As a SCRUM ALLIANCE Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC). I often encounter two questions:

• Why CEC is so unique, and why did you choose this path?
• What are the benefits of becoming a CEC?

In short, CAC, Certified Agile Coach, guides an Organisation to achieve its business goal, combating real-world challenges by applying agile principles and values while leveraging its Coaching skills.

A CAC professional is an expert both theoretically and in practice. Scrum Alliance’s CEC is an invaluable credential if you aim to enhance your expertise beyond coaching a team and intend to unleash collective wisdom in the Organization. 

I will try here to answer all questions relevant to the topic pertinently. 

To begin with, an individual must comply with the following requirements to become a CEC:

1. A thorough knowledge about Scrum applications and a rich industry experience of many years, in topics such as Lean and Agile principles, in the context of expertly guiding the Company, not just teams or individual professionals. 
2. Having a good, formal experience of several years in using at least three or four coaching approaches.
3. An inherent ability to efficiently function at each and every level of an Organization, to enhance enterprise transformation. 
4. The capacity to understand the dynamics and functionalities of multi-level teams, plus their interactive patterns at the organisational level. 
5. Having the expertise to nicely blend various roles, from a professional coach to the teacher to a mentor, benefitting the organisation. 

Becoming a CEC professional: My journey 

Several years ago, interacting with a bunch of top-notch CECs had a hugely positive effect on me. I was totally captivated by the depth of their knowledge and focused approach towards organisational growth. 

Back in 2017, there was no doubt in my mind that I genuinely wanted to be among such an elite company of experts. I had that passion for coaching and wanted to be a part of the community. I started my preparations by downloading materials. Then, I went through the exact application requirements. It took me about 3 weeks to cover all details. After that, I geared up and started a tedious yet rewarding journey of becoming a CEC. 

1. The first step involves a pre-application process. An eminent member form The Review Team of CEC assesses your eligibility and current credentials and provides you with valuable feedback. I chose Henry from the Review for my evaluation. I had an amazing experience. Henry queried about my overall coaching experience and profile. I had to face the question about why I would like to become a CEC. It was a one-hour call from Henry. The conversation was intriguing. The next step was to proceed with the application process, after getting a convincing report from Henry. 
2. The full application is constituted by two segments – segment 1 and segment 2. You should thoroughly go through all details regarding the needs and pre-requisites, gathering relevant information for applying flawlessly. 
3. I spent near about a couple of months in filling my application. After that, I submitted it for review. 
4. I engaged with clients, allowing myself to apply my acquired knowledge. I participated in Coaching Retreats. I also attended Global Gatherings, collaborating with the best minds in the world, in various assignments and projects. I formally enrolled in Brain-based Coaching under NLI, associated with the coveted training scheme of Leadership Circle Practitioner (LCP). I gained further expertise in the right methods to coach people. It helped me a lot in understanding the dynamics of Organization and teams, in various challenging situations. I understood that there are some stark differences, in spite of overlapping zones, between coaches guiding a team and coaches guiding the Organization as a whole. The latter requires exclusive skill sets and pertinent experience. 
5. Gradually, I focused on various aspects of coaching in more details. I spend 3 complete years, gaining experience, working with start-ups, MNCs, and medium-sized companies. I gained the skills to understand the annals of coaching, more deeply clearly. 
6. I have something to say to people interested in treading the long journey path of CEC:

• Be very patient. Patience is a virtue.
• Have flexibility and remain open to feedback
• Learn and apply continuously 
• Ask for relevant guidance from experienced coaches. 

As an enthusiastic CEC aspirant, you need to concentrate on these points mainly:

• The breadth and depth of coaching
• Topmost things you learned as a coach
• Learning  concepts and methods to enhance self-awareness
• Regulating your passion and emotional intelligence 

Summary 

To excel as a coach, it is extremely crucial to have a balanced inner orientation. You must always be ready to invest in yourself to become a highly regarded coach,  continuously learning new things. Getting thoroughly involved in the illustrious Agile Community is exciting, no doubt, and makes you feel genuine about what it is like to be a respected and influential coach. Good Luck!