The conversation ends with the coach acknowledging the coachee for who he is being. For example, “I want to let you know that, in this moment, I see courage in you that is palpable.” An acknowledgment is not “Thank you for being courageous in the way you are addressing this issue.” The “thank-you,” although polite, raises the coach above the coachee and saps the coachee’s power. A well-delivered acknowledgment, in contrast, honors who the person had to be in order for you to feel their courage. Receiving such an acknowledgment magnifies the coachee’s power.
