corner?

The best professionals all have teams who support them. Sometimes it’s one person, sometimes a group. Whatever format works for you, build your support team and surround yourself with the people who have the experience, expertise and skill to help you grow.

Recently, we found ourselves in this very situation and decided to put together a team of motivated coaches as a ready-made support team. We call this our year-long mentor program and it’s for coaches like you who want to build community, ask questions, connect with expert and master coaches, and who also want to build their coaching businesses while helping others to do the same.

It’s a structured yet spacious experience designed to support you through both the practical and the personal aspects of your coaching business. Inside the program, you’ll be part of a small, thoughtfully curated group of fellow coaches. You’ll receive support from multiple experienced mentors through live calls, reflective exercises, business and mindset sessions, a private platform for community and connection, and structured accountability to help you stay on track.

It’s a place where you can bring your ideas, your questions, your challenges, and be supported in a way that’s grounded, generous, and real.

Whether or not this is your moment to join us—find your support team. Surround yourself with those who help your vision become real.

Because even as a coach, you deserve to be supported, too.

If this speaks to you, and you’d like to explore what’s possible in the next phase of your journey, you can find out more here: The TCTC Mentor Program

If you enjoyed this mentorship article, you may also like:

• Successful Mentoring Relationships: 5 Key Ingredients by Jennifer Britton
• ICF Credentialing and the Benefits of Coach Mentoring by Barry Switnicki MCC, M.Ed
• How To Get Consent & Record Coaching Sessions, Plus Why You May Want To Try It! by Kerryn Griffiths

Contributing Author:

Dr Steve Jeffs is a Master Certified Coach (MCC), business and organisational psychologist, and leadership transformation expert with over 20 years of global experience. Before becoming a full-time coach, Steve led large-scale leadership assessment and development programs, organisational change initiatives, and cultural transformation projects across the Middle East, working with government bodies, multinationals, and high-growth businesses. His early career as a registered psychologist and management consultant continues to shape his pragmatic, systems-oriented approach to coaching and leadership.

Today, Steve serves as Director of Coaching at The Coaching Tools Company, where he brings together his expertise in psychology, strategy, and personal development to create practical, impactful tools for coaches and leaders alike. He is also the Co-Founder of The Guiding Matrix, a company dedicated to helping coaches grow sustainable businesses while expanding their leadership capacity.

With over 5,000 coaching hours, Steve has worked with executives and teams in more than 20 countries, including in the UK, UAE, KSA, USA, Egypt, South Africa, and the Philippines. His coaching clients include leaders from organisations such as HSBC, Siemens, Roche Diagnostics, STC, Etisalat, Sanofi, and Dubai Holding. As one of the first MCCs in the Middle East, Steve has also trained and mentored over 1,000 coaches globally and continues to supervise coaches through their credentialing journeys.

Steve is a multi-award-winning coach, recognised globally for his work on leadership and innovation—including honours from the World Innovation Congress and CHRO Asia. He is co-author of Stuck No More: Practical Self-Coaching for Everyday Problems and Shift Up: Strength Strategies for Optimal Living, and is the creator of multiple strengths-based assessments and coaching tools, including the StrengthsMultiplier™. With a Doctorate in Leadership and a Master's in Organisational Psychology, Steve blends deep psychological insight with practical coaching to help individuals, teams, and organisations thrive.

Originally from Australia, Steve now lives in the UK having worked in the UAE for over a decade, bringing both global perspective and deep regional understanding to his work. When not coaching or creating tools, you’ll likely find him exploring deep caves or shipwrecks—he’s a certified technical diver and cave explorer who brings the same spirit of curiosity and courage to his coaching and leadership work.

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