I am been collaborating with HR and training managers from over 20 nations and 500 corporates. Most of them truly want to make a difference in the people in their organization. Some though are more focused on control, power, and reducing risk rather than being servant leaders to grow the people in their organization.

Over the past three months, I have been training and coaching about 18 recovering drug addicts in a rehab centre in Malaysia. This very meaningful experience taught me a lot about coaching people who have failed. Their failure has impacted their physical, emotional and mental health, their family and friend relationships, with a lack of clarity on how to re-enter society.

Pause and reflect for a moment on communicators you’ve heard speak at conventions, retreats, special events or other conferences. My guess is—some of them were so good you can still remember their big idea. Others, I imagine, you only remember their name. You can’t remember what they said for the life of you. Most of you reading this article communicate with students in some context. If you’re like me—you win sometimes, and you lose sometimes.

My coaching started in 1976 when I was a US Peace Corps Volunteer in the Forestry Department of Malaysia. My local boss was Mr. Mok Sian Tuan, the director of Forest Management in Malaysia, who himself was a mentor and coach to me. He assigned me fresh MARA forestry graduates to coach in leading teams and project management.