Goodbye Phil…
Phillip Sandahl, CEO & Co-Founder
Team Coaching International
March 3, 1948 - April 21, 2020
It is with profound sadness, that we share that Phil has transitioned beyond his physical body and this life. Phil passed away peacefully, surrounded by love and filled with a strong faith and love for God. He left peacefully, full of gratitude for the life that allowed him to spend time with so many special souls. – He believed you ALL were special souls.
Phil lived every day of his life with intention. His days began at 4:30am by lighting a candle and meditating to create an intention to find the perfect words and relevant actions to serve each person he touched throughout his day. He was deliberate in making a positive impact on everyone he encountered. He met each person where they were, with loving acceptance, always looking to inspire and delight them.
Phil measured his life by the hearts he inspired. He led with his heart and accomplished much over his lifetime. Phil had a strong faith and was incredibly involved in his church. He was a professional musician, a captain who adventurously sailed the global seas, and he successfully completed running 17 marathons. Phil was a leader for Coaches Training Institute's core curriculum and Leadership and dedicated 2 years of his life, living in Japan to bring them Co-Active Coaching. He was a writer and the author of both Co-Active Coaching and Teams Unleashed.
Phil’s days were long but his passion for the Team Coaching message was tireless and it drove him forward every day. He knew how to go the distance. Whether it was the million plus miles he traveled bringing Team Coaching trainings to you, his availability for countless one-on-one meetings, or the heartfelt written words he produced, he was incredibly passionate in sharing the Team Coaching message. This work was his life, and he felt compelled to make it his legacy.
Phil’s very last Zoom meeting was an amazing and emotional celebration of him. Our partners in China thoughtfully created and captured Phil’s essence through a series of pictures, likening him and his legacy to a dandelion. The dandelion legacy is such an eloquent metaphor for Phil in the way he spread and planted Team Coaching seeds all around the world. Phil shared his whole heart wherever he went. It is heartwarming and comforting to picture the seeds of Phil’s Team Coaching still thriving and multiplying throughout the world. Phil smiled when he saw this video, YOU understood his mission and YOU continue as his legacy.
Many have memories of Phil, sitting at his desk in Zoom meetings and trainings. It is uncomfortably painful to experience that desk vacant of his human form, the headset he used to share his wisdom and love with so many, now laying silent in a drawer, void of his voice.
We are beyond heartbroken, and it hurts to breathe, but we will continue to keep Phil’s passion and legacy work alive and thriving, for him and for all of us who have been touched by him.
“LOVE and carry on, all will be well”- Phillip Sandahl
Love,
Alexis Phillips, Co-Founder
Team Coaching International
A Heartfelt Farewell from TCI's Chinese Partners
Phil, All Dressed Up & Ready to Go
But a Handful The Many Emails We've Received Regarding Phil
(Click any one of the thumbnails below to view them.)
We Invite You to Share
Whether you were a family member, a close friend, a student, or just getting acquainted with TCI, if you're here, there's a good chance that Phil had a positive impact on your life. To that end, we invite you to share your memories of Phil and things that you learned from him in the comments section below.
Very sorry to hear this news about Phil. A generous, warm, intelligent and kind man. I am grateful for the time and contact I had with him.
Rest in peace Phil.
Michael M
How sad..I am touched deeply by his departure.
Many years after, I am still touched by the kindness, simplicity, humanity and of course talent Phil showed when I was trained by him.
Such an impressive life has been his life.
I am very happy he found people as human and talented too to carry on with his work, thanks to you Phillip
Phil was a special leader in the area of coaching. I’m glad I had the opportunity to be taught by him in 2018. He has left a tremendous legacy. My deepest condolences to all his loved ones.
Phil was a wonderful human being and a gifted teacher. I feel so blessed to have met him and what he taught me as much through his way of being as through any content carries forward in my work. I will always remember his lanky, quirky, lovable way of being and how he was both intensely fascinated and disarming. He will be greatly missed.
Phil is the intelligent, experienced and wise leader, teacher, mentor. You and your contribution to the field and world are going to be missed deeply. It was nice to know that you are there, in San Francisco, the place we have worked with you the last time. Sleep peacefully.
You are loved and appreciated wise man.
My deepest condolences.
Şule Celik White
I was blessed to have Phil as one of my life coaches. He gave full out with his heart and mind. Gentle, patient, kind and supportive best describe my experience with him. He was a light in the world and will be missed.
