This article was originally published in Thriving Together, a newsletter for the Thriving Congregations Initiative. While written as a reflection for Thriving Congregations coaches, the idea of “circling the mountain” applies to anyone in a leadership role or mentoring relationship.
As coaches, it’s easy to fall into the trap of jumping straight to conclusions and solutions. We love helping people move forward, so when we hear a problem, we instinctively want to fix it. But sometimes in our rush to help, we unintentionally make things worse—not better—because we haven’t taken the time to circle the mountain.
Let me explain.
Sometimes in our rush to help, we unintentionally make things worse.
A couple of years ago, I started having chest pains and some tingling in my left arm. My wife immediately thought, “It’s your heart.” I rushed to the ER. They ran tests, kept me there for hours, hooked me up to every monitor possible. The vibe was tense. But after all of that, the MRI revealed it wasn’t my heart at all—it was a pinched nerve in my neck.
Think about what could have happened if they treated me for a heart attack without really investigating the root cause. That would have been dangerous. Even deadly.
That experience taught me something that’s shaped how I coach leaders and churches: you can be right with your observations and still wrong with your conclusions.
Just because someone shows symptoms of burnout doesn’t mean their problem is time management. Just because a church feels stuck doesn’t mean they need a new vision statement. As Peak coaches, our role isn’t just to diagnose symptoms. It’s to guide others in understanding what’s really going on underneath the surface.
That’s where the idea of “circling the mountain” comes in.
In Deuteronomy 2:3, God tells the Israelites, “You’ve been circling this mountain long enough.” There’s a time to stop circling and move forward—but there’s also wisdom in the circling. It’s what gives us a full picture. When you circle the mountain, you see it from every angle. You don’t just react to what’s in front of you… you ask questions, listen deeply, and seek understanding.
Humility is what builds trust and separates average coaches from transformational ones.
For coaches, this means slowing down. It means not being so quick to label, fix, or push forward. It means we humble ourselves enough to admit we don’t always know what’s really going on at first glance. And that humility is what builds trust. It’s what separates average coaches from transformational ones.
Circling the mountain isn’t about delay; it’s about discernment. And discernment is the difference between coaching someone toward clarity versus pushing them toward the wrong outcome based on a right-sounding assumption.
So before you rush in with your answer, take a lap around the mountain. Ask one more question. Sit in the tension a little longer. Because that extra lap might reveal that the real issue isn’t the heart—it’s something else.
Mike Rosado is the National Coaching Team Lead for PEAK Profile, a key partner in the BIC U.S. Thriving Congregations Initiative. He has led several Thriving Congregations in-person PEAK sessions. Mike is also the founding and lead pastor of Fervent Church in New Jersey, part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
