There’s a silent rule in the coaching industry: Be likable.

Be magnetic. Be approachable. Be someone people want to follow. Make them feel safe. Make them feel seen. Make them feel good.

And sure, there’s truth in that. People are drawn to warmth. People want to work with someone they trust. Coaching is, at its core, a relationship.

BUT let’s be honest about something most coaches won’t say out loud:

If your goal is to be liked, you’ll never be as effective as you could be.

Because real coaching? The kind that shakes people awake? The kind that actually changes lives?

It’s not always comfortable. It’s not always easy to hear. And it sure as hell doesn’t exist to make people like you.

The Illusion of Safe Coaching

The industry has convinced a lot of coaches that their job is to deliver transformation in a way that never ruffles feathers.

Don’t push too hard.

Don’t challenge too much.

Don’t risk making anyone feel uncomfortable.

Instead, follow the script. Stick to the formulas. Guide people gently through their breakthroughs.

But the truth is, real transformation isn’t gentle.

It’s messy.

It’s uncomfortable.

It’s full of resistance.

The work of breaking patterns, confronting beliefs, and dismantling old identities doesn’t happen in a space of comfort—it happens in the tension between who someone has been and who they are becoming.

And if you, as a coach, are afraid to step into that space—if you are more concerned with being liked than being effective—then you’re only giving your clients half of what they need.

You’re keeping them comfortable when they need to be challenged.

You’re keeping them safe when they need to take a risk.

You’re keeping them in the familiar when their transformation depends on them stepping into the unknown.

That’s not coaching. That’s people-pleasing dressed up as leadership.

Coaching is Not a Popularity Contest

Somewhere along the way, the coaching industry started treating success like a popularity contest.

Likes. Shares. Comments. Followers.

Build an audience. Keep them engaged. Keep them happy.

Don’t be too controversial. Don’t be too polarizing. Don’t push too hard.

But coaching is not about being popular. It’s not about mass appeal. It’s not about making sure everyone likes you.

The best coaches—the ones who actually change lives—are the ones who are willing to say what needs to be said.

Even when it’s uncomfortable.

Even when it’s met with resistance.

Even when it makes people question everything they thought they knew about themselves.

Because sometimes, what someone wants to hear and what they need to hear are two very different things.

Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do as a coach is hold up a mirror and say:

“This is what I see.”

“This is where you keep getting in your own way.”

“This is what you need to face if you actually want to change.”

And not everyone is going to like that.

Not everyone is going to like you for saying it.

But if your priority is being liked, you’ll soften your message.

You’ll hold back.

You’ll sugarcoat.

You’ll make transformation feel safe instead of real.

And that? That doesn’t serve your clients. That serves your own fear.

Are You Here to Be Liked, or Are You Here to Lead?

Being an effective coach requires courage.

It requires the willingness to ask better questions instead of handing people easy answers.

It requires the ability to hold space for discomfort instead of rushing to fix it.

It requires the confidence to trust your voice, even when it challenges what people want to believe about themselves.

And if that makes you less likable? So be it.

Because the best coaches?

🚀 They don’t build their businesses on mass appeal.

🚀 They build them on truth.

🚀 They build them on impact.

🚀 They build them on the kind of leadership that doesn’t require outside validation.

That’s why The Coaching Guild exists.

The Coaching Guild is not for the coaches who play it safe.

It’s for the ones who are ready to lead differently.

The ones who refuse to follow someone else’s formula.

The ones who understand that great coaching isn’t about following a script—it’s about stepping fully into your own power so you can help others do the same.

If you’re ready to break free from the industry’s outdated rules—

If you’re ready to build a coaching business that actually feels like you—

If you’re ready to stop playing small and start making a real impact—

🔥 The Coaching Guild is where you belong. 🔥