Perhaps you have heard the old tale of a woodcutter who so impressed their king that they were given the most important areas of forest to cut. In the beginning the volume of cutting was impressive. Over time that volume became less and less. The woodcutter was perplexed because they were working the same number of hours and working just as hard. Why were they cutting less? With time the axe had become dull and less effective. The woodcutter simply had to sharpen their axe and then they were once again cutting at the high volume. 
Much like the woodcutter sharpening the axe, coaches must constantly sharpen our tools to ensure we are effective and impactful. This starts at the very beginning by fully engaging in the training required.   During training we learn about and develop skills based on ICF’s Core Competencies and ICF’s Code of Ethics. We continue the journey be moving toward credentialing with additional training, experience, mentor coaching, being assessed, and passing ICF’s Coach Knowledge Assessment. Renewing membership and/or a credential requires continuing education and ongoing learning.
Based on ICF’s competencies and ethics, the most important talent for impactful coaching is recognizing clients as their own best expert, fully capable of discovering their own answers, designing their own actions, and achieving what they choose.
