Concept of Self
For this episode, I sat down with researcher, coach, and lifelong explorer Heather Frost to dive into her fascinating work on the concept of self. From global travel to coaching, psychology and philosophy, Heather shares how her journey led her to ask one of life’s most fundamental questions: What is the Self? Together, we unpack the difference between self-concept and the Concept of Self, explore how different understandings of self shape behaviour and identity, and consider what this all means for coaching, adult development, and how we relate to each other. I hope you leave this conversation with a new perspective on yourself and with renewed curiosity about the complexity and beauty of our minds.Episode Summary00:00 – 05:30 | Origins of the Inquiry into SelfHeather’s lifelong curiosity about how people make sense of themselves, shaped by travel, philosophy, coaching, and neuroscience.05:30 – 10:30 | Embracing UncertaintyImmersive travel as a practice of “not knowing” — cultivating openness, resilience, and a fluid sense of self.10:30 – 15:30 | How Not-Knowing Changes UsAlis and Heather explore how dislocation and risk can deepen self-awareness and transform identity.15:30 – 23:00 | Kindness, Openness, and HumilityExposure to difference builds compassion and dissolves rigid identity boundaries.23:00 – 31:00 | Defining Terms: Self-Concept vs. Concept of SelfClear distinction:* Self-concept = beliefs about who I am* Concept of self = what I think the “self” is31:00 – 39:00 | The 3 Spectrums of SelfHeather’s research reveals three key dimensions:* Stability – Is self constant or evolving?* Unity vs. Multiplicity – One self or many?* Thoughts-as-Self vs. Thoughts-as-Patterns39:00 – 44:30 | Why This Matters in CoachingThe Concept of Self influences agency, decision-making, and behaviour change. Coaches must listen for clues in the client's language.44:30 – 54:00 | Adapting Coaching ApproachesTailor your methods: future visualisation works for stable self-views; emergent experiments work better for fluid self-views.54:00 – 1:01:00 | Reframing Limiting BeliefsNo “right” way to view the self — ask: Does this belief serve the client in their context?1:01:00 – 1:08:00 | Links to Adult DevelopmentLater developmental stages often correlate with fluid, multi-part understandings of self — but nuance and fit matter more than hierarchy.1:08:00 – 1:13:00 | Practice for CoachesReflect on your own concept of self. Tune into how your clients relate to Self — and coach accordingly.1:13:00 – End | Final ReflectionsHeather’s hope: deeper awareness of how we understand “self” can foster more compassionate, skillful coaching — and a more tolerant world.Guest Bio: Heather FrostHeather is the Founder and Director of People and Practice, Co-founder of Think Perspective and Visiting Tutor at Henley Business School. She has over 20 years of experience of experience in behaviour change; coaching, mentoring, training, and consulting to clients including Deloitte, Oxentia, Accenture and Kantar. Deeply driven to understand different cultures and the systems that influence behaviour, Heather has lived as a resident in four countries and travelled extensively to over forty countries. Her commercial work with organisations, executives, leaders, and teams incorporates her global experience and expertise in culture change, business transformation, learning and development, organisational development, leadership development, and systemic change.Heather holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (BPsych) with a minor in Philosophy, a Master of Science in Coaching & Behavioural Change (MSc) and is currently a Doctoral Researcher (PhD) in Leadership, Organisations and Behaviour at Henley Business School. Heather won a fully funded scholarship through the Henley Business School flagship "World of Work" award. Heather's research and coaching focuses on the link between self-awareness, meta-cognition, consciousness, sense of agency, quality of thought, beliefs, culture, purpose, and behaviour: ultimately how individuals "act" and behave. Her newly developed psychological scale which measures the Concept-of-Self, upcoming published work, writing, and training helps coaches understand how their “self” and the self of their client’s manifest and interact. Her research explores practitioner self-deception, bias and self-delusion, the self-as-instrument, mindfulness, neuroscience and meaning in life.Heather is a certified Lumina Learning Practitioner, an accredited coach with the International Coaching Federation (ACC) and a Senior Practitioner with the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC). She holds the following certifications from INSEAD: Leading Organisations in Disruptive Times, Innovation in the Age of Disruption, Strategy in the Age of Digital Disruption and Leading in a Transforming World. She is a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt from PMI (CSSGB). Heather is also an Advanced Practitioner of Breakthrough Coaching (WBECS/coaching.com) and a Visiting Tutor at Henley Business School teaching the triple-accredited Professional Certificate of Executive Coaching (PCEC).Dive deeperI hope you’ve enjoyed this podcast. If you are curious to dive more deeply into learning about Vertical Development and how it might impact your work and life, check out our online library of webinars and courses accredited by the International Coaching Federation. If you choose to become a paid subscriber to this substack you will receive complimentary access to all our webinars and 50% discount on our long-form online programs. Also, until the 30th of March, we offer our ICF-accredited certification program - “Vertical Development Practices for Coaches” at 30% discount.Spread the word…If you want to bring your bit to building a wiser, more conscious world, I hope you share this article with others who could benefit from the learning.and, if you haven’t done it yet, Subscribe!Join your nerdy community and let’s keep on staying curious and learning from each other Get full access to Vertical Development: How Grown-ups Grow Up at www.verticaldevelopment.education/subscribe
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