Great teaching: It’s about who you are, not what you do

Even the most experienced teachers, coaches, and workshop leaders can get caught up in the “how”—techniques, theories, strategies, and perfect modules. But no matter how polished your methods are, they won’t make you a great teacher.

Your work rests on WHO YOU ARE. When you bring your authentic self to your teaching or coaching, the ‘how’ becomes secondary. As Brené Brown put it in Daring Greatly, “What we know matters, but who we are matters more.”

Highly skilled presenters can be dull if they hide behind their techniques. Even humor falls flat when it’s used as just another “strategy.” To truly connect with your audience, you have to be IN your work. You have to be ALIVE with it.

If you’re not, your audience will sense it. People connect with authenticity, not perfection. Great teaching, speaking, and coaching happen when you show up as a whole, genuine person—not when you rely solely on polished strategies.

The heart of teaching isn’t in the techniques; it’s in the connection. Be someone your audience can relate to, and the ‘how’ will take care of itself.

Excerpted from Getting Messy: A Guide to Taking Risks and Opening the Imagination for Teachers, Trainers, Coaches and Mentors