Carrie Chevalier Mosher
Phil was indeed a special person. I remember him attentive, poised, supportive, understanding. A great person to be with, to be around, to know.
Charles
I never had the privilege of meeting Phil but admire his work and his immense contribution to the world of team coaching. I am grateful for his trailblazing passion and dedication to enlighten us as team coaching professionals with his knowledge and wisdom.
Phil was the most professional and gentle trainer I have the privilege of being trained by. So sad to hear the news. He will be greatly missed. My condolences and prayers with the family and TCI team.
This news of Phil’s death was a physical shock, like something had shifted in the earth’s field. It is such an unexpected loss. Phil was one of the kindest, brightest and most generous people I knew. I led with him once at CTI, and it was such a pleasure to work and partner with such a bright, gentle, witty soul. He had a full body intelligence that held, challenged and grew a room. His heart and ideas and yearning for the world will live on for generations to learn from.
I am heartbroken at the loss of Phil. His quiet wisdom was an inspiration to me. Let us keep his memory alive through the work…so that others may be served.
In my training with him I was enamored at how gentle he was yet how sure he was with his words, and confident he was in his training. He demonstrated how strength and gentleness can live hand-in hand. I loved his “spin and fade” reference and still practice it to this day. I was lucky to have grown from being his student.
It’s with deep sadness to learn that Phil has left us. But i am also very grateful
that I had the opportunity to work with Phil. Phil, you are a great role model to me, a wonderful human being and a wise leader. Thank you for that!
Very sad to learn that Phil has left us.
Phil was indeed a special leader in the area of coaching and a trail-blazer especially in Team Coaching. I’m glad and grateful I had the opportunity to be taught by him as part of the Accelerated Learning, apart from attending several webinars. He has left a tremendous legacy. My heart-felt condolences to all his near and dear.
A great teacher and a beautiful soul. Such an inspiring work … and life changing. A source of wisdom with unparalleled humility.
Dear Phil
May your journey to other dimensions be blessed. You left a deep trace in my heart in the training you gave back in 2011 in Amsterdam of how important it is to share it our humanity and presence namely in these corporate and institutional worlds. I will always remember your strong and gentle presence and discrete vulnerability. You deeply inspired me with that presence. Nathalie
Alexis, Phil was truly one of the most special men I have ever met in my life. Several years ago I attended a workshop with him and felt very fortunate to have experienced his kindness, warmth and his mastery. He was excellent at what he did. Since then, whenever I’ve thought of him it makes me smile. He will no doubt live on in all those he touched over the years.
Paul
With all that he brought to the world in his innovative and ethical way, it felt that there was always so much more to do for Phil. I hope that he departed feeling fulfilled and satisfied with his important contributions. Phil, you will be missed.
to Phil’s family – both at home and at work,
I was honored to have learned from Phil during the TCI Masterclass in NJ in 2016. Since then, I have been an avid and appreciative follower of his work which has shaped both my work and who I have become, personally.
It is with much gratitude that I sad good bye to Phil – he changed this world for the better!
May his work live on through all of us.
My sincere condolences,
Suzanne York
I remember meeting Phil in Corte Madera in 2011. I took the Team Coaching International certification with him. He struck me as a very gentle, kind person who had great passion for his work. Over the years, I kept in touch with him. He always responded and was extremely generous with his time. I know that Phil was very devoted to his work and certainly to the community. R.I.P. Phil – you will not be forgotten.
Hi, I am from Poland and Phil has been the person who has introduced me to the world of teams, teaching me how to work with the positivity and productivity. The seed he has planted has helped so many teams since. Thank you so much Phil! See you on the other side.
Phil made a powerful and significant impact on the coaching profession. He had a true heart of service and will be serving humanity from a much higher place. With Greatest Gratitude and Love who you BE!
I’m so so sad! 😢 Phillip has been my Guiding Coaching Star 🌟 for almost 15 years. I will miss him so much!
My warmest and deepest condolences to Phils family and to his second family – the entire Team Coaching International faculty!
Dearest Alexis
I was so very, very sorry to learn of Phil’s passing. I’ve been truly shocked, and like so many, many people I’m sure, very, deeply saddened.
