Courage and Safety: The Bold Heart of Coaching
- Cindy Hosea
- Mar 14
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 8
As coaches, we often talk about safety—creating an environment where clients feel heard, respected, and free to explore. But the best coaching doesn’t stop at safe. The best coaching is also courageous.
At the heart of transformative coaching lies a paradox: the coaching space must be both a sanctuary and a forge. It must be a place where clients feel protected enough to take risks and bold enough to walk to their edges. To hold this paradox well, the coach must embody it first.
Courage in coaching isn’t loud or aggressive. It’s not about confrontation for its own sake. It’s the willingness to say the thing that needs to be said, to ask the question no one else is asking, and to hold the client's highest potential even when they’ve lost sight of it themselves.
In Co-Active Coaching, this is called fierce courage—a commitment to the client’s life and purpose that sometimes asks the coach to risk discomfort, approval, or even the coaching relationship itself. It’s the kind of courage that says:
🦁 “I care more about your dreams than your comfort in this moment.”
🦁 “I believe in who you’re becoming, even when you don’t.”
🦁 “I’m willing to go to the edge with you.”
Curious how to coach with both boldness and care? Keep reading for real coaching examples and simple (not easy) practices to grow your own courageous presence.