Reflections as an Award Finalist

This is a short reflection about the upcoming ICF Impact Awards that will be given out at the October 2025 Converge conference in San Diego. It is sure to be an exciting time as this conference is always exciting, and the award recipients will be inspiring leaders in our field of coaching. I know this based on past participants and I was proud to be finalist. This is the third time I have stood in this place, where “this” type of recognition felt close but did not land. And yet, I am not alone — many other worthy people, whose contributions matter deeply, were also not chosen.

The lesson seems to be this: external honors, however meaningful, are not the only measure of impact. They are important acknowledgments, but might not be the core essence. The work itself, the lives touched, the ripples created — these remain. Each “not yet” of not being chosen deepens my understanding that what is meant for me will not miss me. Perhaps the dream that is truly mine is being prepared to meet me in a way that will serve even more fully than I now imagine.

So, I learn to hold both pride in having been considered, and humility in not being selected. I learn that this type of “failure” is not final, but formative. And I learn, once again, to walk with faith that I walk and work in the privilege of this “space” called coaching. Achievement takes many forms. Sometimes it arrives as a prize or a title, but often it is found in the quiet strength of continuing the journey. The effort to stay on the path, to keep offering what we have to give, is itself a profound achievement.
There are many kinds of rewards along the way: the growth we experience, the connections we make, the lives we touch. Even being nominated is a recognition of impact — a reminder that others see and value the work. To be a finalist is not a consolation; it is a signpost that the contribution matters. I will celebrate the recipients and also celebrate that I know so many “winners”, both acknowledged in award and in practice.

We need broader definitions of what “winning” and or “being chosen” look like. Every time a person shares their dream with us, or their cherished hope-we are winning trust. When, as coaches, we are being chosen to support people in their work, we are being invited for the greatness of supporting new possibilities. Each coaching encounter is testament to trust and hope for learning and transformation.

In this light, achievement is less about arriving and more about becoming — more about the grace of showing up fully, again and again. I celebrate the recipients of the impact awards, 2025-and I celebrate the good fortune of being chosen by clients and students. To work in this field and space of coaching is indeed a privilege. Dear colleagues who nominated me-deep thanks. Recognition from one’s peers is indeed priceless.