Reviews and Endorsements

This page offers selected reviews and the complete endorsements for The Mindful Coach, new and revised edition.  Click here to download the endorsements; scroll down to read reviews. Enjoy!

The Mindful Coach Goes Beyond Coaching
by Lisa Lucas, Peer Resources

In today’s world many of us wear multiple hats, often simultaneously. If any of your hats includes facilitating another’s growth and learning, the new and revised edition of The Mindful Coach: Seven Roles for Facilitating Leader Development by Peer Resources Network member Doug Silsbee should be on your bookshelf. Though your official title may not be coach, if you lead, teach, consult, supervise, manage or advise, Silsbee’s book provides valuable information that could help your conversations be more effectual and mindful.

This book is intended for coaches who work with leaders. However, as I read the book and engaged in the listed exercises I found myself becoming increasingly aware of how I might optimize coaching opportunities that permeate everyday life.

Silsbee defines coaching as “that part of a relationship in which one person is primarily dedicated to serving the long-term development of effectiveness and self-generation in the other.” Coaching literature has always espoused that effective coaches invest the time to “work on themselves” in order to effectively develop others. Silsbee does not only tell you how to do this, he shows you how, with practical exercises that allow the reader to fully engage in the process of “working on yourself” as you simultaneously internalize the coaching roles that Silsbee calls the Septet model.

The Septet model provides a means of deconstructing your coaching, seeing it more clearly. The model provides seven clearly delineated voices integrated into a road map for navigating from beginning to end. Silsbee recognizes that the role of the coach is situational; hence the process varies according to the role or conversation that the coach engages in.

If you learn by doing, this book will be a perfect fit for your learning style. The exercises in the book allow you to immerse yourself in the process. Silsbee tactfully holds the reader accountable for managing their own learning. He is a master teacher who coaches the reader, page by page. Example coaching dialogues are provided in each chapter to help the reader see and feel the coaching process in action.

Coaching books often prescribe only one model of coaching, but Silsbee’s model is fluid and realistic.  It provides flexibility for the coach and client, recognizing that the best coaches won’t follow a prescribed formula, but will instead remain present with their client, and will skillfully vary their approach based on the client’s needs, not their own agenda or a prescribed model.

Throughout the book Silsbee models his own metacognitive thought processes. He maintains that coaches have to continually observe their own patterns, practices and reactions to continually improve and has developed systems that help the coaching community measure the effectiveness of coaching. He is moving the coaching profession forward by holding coaches accountable for measuring their effectiveness and impact.

Silsbee explains, “As with your clients, in planning for your own development, it makes sense to design learning practices that reduce performance anxiety and increase commitment and motivation. Designing how to learn, how to observe yourself, how to practice, these actions lead to increased competence and increased performance.” For interested readers, Silsbee provides a link to an Individual Development Plan on his website. Also available on his website are online tools for obtaining formal feedback from clients. This provides a means to compare your clients’ assessment of your coaching to your own self assessment.

Silsbee’s writing is thoughtful and intentional. He is gifted in his word choice, which provides the reader with invaluable language to replicate when coaching, if desired. His writing is thoughtful and intentional, as I would imagine the author is himself. His coaching model is approved by the ICF.

After reading this book I’m considering attending one of his trainings, even though I’ve finished my own ICF accredited program. I’ve already noticed a difference in my coaching. I find that I’m more present, flexible and responsive. What is striking is how often I recognize myself reflected in the client. I have to consciously set aside my projections until after the coaching session. Silsbee reminded me that coaching accelerates the development and self generation of me, as well as my client. I’m looking forward to using the client feedback tool, which will provide yet another lens to help me refine my coaching.

The Mindful Coach is a book I didn’t want to finish because I wanted to “continue” the conversation with Doug Silsbee.  I keep it on my resource shelf and I access the tools and information frequently.  I'll continue using it as a reference to help me become a more effective and thoughtful coach.

A Very Important Book for Today and Tomorrow's Leaders
by Deb Denis

An absolute must-read for all coaching professionals and for leaders using a coaching style, Silsbee breaks it down to provide the essence of why each role exists and how to utilize each one to fulfill your purpose. Loaded with examples from his extensive experience and with suggestions for both self-reflective and shared practice, The Mindful Coach is in itself a toolkit of wisdom that you can use to develop your own skills as well as those of your clients and/or employees. This is an updated version of the book; my original version (2004) is so worn with tabs, stickies and notes, that it was time for the next generation. In reading the new version I was introduced to more insights, tools and techniques and also was reminded of best practices for personal skill development and application in my own work with clients. I have recommended this book to many people and continue to do so.

