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Emotional presence in coaching is the subject of this episode of The Coaching Edge Podcast, and Dr. Marcia Reynolds brings 30 years of experience and hard-won perspective to the conversation. A past president of the International Coach Federation and one of the original designers of the ICF competencies, Marcia joins hosts Dr. Steve Jeffs and Erwin de Grave to explore what AI is revealing about the irreplaceable core of skilled coaching.
Marcia explains why coaches who get too focused on performing the competencies lose the very thing that makes coaching work: full presence. She describes how a coach’s emotional state directly regulates the client’s nervous system, stimulating the neurochemistry of openness and trust. She also addresses how leaders need to use a coaching approach with their teams, why delegation is a measurable leadership skill, and how companies keep cycling through the same mistakes around people development. The second edition of her book Coach the Person Not the Problem releases on March 3rd, 2026.
Guest: Dr. Marcia Reynolds
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Beautiful insights.
Emotional presence is indeed the invisible foundation of transformative coaching.
Dr. Marcia Reynolds reminds us of something deeply human:
coaching is not merely about applying competencies, but about being fully present with another soul.
From a neuroscience perspective, presence regulates the nervous system and creates trust.
From a leadership perspective, it unlocks openness and growth.
And interestingly, this idea resonates strongly with the Islamic ethical tradition.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ emphasized deep human presence and attentive listening.
The Qur’an reminds us:
“فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ”
“It is by the mercy of Allah that you were gentle with them.”
(Qur’an 3:159)
True influence does not come from technique alone —
it comes from رحمة (compassion), حضور (presence), and صدق (authenticity).
In a world increasingly shaped by AI, perhaps the real competitive advantage of coaches is not technology, but human depth.
Coaching the person, not the problem, is therefore not only a methodology —
it is a philosophy of seeing the human being before the issue.
Looking forward to the new edition of Coach the Person Not the Problem.
— Imad Alarimi, PCC | CCSP | GCDF