I’ve spent a great deal of time in my garden since learning of Phil’s transition and it has been bitter-sweet to be thinking of him with my hands in the earth. The central thought I keep coming back to is Phil’s incredible generosity. He mentored me, and I know so many others, in a way I have very rarely experienced in this life – with care, with trust, with the fullness of equality and partnership – even in those early days of newness and uncertainty. He offered me dignity in all moments, always – the graceful and the abject graceless. And he kept on offering it. I felt supported, positively challenged, and held always. He was a very rare gift.
Now, of course, I wish I had let him know that more often and more fully. I hope he knew, and knows still, what a unique and tremendous contribution he made, not only to my world of work, but to my broader life, to my human unfolding. I treasure all that he gifted me with. I treasure every moment we spent together. And I treasure all the laughter we shared, the experience of life we shared.
I know it was very small in the overall scheme of Phil’s life. But tremendously important in the scheme of mine.
And Alexis, I know you don’t need me to tell you this, but in the sharing of ourselves and our stories over time, the person I know very clearly that Phil loved, respected, admired, understood and cherished more than any other on the planet, was you. I also know he felt loved, respected, admired, understood and cherished by you in return. Is that not the most precious gift we can offer each other?
I’ve been looking at photos from various times-including when we were working with a team in Singapore and Phil sooo wanted to experience the Singapore night zoo – who would have guessed? But then, wasn’t Phil always up for an adventure?!
I have also taken great pleasure in lighting a morning candle for Phil, in honour of his morning ritual. I’m grateful Phil saw the exact place the candles sits now – although a fleeting visit to Sydney with Vince, it was such a treat to share my favourite lunch spot with him and to bring him to my home.
Alexis, it is you I’m thinking of now. I’m so very, very sorry for your loss. I know you and Phil were deeply connected spirits and you must be feeling his loss dreadfully. I feel for you. I really do.
I’m sending love to Phil. And Alexis, I’m sending love to you, too.
May peace find you. I’m positive peace has found Phil.
Natarsha
Sending Phil much gratitude for sharing his wisdom and impacting so many individuals and organizations in an incredible way. He was way ahead of his time. Sending many blessings to his family.
I met Phil in London England in 2013 while attending the 3 day program. I was the only Canadian and I loved the international group from Sweden, Poland, Belgium, Ireland, Scotland and the England. Phil made us all feel welcome. He was truly a kind, gentle soul and will be missed by all who met him.
Phil transformed how I think about others and my place in any system. I think I realized during the Team Coaching certification that he led here in Seattle that I was in the presence of a great spirit whose passion and commitment was worthy of canonization at some point. I just wish that point were many more years away.
I celebrate St. Phillip, the patron saint of aspiring teams.
Phil transformed how I think about others and my place in any system. I think I realized during the Team Coaching certification that he led here in Seattle that I was in the presence of a great spirit whose passion and commitment was worthy of canonization at some point. I just wish that point were many more years away.
I celebrate St. Phillip, the patron saint of aspiring teams.
Hi beautiful people,
Thank you for creating space for us to honor Phil. I feel blessed to have met Phil. He touched me deeply with his calm and loving demeanor. He radiated trust and deepened my understanding and of co-activity, teams, unity, humility, zest and leadership. I’m so grateful for his essence, work and legacy. May he rest in peace, and may we continue his work. Let’s keep shining his light.
I am really saddened to hear about Phil’s passing. I had the privilege of attending the Team Coaching Intensive at Atlanta almost 15 years back that was led by Phil and his large team. He kindled the spirit of teams in me and guided me over the years to become the CTPC and more importantly a believer of team coaching. I will always be immensely indebted to Phil for offering his gifts of wisdom, kindness and love. We pray for his soul to Rest In Peace.
Thank you beautiful soul for your contribution to this world! And thanks for your impact on my world. Lovely memories from TCI training in Shanghai a few years ago. What a leader! What a human!
Love and appreciation from Birgitta, Stockholm, Sweden
I was deeply saddened to hear of Phil’s passing and felt the loss to the world of his deep humanity. Anyone who has read Phil’s work, learned from him or those he has taught, met or heard him speak at conferences will have experienced a truly wonderful human being and master of human growth and transformation. I had the privilege of being with Phil over three days in 2008, in the Netherlands, for the Team Coaching International training. His presence, skill and embodiment touched and changed me. He truly had the dandelion effect described in the announcement of his passing and what shifted in me changed me as a coach and a person. There are moments from those three days that I remember as if they were yesterday. . My heart goes out to those closest to him and I wish you solace in knowing that his legacy lives on in all those he touched.
