Seeking the ACC?

The Competent Coach
Empowering Competent Coaches to Cultivate Servant Leaders

 

Book Overview & Introduction

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Welcome to The Competent Coach, the cornerstone textbook for the Organizational Leadership Coaching® (OLC) Institute's Competent Coaching Course. This comprehensive training manual is more than just a book—it is a guide, a mirror, and a toolkit designed to help coaches transition from foundational understanding to mastery-level execution of coaching methodology. Structured to meet the rigorous standards of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), this text offers an immersive pathway for becoming a confident, competent, and certified professional coach.

 

The Competent Coach is the second major training resource in OLC's coach development journey. Building upon the basics introduced in the Primer Coaching Course, this book deepens the intellectual, intuitive, and philosophical aspects of coaching practice. It challenges you to coach on the edge of awareness, to operate from essence, and to sharpen the tools that will empower your clients to transform, grow, and thrive.

 

The Purpose of This Book

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The ultimate goal of The Competent Coach is to embed coaching competence into your DNA. By the end of the course that accompanies this text, you will be expected to:

• Coach consistently at the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) level.

• Progress steadily toward mastering the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) standards.

• Demonstrate confidence, precision, and presence in every coaching engagement.

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This book offers a high level of philosophical reflection, technical instruction, and practical guidance. You'll be invited to:

• Engage in regular coaching practice.

• Receive formal mentor feedback.

• Log your progress toward mastery.

• Observe and refine your own habits and reflexes as a coach.

 

We ask that you keep a coaching journal throughout the course to track your feedback, note areas of improvement, and prepare insights to discuss with your mentor coach before each practice session.

 

Importantly, this book and course continue our foundational OLC principle:

"Coaches walk alongside leaders in motion."
 

This work stresses how we partner with our clients without imposing our preferences, filling in their blanks, or providing solutions. Instead, we trust their process. You will read how to resist the temptation to lead with answers, and we will gently show you how you can fall into what we call cutting horse maneuvers or other common infractions if not careful or conscious. These suggestive corrections are not punitive—they are part of shaping you into a masterful, self-aware coach.

 

We continue our teaching that “imparting information or pushing a preference of the coach will be highly discouraged.” We apologize in advance for strongly stressing and pointing out what we call cutting horse maneuvers or filling in the blanks with your (well-intended) helpful information. The reason we make this proclamation is our experience informs us that the more we stress the imparting information or pushing a preference (coaching infractions) the better you can see them and make corrections.

 

How to Read and Study This Book

 

The Competent Coach is designed as a textbook, not a linear read. It is meant to be explored chapter by chapter, session by session, in conjunction with OLC's formal teaching and mentor-led practicum.

 

Here's how to get the most from your reading:

• Each chapter emphasizes key teaching points and builds on core coaching concepts.

• There will be intentional repetition throughout the book—this is designed to reinforce the essential models, skills, and philosophies in various learning contexts.

• Technical sections include references and citations to support your deeper study.

• The book is written in a hybrid narrative voice: you will experience a blend of first-person reflection, second-person instruction, and third-person objectivity to create a more immersive and relational learning experience.

 

Every chapter is designed to:

• Offer enough data to construct brief explanations or presentations.

• Provide clarity around models and principles.

• Serve as a reference tool for live coaching, journaling, or small group discussion.

 

In the more technical sections, you will find references cited at the point of reference. These citations serve a dual purpose: they indicate the sources of some of the data presented and provide additional resources for further study on the topics discussed. This allows you to delve deeper into specific areas of interest as you progress through the book.

 

It's important to acknowledge that while this book is technical in its content, it maintains a personal approach. You will notice a shift in the narrative voice between the author's first-person perspective and the more objective second and third-person presentation of data. This blend aims to engage you both intellectually and personally, making the learning experience more relatable and impactful.

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By approaching the book in this way, you will deepen your coaching fluency and confidence as you internalize its content.

