Coaching Chronicles – Part V: Socrates and the Roots of Modern Coaching

When we think of coaching, we often picture contemporary tools—like goal-setting, mindset work, and cognitive behavioural techniques. But the roots of deep, transformative questioning go back much further over 2,000 years, in fact, to the streets of Ancient Athens, where a barefoot philosopher named Socrates (c. 470–399 BCE) would ask simple, powerful questions that challenged the very foundations of how people thought and lived.

Why I Love Ancient Greek Wisdom

As someone who blends mental health, spiritual depth, and grief recovery into my coaching work, I’m continually drawn to the ancient Greek philosophers. There’s something profoundly grounding about their focus on virtue, inquiry, and the examined life. Their ideas remind me that coaching isn’t just about goalsit’s about becoming who we’re meant to be.

The ancients gave us a legacy of wisdom that’s still relevant in boardrooms, therapy rooms, and everyday life. It’s a gift I love to share with my clients. Though he wrote nothing himself, Socrates’ teachings live on through his student Plato, and they echo loudly through modern practices like life coaching, executive development, and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy).

Let’s take a closer look at the timeless wisdom of Socrates and how his ideals continue to shape how we help others grow.

 Know Thyself

Socrates believed that true wisdom came from self-knowledge. His famous phrase,

"The unexamined life is not worth living,"reminds us that transformation begins with looking inward.

In coaching, we help clients pause and reflect—on their thoughts, values, behaviours, and decisions. It’s not about having the answers; it’s about getting curious about the questions.

The Art of Socratic Questioning

Socrates didn’t tell people what to think—he asked them to think more deeply. His method involved asking open, layered questions that revealed assumptions, contradictions, blind spots and much more.

Sound familiar? That’s because Socratic questioning is the backbone of CBT and a key tool in transformational coaching. It encourages clients to pause, challenge old beliefs, and form new, healthier perspectives. I see this as a core part of 'reframing', which is a key strength of mine. In modern coaching, we call it curious questioning or deep listening—but the DNA is unmistakably Socratic.

Virtue as a Way of Being

Socrates believed that if people truly understood what was good, they would naturally choose it. Ignorance—not bad character—was at the root of poor choices.

This belief in the power of awareness reflects coaching’s modern principles: when clients gain clarity, they act with more alignment, integrity, and purpose.

The Wisdom of "Not Knowing"

One of Socrates’ most famous quotes is:

“I know that I know nothing.”

It sounds like a paradox, but it’s actually a call for intellectual humility. Coaches don’t offer all the answers. We listen. We ask. We sit with uncertainty. Because growth comes from within—not from being told what to do.

Values Over Vanity

Socrates rejected the pursuit of wealth, fame, and power. For him, a good life was one lived with character and purpose.

Many coaching clients come to us after chasing external success, only to realise they’re craving meaning. Socrates would have seen coaching as a sacred space to realign with what truly matters.

Did You Know?

• Socrates never wrote a single word. His ideas were recorded by his student Plato.

• He was sentenced to death by the Athenian state for "corrupting the youth"—yet chose to die for his beliefs.

• Though Aristotle was born after Socrates died, his teacher Plato ensured Socratic ideas shaped Aristotle’s thinking.

• The Socratic method is still used in modern law schools and therapy rooms.

• Socrates believed that living a virtuous life was more important than wealth or status—an idea central to coaching values today.