New Orleans, Louisiana — Embracing our ethos of “passing it forward,” Dr. Nolo Martínez, Co-President of mano-Y-ola, leverages 33 years of expertise to provide professional coaching to both emerging professionals and corporate teams. Here, he generously shares his top insights and strategies for nurturing and empowering others. To keep in mind in this discussion, Nolo stresses that the coachee's actions carry greater weight than their attitude alone, emphasizing that tangible progress towards a goal outweighs mere fervor without movement.
First, Nolo encourages coachees to embrace challenges because through them comes self-discovery. Challenges become opportunities to discover strengths and limitations, teaching resilience and self-awareness. Moving through the pain can reveal what coachees truly value and are capable of overcoming, leading to a deeper understanding of identity from which to lead others.
Second, Nolo highlights the importance of helping coachees recognize and manage their emotions, particularly anger. By transforming anger into a more productive emotion, such as a sense of tranquility or love, they can better understand their emotional triggers and how to control them. This leads to greater emotional intelligence, vital for effective leadership. As Nolo shared, as a leader, you must “be closer to your heart rather than your mind.” Additionally, teaching the importance of empathy in building relationships helps coachees understand and accept others’ perspectives, enabling them to discover their own values.
Third, leaders must acknowledge and integrate their own shadow side to lead from a place of awareness and humility. This change helps coachees understand how insecurities affect behavior and decisions, enabling them to express themselves authentically. Understanding how they present themselves in public can lead to revelations about their true self and, through their example, create a safe, embracing atmosphere for those they lead.
Fourth, instilling gratitude shifts coachees' focus from lack to abundance, fostering a positive outlook and understanding of what brings them joy and fulfillment. Gratitude also serves as a tool for reflecting on past experiences and recognizing influences on their identity.
Finally, encouraging coachees to consider the impact of every decision on their future helps align choices with long-term goals. Nolo encourages his coachees to consider how their actions reflect their priorities and individual identity.
According to Nolo, the most important question in life is: “Who am I?” Self-discovery should be the goal of coaching, integrating actions into daily life to continually support personal development. Nolo relishes the honor of walking with coachees on this journey. To receive coaching from mano-Y-ola, individually or for your company, reach out to us at nolo.martinez@mano-y-ola.com.
-written by Jessica Roqueburg
