Can a brag ever really be humble?
In my humble opinion, no.
Which makes this post slightly uncomfortable.
But here goes.
I have recently been accredited as a Senior Practitioner by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).
It required a fair amount of blood, sweat and persistence.
Over 300 hours of executive coaching and mentoring.
Regular supervision with an accredited supervisor.
Ongoing professional development every year.
And more reflective writing than I care to admit.
Achieving Senior Practitioner accreditation places me among an elite group of coaches globally.
While I’m not really one for collecting badges, in the often cowboy world of executive coaching accreditation is super important.
For my clients, this accreditation matters because it raises the bar on the work we do together.
It means they get a coach who is trained and assessed to work at real depth.
Someone who can hold complexity, challenge thinking without ego, and stay grounded when the conversation gets uncomfortable or uncertain.
It means my work is ethical, reflective and properly supervised.
Not only based on my own deep experience, but also based on proven practice, continual learning and rigorous self-examination.
Most importantly, it means my clients get a space that is genuinely about them.
A place where their thinking is stretched, their blind spots are explored with care, and their growth is supported without judgement or shortcuts.
In short, it gives them confidence that the work is not improvised.
It is intentional, well-held and designed to help them become better leaders.
For me, this accreditation is less about a badge and more about commitment.
A commitment to depth, rigour and ongoing self-examination.
It reminds me that coaching is not something I'll ever “finish learning”.
It is a craft that demands on-going reflection, supervision and humility if it is to be done well.
I’ve always found it awkward to broadcast my achievements.
I would much rather talk about what I am learning and let the impact show up quietly in the work.
But we live in a noisy, attention hungry world.
And sometimes saying something out loud is simply a way of being clear about what you stand for.
Which brings me back to the opening question.
Can a brag ever really be humble?
Probably not.
But sometimes it’s necessary.