A Clear Path for Those Who Coach Leaders
by Darelyn DJ Mitsch

I wish I had written this book! This book provides a clear path for how to connect with and guide leaders to a clear understanding of the real work of connection... and it begins with Doug's deep insights and explorations. This book is a must-have resource for all those who wish they could get beyond the personality or behavior styles assessments and find a unique platform for coaching. Readers will relate to the stories and find they refer to this as a personal guide for leadership development of others, and perhaps most importantly - OF SELF!

Inspiring, Challenging and Practical
By Larry Dressler

I've found most books on the topic of coaching to be superficial and mechanical, focused on static methodologies rather than deeper capacities that can serve as a foundation for true mastery. The new edition of The Mindful Coach is a refreshing and inspiring exception to the rule. First, it demands of the reader a commitment to our own curriculum of self-discovery as we work with our clients on theirs. This extremely well written book sheds light on the way our attachments and aversions color our perception and hook us into less-than-helpful actions. The majority of the book is dedicated to examining seven different "voices" of a coach. As I read these chapters I realized that within my work some of these voices are well-honed and others less so. It helped me identify where, through greater self-awareness and practice, I can strengthen myself as an instrument of change. Two important features of the book that I appreciated: 1) The exercises were imaginative and fun. They produced some useful insights and I find myself using some of them on a regular basis. 2) Silsbee encourages us to be gentle and non-judgmental with ourselves as we experiment with new ways of being. This is a book I will return to on a regular basis to measure my development as a coach.

A Must-Read for New and Experienced Coaches
by Anne Davidson

This new edition of The Mindful Coach is a must-read for coaches and leaders serious about guiding the development of others. More than other coaching books, it focuses on how we can build our capacity to serve one another and manifest what we truly care about in the world.

Here Doug distills the wisdom from his many years of coaching and training other coaches and leaders into a readable, compelling book worthy of visiting again and again. The emphasis on the cultivation of self through mindful observation calls us to be accountable for having the integrity to model the very work we ask of our coachees. Doug demonstrates how to be both assertive as a teacher or guide while remaining client-centered and building people's ability to self-coach.

Readers of the 2004 edition of this book will find this new and revised edition worth acquiring. It is much more than a simple update. Doug presents his ideas, models and practices with increased clarity and simplicity. New and more exercises enhance the value of the book for self-guided development. I found especially helpful the separate sections on mindfulness at the conclusion of each of the seven voices (coaching roles) Doug articulates. And the application of the Septet model to leadership development is brought to the fore with links my clients will find compelling. Using this with Doug's excellent Presence-Based Coaching book as a companion will offer any coach or leader rich ground for deep and sustained growth.

Great Resource Book
by Dale Schwarz

Doug's thoughtfully written book offers experienced and new coaches an important perspective on mindfulness and it's applications for coaching. In fact this book is valuable for anyone wanting to further develop their awareness and effectiveness in relating with others. In addition to theory, it includes valuable skills, techniques and exercises for you and your clients to practice. Doug's Septet Model is practical and based on ancient truths -what a great combination.

As a seasoned coach, I particularly appreciated the emphasis on being conscious of your own thoughts, emotions and behavior instead of changing others behavior. I highly recommend Doug's book as an excellent resource.

The Mindful Coach
by Alejandro Bolanos

The revised edition of The Mindful Coach is a great resource for coaches who wish to transcend in their capacity to support the development of leaders, executives, and other professionals and simultaneously develop oneself as a coach.

Being mindfully honest, open, straightforward is a necessity in coaching with excellence. Learning to know ones attachments and aversions and letting go of them, and mindfully fading into the background as the coachee assumes his own personal power is a superb gift this new and revised edition of The Mindful Coach provides.

The book presents and explores the seven Voices (Master, Partner, Investigator, Reflector, Teacher, Guide and Contractor) or roles through which coaches conduct professional dialogues to support learning and growth. Doug Silsbee provides many sample dialogues of each Voice, and also provides many exercises to self-coach and self observe oneself with increased awareness and mindfulness.

The exercises are very thought provoking and I recommend any coaches that purchase the book to do the exercises mindfully. This way they will have a powerful learning experience.

Doug Silsbee, with his Buddhist training, is perhaps one of the most experienced master teachers in the art of mindfulness applied to coaching. The book is full of wisdom and practical knowledge. Highly recommended.