The Five Maturities

A New Paradigm for Coach Development

The Five Maturities Report was written in support of the future of coaching, and it offers a vision for related practitioners as well.

In our rapidly changing world, no singular role or profession is enough to address the complex needs we face individually and collectively. It is time for new forms of practitioners who include yet transcend coaching:

• They focus on their maturation so they can stand with those they serve at the thresholds of the massive changes that are before us.
• They blend inner and outer work, enlightenment and pragmatism — knowing that each informs the other and both are essential.
• They get to the crux of issues using their deep intuition and sensing, and they work directly with what is present in the here and now.
• They bring all of who they are and what they know to their work, and they use what is called for in the moment on behalf of those they serve.

The report introduces The Five Maturities as a philosophy from which to work and a pedagogy through which to learn. They provide a foundation for a new way of being and working.

The Five Maturities Report

David has written extensively on developing masterful coaches. The culmination of this work can be found in his groundbreaking report, “The Five Maturities: A New Paradigm for Coach Development” published by The Moment Institute and available here.

Early support for the paper came from the Institute of Coaching at Harvard, and David ran two standing-room-only sessions on the paper at their 2024 conference. Elements of The Five Maturities have been presented for more than a decade.

The paper identifies why we need to (1) move beyond competency models in assessing and developing coaches, (2) focus on what has the greatest impact on outcomes (client factors), and (3) expand our frames around 'coaches' and ‘coaching’ to develop more advanced practices and more mature practitioners.