In this week’s Success Newsletter, I would like to reveal what it means to be coachable and why that is such a critical trait in business and in every relationship.
First a quick update:
The Breakup Test
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You Can Do It! You Have The Resources Within You!
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Now, let’s talk about what it means to be coachable and why that is such a critical trait in business and in every relationship.
Jonathan was the senior vice president of a successful tech company, and he was given the opportunity to become the head of the growing Google product team in 2002.
Jonathan thought that he already had the job when he arrived at the Google offices, where he was met by a man named Bill who told him that he had heard that Jonathan was smart and works hard.
“But I don’t care about any of that. I only have one question: Are you coachable?”
‘It depends on the coach’, said Jonathan.
Wrong answer!
“Smart alecs are not coachable,” snapped Bill as he stood up, ready to walk out.
Jonathan suddenly realized that he had just blown his chances at the new job. He appealed to Bill to speak a little longer.
Bill explained to Jonathan about the traits that he looked for in people he chose to work with, explaining that leadership is not about you; it’s about service to something bigger: the company, the team.
Bill then asked Jonathan, “What do you want to get out of a coach?”
Jonathan remembered a quote from Tom Landry, who coached the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys for twenty-nine years, with twenty straight winning seasons and two Super Bowl titles:
“A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.”
Jonathan Rosenberg went on to become the Senior Vice President of Products at Google, and currently he is the advisor to Alphabet Inc. management team and board.
Who is Bill?
Bill Campbell was a coach, a trillion-dollar coach. Before passing in 2016, Bill Campbell coached and mentored some of the most successful modern entrepreneurs, including Steve Jobs. Bill played an instrumental role in the growth of companies such as Google, Apple, and Intuit. Bill helped create a trillion dollars in market value. (Source: Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, Alan Eagle)
Yes. The most successful people in the world have a coach or had a coach, including Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Steve Jobs (Apple), Sheryl Sandberg (Facebook), Eric Schmidt (Google), Larry Page & Sergey Brin (Google), John Donahoe (eBay), Marissa Mayer (Yahoo), and Jack Dorsey and Dick Costolo (Twitter.) All of them were coached by Bill Campbell, who incidentally did most of it for free! He was already financially independent.
Bill Campbell identified 5 key traits that determine if a person is coachable. As you read the list below, think about the way that these traits also enhance your personal as well as professional relationships. Do you want to work with or be with someone who possesses these qualities and traits?
1. Honesty
Honesty is directly linked to authenticity. When you chose to be honest and admit your mistakes and admit the challenges you face, people place greater trust in you, and it makes it easier for you to lead. Honesty leads to trust, and that also builds team cohesiveness and deeper bonds.
2. Humility
Humility is the opposite to arrogance, entitlement, and superiority. ‘I don’t have all the answers…I am not superior to others…I am willing to listen, and I seek to understand others…I don’t need to be right every time – I choose peace and being happy over being right.’ Being humble also implies that you will ask for help, support or training.
“My best skill was that I was coachable. I was a sponge and aggressive to learn.” – Michael Jordan.
3. Hard Work
Are you willing to do things that are sometimes uncomfortable or when you’re not in the mood or when it is not convenient? Hard work refers to commitment, devotion and dedication; put in the effort to grow, lead, or transform to realize your potential.
4. Perseverance
Every day we are all faced with challenges, obstacles and setbacks. The choice to persist in spite of these hurdles or blocks determines whether or not you will achieve your goals and the goals of the company.
Perseverance is persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Persevering implies you do not give up in the face of obstacles. Instead you are tenacious, and you persist until the very end, even if it is extremely difficult or painful.
“A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.”
5. Openness to Learn
Do you sabotage your success by fooling yourself into thinking that you know everything? Education does not end when you graduate from a formal institution. Even in personal relationships, it is critical to remain open to learning about how to improve your relationship, deepen your bonds and grow together. Accept that success involves constantly adapting and responding with new knowledge, information, and processes. When you chose to be open to learn, you engage in humility and again, you create and build trust within your team or relationships.
If you need help to overcome a challenge, trauma or the past, book a one-on-one session with me.
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I wish you the best and remind you “Believe in yourself -You deserve the best!”
Patrick Wanis Ph.D.
Celebrity Life Coach, Human Behavior & Relationship Expert & SRTT Therapist
Anointed “The Woman Expert” by WGN Chicago, Patrick Wanis PhD is a renowned Celebrity Life Coach, Human Behavior & Relationship Expert who developed SRTT therapy (Subconscious Rapid Transformation Technique) and is teaching it to other practitioners. Wanis’ clientele ranges from celebrities and CEOs to housewives and teenagers. CNN, BBC, FOX News, MSNBC & major news outlets worldwide consult Wanis for his expert insights and analysis on sexuality, human behavior and women’s issues. Wanis is the first person ever to do hypnotherapy on national TV – on the Montel Williams show.