Unlocking Potential at EIS
A Conversation with Life Coach Aaron Groff
Last week, Exupery International School welcomed Aaron Groff — a certified life coach from the U.S. with over eight years of experience in personal and professional development — for a two-day coaching initiative open to our professionals. A passionate advocate for self-discovery and purposeful leadership, Aaron sat down with us for a conversation on mindset, motivation, and what it truly takes to lead and grow.
— What inspired your journey into coaching?
— My journey began inside the company I work for. There was this idea: to lead not just with authority, but with coaching. But I had this “disease” — Knowitalism. That belief that you know it all. And when you’re climbing the corporate ladder, it’s easy to fall into that trap. The problem is, people stop growing under you. They become dependent on your knowledge, and their growth is limited by your ego.
Eventually, I realized that strong leadership means building others up. Coaching gave me that shift. During a session, I saw how asking the right questions — not giving answers — unlocks potential. We did a three-day coaching workshop, and I immediately saw how this approach could work. When people create their own ideas, they’re far more committed to them. That’s when I saw productivity soar.
Eventually, I realized that strong leadership means building others up. Coaching gave me that shift. During a session, I saw how asking the right questions — not giving answers — unlocks potential. We did a three-day coaching workshop, and I immediately saw how this approach could work. When people create their own ideas, they’re far more committed to them. That’s when I saw productivity soar.
— How do you define coaching, then?
— Coaching isn’t about offering advice. It’s about asking powerful questions that spark new awareness and discovery. Often, people come to a session focused on a problem, and with the right question, everything shifts. They’ll say, “How did I not see this before?” That moment of clarity — that’s the heart of coaching.
As a coach, I don’t create solutions. I help people see their own. I’ve had sessions where clients connect seemingly unrelated ideas, discovering things about themselves I would never have imagined. They do the work. My questions guide the process.
As a coach, I don’t create solutions. I help people see their own. I’ve had sessions where clients connect seemingly unrelated ideas, discovering things about themselves I would never have imagined. They do the work. My questions guide the process.
— It almost sounds like you’re illuminating a path that’s already there…
— I ask people about their values, their challenges, what they learned from their attempts. Then the magic happens. They begin to connect the dots — to see the why behind their actions. That awareness leads to transformation.
— What mindset shift do you believe is essential for personal growth?
— We’re all different, so I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all advice. But there’s a quote by Jon Bon Jovi I love:
Don’t get too comfortable with who you are at any given time — you may miss the opportunity to become who you want to be.
To me, that means regularly asking yourself: “Who do I want to become?” In my forties, I decided I wanted to be someone who tries new things — at least once each. That simple question keeps you moving forward.
— And what if someone doesn’t know who they want to become? Where’s the starting point?
— You either grow or stay comfortable. Growth usually involves discomfort, but it leads to a better version of yourself. For example, I wanted to be more compassionate — so I volunteered at a children’s rehab center. Exposure creates understanding. You won’t know what you’re capable of until you step into the unfamiliar.
— Many people struggle with consistency. Any thoughts on how to stay on track with goals?
— My first step would be to encourage someone to understand how you are 'wired'. There are personality assessments like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and The Birkman Method that are incredibly insightful. My favorite assessment is CliftonStrengths which uncovers your natural way of thinking, feeling and behaving. From this assessment, I found out my top five strengths. To stay on track with my goals, I look for ways to use my strengths. The end result produces more energy and encouragement to keep driving toward my goal.
— To wrap up our conversation — what is one message you’d still want to leave with our readers?
— One of the concepts I hold closest to my heart can be summed up in two words: “Dare greatly.” It comes from a powerful speech delivered by Theodore Roosevelt in Paris over a century ago. The message is timeless — a reminder that real impact comes not from standing on the sidelines, but from stepping into the arena. Not from being a critic, but from choosing to engage, to try, and to risk. If you’ve never read “The Man in the Arena” quote, I encourage you to look it up.
— Here’s the excerpt I keep in my notes:
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;
who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;
but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions;
who spends himself in a worthy cause;
who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly,
so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
— That idea — to dare greatly — is a compass I return to often. It’s not about perfection or always succeeding. It’s about showing up with courage.
Aaron Groff is the Head Coach for Global Operations of Leadership Development at a multinational company and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation. Learn more about Aaron on LinkedIn.
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