I first met Phil as a student of his programme in Las Vegas in 2008 and last corresponded with him only a few weeks ago. I was sad and shocked to hear this news of his passing. He was such a kind, calm and generous man; humble, genuine, giving, congruent…he made a great contribution to the development and evolution of coaching over many years and he will be missed by many.
I have only just heard the news about Phil passing, and I am so sad to hear he is no longer with us. Phil was instrumental in helping bring Co-Active Coaching to the UK (Europe), well him and Laura Whitworth, and then subsequently many more North American coaches/leaders, and later many international leaders. It really was a turning point in so many people’s lives, never more so than mine. Over a period of 5 years Phil was at different times my coach, ally and friend. We led introductory workshops together in Scotland and Manchester when first introducing Co-Active Coaching to these new areas of the UK, it was a little experimental, innovative for sure, but a lot of fun. When making a career move in 2004 he still remained a strong ally and friend, and I met with him and Alexis later in Bath, near to where I live now. Thank you Phil for contributing so much to so many, a true legacy, with love, humour, and conviction.
Dear all, Phil has made such a lasting impression on me the times I met him in classroomsettings, live and by phone. He lives on, in thought, in spirit, in feeling that he is still around. And he has to be, because the world is a harsher place without people like Phil. With a lot of love from Holland, Anouk.
I had the privilege to work with Phil on the TDA in London many years ago and more recently with the CTPC and webinars. Additionally we spoke directly about some topics.
I was very sad to hear that Phil had passed and truly believe that coaching and team coaching in particular, had lost a great ambassador. In all my experiences with Phil I found him to be caring, passionate about his topic, sharing with information and above all genuine.
He will be greatly missed and I hope his legacy lives on.
My deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and those he left behind.
Phil was a wonderful, thoughtful, passionate teacher and coach. My work has been influenced by the work he helped develop around team effectiveness and he was always generous with his time, sharing his experience and insights. I met Phil when I took the Team Coaching training in Boston and met Phil here in Alexandria, VA a few years later when we enjoyed a super dinner to mull over the future of team coaching in the world. Phil was modest, humble, kind and tough. He had hundreds of case studies of his efforts to improve teamwork across the globe. He will be missed. The field has a huge hole without his wisdom and deep experience. But few of us who had the opportunity to meet Phil will forget the legacy he left behind.
Hello Everyone: Phil’s leadership, passion, unbridled sharing, and friendship are all anchored deep in my heart and I miss him. My most positive energy and thoughts go out to everyone connected to Phil, and to Phil. Thank you.
Phil will be deeply missed and fondly remembered as a teacher, guide, coach, mentor and friend to many. He shared his wisdom and his love of learning generously with us all. His time on this earth was well lived. Peace and blessings.
I get that we all need to leave this world at some point, and that doesn’t mean it’s not a loss.
The impact Phil had on this world is dumbfounding through his co-creation of CTI and the original book, and TCI. He leaves a tremendous legacy and for that I am grateful both personally and professionally.
The change his intellect, creativity, persistance made possible? Ooo-ee. It’s tremendous. I think he did make a ding in the universe.
Thx Phil for leaving this world a whole lot better than what was here when you arrived.
It’s hard to believe Phil is gone, such sad news! I only had the privilege of knowing him for several years but he touched me in so many ways. He was the best teacher, always so calm and thoughtful and he exuded a lighthearted joy that made me want to follow in his steps. I was lucky to also have him as my mentor coach and I am forever grateful for his wisdom and support. My heart and prayers of comfort go out to you Alexis, and the rest of your family.
Thank you for the beautiful tribute you wrote about Phil. I am thoroughly shocked and saddened by his passing. Such a gentle soul that our world will have to keep in its memory, and that will live on in the many people he touched. I, for sure, am one of them. Back in 2010 I took my first course with him in Amsterdam and I was immediately struck by his way of being in the room, his careful words, his gentle pace and tone. And his wisdom and experience. And humbleness at the same time. And humor as well, that the twinkle in his eyes always showed. I learned so much form him over the years. His voice became one of my inner allies.
Phil was, is, and he will be a memorable person, trainer and team coach . He will remain on my professional practice, my mind and my heart for ever.