 

Integration of the ICF PCC Markers

 

A defining feature of The Competent Coach is its intentional integration of the ICF PCC Markers throughout every chapter. These markers represent the ICF's updated model of

the Professional Certified Coach competencies and are used to:

• Benchmark your growth

• Guide mentor feedback

• Anchor your practices in the global coaching standards

 

To support this, OLC has developed the PCC Marker Flight Plan Model: a visual and conceptual template that aligns the book's structure with the ICF markers. This model includes all PCC markers (from 3.1 to 8.9) listed along the base of the Flight Plan, providing a quick reference to link coaching concepts with observable behaviors.

 

This model is intended to demonstrate how the tools, models, and philosophies introduced throughout the book and course are not just theoretical but are designed for practical integration and delivery in real-world coaching sessions. The Flight Plan serves as a visual and conceptual guide to ensure that all content is cohesively aligned with the PCC markers, reinforcing the competencies you need to develop as a Competent Coach.

Whether you're journaling, preparing for performance evaluation, or reviewing a recorded session, this model reinforces alignment between theory, practice, and performance.

 

Final Encouragement

 

This book is a required text for The Competent Coaching Course, and for good reason. It contains the insights, structure, and tools that will shape you into a servant leader who coaches with skill, humility, and impact.

 

Whether you are refining your approach, preparing for certification, or cultivating a coaching mindset to serve your organization or community, The Competent Coach will guide your journey.

 

Let it stretch you. Let it ground you. Let it elevate your coaching.

 

Welcome to the next level of your coaching mastery.

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What Are Others Saying?

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Coach Patricia Bradley

“The Organizational Leadership Coaching program was truly transformative. The curriculum was comprehensive, practical, and perfectly tailored to ensure success. Thanks to expert guidance and a structured learning path, I passed the ICF certification examination on the first attempt! The program deepened my coaching knowledge and gave me the confidence and skills to excel in my field. I highly recommend this coaching program to anyone seeking personal and professional growth.”

 

Patricia Bradley, ACC

OLC L1 Graduate 2024  

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CH John W. Ellis, III

 

“I recommend “The Competent Coach: Empowering Competent Coaches to Cultivate Servant Leaders” by Dr. Gary C. Patterson. This comprehensive guide provides a practical framework for developing coaching skills that foster trust, accountability, and meaningful growth. The book stands out for its focus on aspirational coaching techniques that help create lasting transformational behavioral change and improved performance. It offers concrete tools, real-world examples, and actionable strategies that both new and experienced coaches can immediately implement to enhance their coaching effectiveness and build stronger relationships with their clients.  This book puts the Organizational Leadership Coaching Institute (https://www.olcoaching.org/institute) at the pinnacle of coach training organizations.  This book is highly recommended for military, government, and civilian chaplains who use coaching as a modality of care.”

 

Chaplain (LTC) John W. Ellis, USA, RET

 CEO, True North   Leadership  Consultants, LLC           

Steven. L. Jordan, Sr. Ph. D., Ed.D.,PCC                                                     

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“It was a tremendous honor to be trained by Dr. Gary Patterson  as part of my Organizational Leadership Coaching Level 1 and Level 2 certifications. Witnessing Dr. Patterson’s dedication to coaching—from earning his ACC to PCC and now MCC—has been an inspiration. In this second coaching book, Dr. Patterson shares not only his expertise and experience but also his enduring passion for coaching, which continues to impact leaders around the globe. I celebrate his achievements and look forward to seeing how his insights shape the future of coaching.

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Dialogue Coaching Model

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• Determine the Need

• Decide the Direction

• Design the Strategy

• Disrupt the Obstacles

• Describe the Actions

 

Re-Engineered Model​

• Establish the Expanded Reality

• Seek What Is Helpful

• Explore the Deeper Issues “WHO””

• Structure Sustaining Stability

• Exercise Targeted Support

 

This book adds to his first work, The Primer Coach as both are thorough and extensive in their offerings of tools and resources. I especially like the Dialogue Coaching Model and its Re-Engineered Model.”

 

​“I offer my highest commendations for the depth and breadth of these works.  It will not disappoint as you read them cover to cover. They are excellent resources for new and seasoned coaches alike.  I strongly recommend.”. 

 

Steven L. Jordan, Sr. Ph.D., Ed.D. 

CEO/President, Dr. J Enterprises LLC               

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