What is coaching? The Energy Leadership lens

Coaching isn’t therapy or advice giving. It’s an awareness to action process built around your energy, values, and goals.

Welcome to the second edition of the Tawny Hammond Coaching newsletter. In this issue, I’m demystifying what coaching is (and isn’t) through the Energy Leadership framework I trained in through iPEC (Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching). If you’ve ever wondered how coaching moves people from stuck to sustainable momentum, this will give you a clear, practical picture.

What Coaching Is and Isn’t

Coaching is a professional partnership designed to help you clarify what you want, uncover what’s in the way, and move forward with aligned action. It’s future focused, growth oriented, and centered on your goals.

Coaching is not therapy, consulting, mentoring, or cheerleading. Therapy primarily addresses healing and clinical needs. Consulting gives expert answers. Mentoring shares “how I did it.” Coaching helps you generate your own best answers then build the systems and accountability to act.

The Energy Leadership Perspective (iPEC)

Energy Leadership is a practical way to understand and shift how you show up, your energy, in
work and life. In this model, energy isn’t about caffeine or charisma. It’s the blend of mindset,
emotion, and physiology you bring to any situation. iPEC describes two broad types of energy:

• Catabolic energy: Contracting energy useful for short bursts (for example, a tight deadline). Overused, it fuels stress, blame, defensiveness, and burnout.
• Anabolic energy: Expanding, creative energy that supports curiosity, solution finding,collaboration, and sustainable performance.

The Seven Energy Levels (quick guide)

1. Level 1 — “I lose.” Lens of fear, withdrawal, or overwhelm; focus on avoiding loss.
2. Level 2 — “You lose.” Conflict, anger, and control; power through mode.
3. Level 3 — “I win.” Coping, rationalizing, managing stress; functional, sometimes detached.
4. Level 4 — “We win.” Compassion, service, and empathy; people and purpose matter.
5. Level 5 — “Win win.” Possibility, curiosity, and partnership; problems become puzzles.
6. Level 6 — “We always win.” Intuition, creativity, flow; synergy creates outsized results.
7. Level 7 — “There’s nothing to win.” Non judgment, clarity, and choice; pure creation energy.

Important: No level is “good” or “bad.” All seven are useful. Coaching expands your ability to choose the level that fits the moment instead of getting stuck in default reactions.

How Coaching Works with Me

1. Discovery session (complimentary). We clarify your goals and discuss the coaching approach. Fit first.
2. Awareness. We map your current patterns, how you think, feel, decide, and act, especially under stress. (Optional: Energy Leadership Index assessment.)
3. Choice. We identify your real drivers (values, strengths, non negotiables) and explore alternative lenses and actions.
4. Action. You’ll test small, meaningful experiments that build momentum and confidence.
5. Integration. We refine systems, boundaries, and habits that make progress stick.

Format: Sessions are typically 50 minutes via Zoom. Most clients meet biweekly for 3 to 6 months. Between sessions, you’ll get focused practices and light accountability check ins.

What Changes for Clients

• Clarity: What you want, why it matters, and how to measure progress.
• Capacity: Less reactivity; more resilience, presence, and intentionality.
• Communication: Cleaner requests, better boundaries, fewer misunderstandings.
• Leadership: Moving from control to influence; from firefighting to foresight.
• Results: Decisions get easier. Priorities get simpler. Follow through gets real.

Try It Now: Two Mini Practices

The 90 Second Reset

When stress spikes, set a 90 second timer. Breathe slowly. Ask: Which energy level am I in? What level would serve me next? What’s one small move to shift there?

From Problem to Puzzle

Write the issue in one sentence. Now rewrite it as a question that assumes a solution exists: “How might I…?” List three options, even imperfect ones. Pick one small action in the next 24 hours.

Who Benefits from Energy Leadership Coaching

• Leaders and managers balancing people, results, and change
• Professionals in transition (role change, promotion, career pivot)
• Founders and creators seeking sustainable performance and clarity
• Community builders and public facing professionals navigating complexity

If you’re reading this and thinking, “I’m capable of more but I’m tired of pushing,” this approach is for you.

Work With Me

• Book a complimentary discovery call: Schedule your session here 
• Speaking & workshops: Energy Leadership for teams and organizations
• 1:1 Coaching packages: 3 or 6 months; biweekly sessions; limited openings

Reply to this email with “DISCOVERY” and I’ll send available times.

Quick FAQ

Is coaching right for me if I’m also in therapy? Often, yes. Therapy focuses on healing. Coaching focuses on goals and action. Many clients benefit from both.

Will you tell me what to do? I’ll offer frameworks and observations, but the goal is to strengthen your decision making and self leadership, not create dependency.

How soon will I see results? Many clients notice shifts in clarity and stress in the first 2 to 4 sessions; sustainable change builds with consistent practice.

You don’t need to power through to lead well. You need the right energy for the moment and the skill to choose it.

— Tawny
Certified Professional Coach • Energy Leadership (iPEC) • U.S. Coast Guard Licensed Captain

P.S. Know someone who could use this? Forward it along.

Let’s connect: https://calendly.com/tawnyhammondcoaching/discovery