David Drake, PhD

Dr. David Drake works with organizations that want to re-invent how they serve people and communities to create a more inclusive and sustainable future. He has been a leader in the field of Narrative Coaching, is an author, and dedicated his life and career to standing in third spaces — as someone who is (1) a grounded practitioner and a visionary thinker, (2) dedicated to the scholarly and the shamanic, and (3) the founder of three bodies of work and someone who savors the moment.

David founded and runs the Center for Narrative Coaching & Design. The firm specializes in developing new narratives and coaching/change capabilities using integrative methods. David has worked with over 70 organizations, including Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Dropbox, Google, Logitech, Nike, PwC, Westpac, and numerous state and federal government agencies. David has taught coaching skills to over 10,000 leaders, managers, and professionals.

David has worked in the coaching space for over twenty years, and he has developed deep expertise in facilitating transformative change using people’s own stories in unique ways. He is the founder of the field of narrative coaching, and he has taught this work to practitioners in 16 countries. He is currently developing a network of partners who are working on projects to extend his narrative-based work beyond coaching to address more systemic issues.

He has written over 50 publications on coaching and narratives; he serves on Senior Advisory Board for Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research, and Practice. He is the lead editor for The Philosophy and Practice of Coaching (2008); author of Narrative Coaching: Bringing Our New Stories to Life (2015); and co-editor of the reference-level Sage Handbook of Coaching (2016). His current research interests: using attachment theory and applied mindfulness in developing people and using narrative design as a scalable change model.

David has presented to 25 universities and professional associations (eg, ASTD, ICF, ODN, SIOP, and SCP) around the world, including the opening keynote for the first International Coaching Psychology Congress. He earned his Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Development from Fielding Graduate University in California. David lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, loves being a dad, and relishes silence in nature.

Video

David Drake Interview Part I

In this first of a 5-part interview, David explores the importance of talking about things that matter and his development of Narrative Coaching that emerged out of his focus on identity as the root of all change.

David Drake Interview, Part II

In this second of a 5-part interview, David explores two foundational pieces of Narrative Coaching--thresholds and the importance of radical presence on the part of the coach.

David Drake Interview, Part III

In this the third of a 5-part interview, David explores a new approach to transformation that he calls Integrative Development which combines training, coaching, and organizational development into one practice.

David Drake Interview, Part IV

In this fourth of a 5-part interview, David David explores the role of mindsets in behavior change within work environments. He asks a fundamental question: If you want to change something, what would have to be different about your story?

David Drake Interview, Part V

In this fifth of a 5-part interview, David turns his attention to the importance now more than ever of reinventing our narratives to create the world we want to live in.