The Talent Equation Podcast "The coaching police knocked at my door — and I'm glad they did" - a conversation with Simon Harling
Mar 22, 2026
01:24:03
I had a conversation I've been looking forward to for a long time — Simon Harling, author o'f Good Coach, Bad Coach', joins me to explore what it actually means to examine your own coaching practice with honesty, humility, and a willingness to sit with the uncomfortable stuff.
Simon's journey started in sports science, moved through fitness coaching into professional football and strength and conditioning, and eventually arrived at a reckoning. He was brilliant with athletes who arrived with intent and clarity — people who just needed directing. But with everyone else? Not so much. That gap forced the question that became a book.
What I love about this conversation is that Simon isn't here to tell you what good coaching looks like. He's here to hand you the lens and let you look for yourself.
Three key takeaways:
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Ready to explore these ideas further? Join The Guild of Ecological Explorers – a community of practitioners committed to deepening their understanding of ecological dynamics and constraints-led approaches. Head to www.thetalentequation.co.uk and click the 'Join a Learning Group' button to become part of this transformative conversation
Simon's journey started in sports science, moved through fitness coaching into professional football and strength and conditioning, and eventually arrived at a reckoning. He was brilliant with athletes who arrived with intent and clarity — people who just needed directing. But with everyone else? Not so much. That gap forced the question that became a book.
What I love about this conversation is that Simon isn't here to tell you what good coaching looks like. He's here to hand you the lens and let you look for yourself.
Three key takeaways:
- You can't coach people who don't feel stable and secure. Before we talk about instructional design, ecological dynamics or any model of practice, Simon argues we have to address whether a coach feels safe enough to make genuine choices. If they're compromised — financially, emotionally, environmentally — everything else is noise.
- The tension is the work. Whether it's performance versus development, money versus impact, or fear versus hope, the answer isn't to pick a side. It's to name the tension, sit with both poles, and design from there. That's Simon's definition of leadership — and it maps neatly onto ecological thinking.
- The student picks the teacher. The moment Simon genuinely became a learner wasn't when he got his master's or his accreditations — it was when he became open, curious, and willing. That shift changes everything about how you engage with development, and it applies to athletes and coaches alike.
Simon's book is available in paperback, ebook, and audio, and you can connect with him at simonharling.blog. If this conversation sparked something for you, come and continue it with a community of practitioners who are asking the same kinds of questions. Join The Guild of Ecological Explorers — head to www.thetalentequation.co.uk and click the 'Join a Learning Group' button
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-talent-equation-podcast--2186775/support.
Ready to explore these ideas further? Join The Guild of Ecological Explorers – a community of practitioners committed to deepening their understanding of ecological dynamics and constraints-led approaches. Head to www.thetalentequation.co.uk and click the 'Join a Learning Group' button to become part of this transformative conversation