I recently had an incredible opportunity - interviewing Simon Sinek live for 75 minutes in front of an audience of 1,200 professionals. Talk about a challenge! I had to do a lot of mental preparation to build up the courage to walk onto that stage and have a conversation with him.
But you know what? It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Simon is incredibly talented, intelligent, and a remarkably positive thinker. Part of what I could count on was that, as long as I gave him something solid to work with, he would come back with something good.
But the real secret is that, even though I’ve been doing this for about as long as Simon has been alive, I rose to the occasion and addressed potential stumbling blocks through the double-fisted magic that I recommend to everyone: serious preparation and being coachable. I went to several trusted people to ask for their input and perspectives. I even took feedback on my shirt!
The result was that I went into that extremely important event with a strong list of questions, organized so I could be flexible and natural. Most importantly, I had a bulletproof conviction that I was there to bring the best conversation out of Simon for the benefit of my audience. The notes that I got afterward confirmed that I had done just that. It was a fantastic experience that made me enthusiastic about doing more events like that.
What I want to share with you is that the experience hammered home a lesson I've been learning and teaching throughout my career: the power of being coachable.
The heart of being coachable is being open to not knowing everything. For most of you reading this, that’s no big deal. For you, the real trick comes in being successful already and still being open to getting even better at what you feel—or even know—you’re already good at. It's not easy. It separates the good from the great.
Because one of the occupational hazards of being successful is being the boss. And one of the challenges of being the boss is never wanting to show hesitation, and letting the sense of hierarchy and authority cloud our sense of when and how we can be coached. It really can be tricky to navigate that.
We’ve all seen what happens when entrepreneurs or business leaders would have been better off pausing with some humility, seeing a situation through new eyes, or asking for feedback. When leaders are seen as difficult to approach, or uninterested in hearing anything from others, it is a sign that they have lost their coachability. You hate to see it, but it's easy to fall into that trap. We all run that risk without real commitment to avoid it.
All of you are actively invested in continuous improvement. You're making that commitment. As a baseline, you’re in a better place than those leaders who aren’t willing to consider that there’s any room for them to do more, better, or differently.
But even for those of us committed to coaching, it’s powerful to remember just how easy it is to take a new situation as a challenge to rush through toward a solution, rather than an opportunity to learn, unlearn, stretch, and ask for coaching. When you're a leader, you have to ask. Fewer and fewer people will volunteer.
When you’re open enough, when coachability is a part of how you operate, it’s not a big deal to admit that you’re not feeling 100% confident. Fear is always with us. It’s the feeling we get when we’re confronted with the need to grow. One of the things success and position gets us—which is no help at all—is that we have a lot of people counting on us to do things right. What I have learned after coaching many people is that sometimes it feels that those we lead expect us to just intrinsically know the right answers. Sometimes we imagine this is part of the "charisma" we have with them. But of course, this "charisma" depends on achieving results. The first time we don’t deliver, those same people will want to see that you have other skills that are less glamorous, but far more important: they will want to see that you have the ability to learn and improve.
When you see all these headlines and articles about how business leaders need to be authentic, this is a lot of what they are talking about. Because, especially in a time where industries are regularly disrupted and new situations consistently—but unpredictably—emerge so that the old rules don’t work and the old logic doesn’t apply, it’s increasingly impossible to be someone who intrinsically knows the answers, or always knows what to do without learning something new.
We are all being forced to pay attention and learn rather than execute from a place of confidence that should have expired. The era of the perfect leader expired in about 2012. The world is still catching up.
Coachability is a concept we’ve always used in The Comma Club. What it really comes down to is results over ego. It's about caring most about results—valuing results even over the comfort of believing our success has bought us the right to teach the world rather than learn from it. It’s perhaps the most important challenge we face as companies and individuals today.
Overall, the impression that leaders are perfect is a poor example for a company. Satya Nadella came into leading Microsoft by establishing and role-modeling a “learn-it-all culture” to replace its famous and floundering “know-it-all” culture. A culture of people who think they know it all is an arrogant culture. An arrogant culture is brittle and will blame the world when its ideas don’t work. That may be emotionally satisfying, but no one gets paid for blaming the world for being how it is. We get paid to work with it how it is and get results on the world’s terms. It's working for Microsoft, and it's working in a lot of places as this lesson is learned.
A company culture is, whether we think so or not, based directly on the attitudes and behaviors of leaders at the top. Unless the CEO and other leaders role model the value of learning over knowing, it can’t be rewarded. If it can’t be rewarded, it isn’t incentivized, and people in companies don’t do what they aren’t in some way incentivized to do. We’re talking way beyond mere compensation when we talk about incentives, too. In many ways, the currency of a company culture is how things are discussed and celebrated. Without a very strong set of examples for rewarding learning and celebrating successes that came from throwing out expired thinking and faulty assumptions, especially those that had served us well in the past, there’s no hope for creating a company culture that will get you through the next phase of disruption.
Being coachable is one of the highest qualities I look for in people. It's not just about being willing to learn - it's about having genuine curiosity and the confidence to say, "I don't know." These are the qualities that make great leaders.
I've been in business for over 50 years now, and I've had plenty of chances to change and evolve - not just myself, but my businesses too. I learned to find the good even in challenging situations. That's why one of my favorite concepts we have at The Comma Club is "Embracing Change." We're always looking at what's working and what's not. And we ask the simple question: why?
This mindset has led me to discover what I call "Next Level Stoppers" or NLS. These are the beliefs and habits that hold us back. They stop us from experiencing new levels of success, and not just professionally. When I discovered my personal NLS, it opened up so many opportunities. I've built loving relationships, met amazing people, and had the chance to learn from some incredible teachers.
A few years back, we started talking about the idea of "unlearning." It's about clearing our minds and letting go of thoughts, beliefs, and habits that no longer serve us. This makes room for new ideas and growth. It's not easy - in fact, it's probably one of the biggest obstacles I see people face. But it's incredibly liberating when you get the hang of it.
Now, let's talk about the world we're living in. AI is creating all sorts of new possibilities, but it's also bringing potential disruptions and changes. We're spending a lot of time coaching our entrepreneurs to understand both the opportunities and challenges of using AI.
The workforce is changing too. We need to create attractive corporate cultures and understand what's happening not just in our backyards, but in the world at large.
Through all of this, I've realized that being coachable isn't just about personal growth - it affects everything around you. When you're open to learning and changing, you create an environment where your team feels safe to experiment. They might not get it right the first time, but they'll have great learning experiences that expand their capabilities.
I try to bring this mindset to every meeting, even when I'm the one leading it. I always view it as a chance to learn from the participants and their experiences. This approach helps me become a better leader and, honestly, a more likable person.
The best part? This attitude is powerful for everyone involved. It develops great leaders, drives great results, and creates an amazing culture. And let's not forget - it's fun!
So here's my challenge to you: Stay coachable. Embrace change with an open mind and spirit. Get excited about your challenges and see them as opportunities. Take time to identify your own Next Level Stoppers - those beliefs and values that might be holding you back.
Develop your vision and your leadership skills. Embrace not just change, but the truth. See and be the person and leader you truly want to be.
Remember, great leaders have situational awareness and self-awareness. These are qualities we can all develop if we stay open, curious, and yes - coachable.
What charges you up? What inspires you? For me, it's learning the path and being able to teach and coach others along it. It makes me smile just thinking about it. It's one of the things that fuels my energy and drives me to do what I do.
So, are you ready to embrace being coachable? Trust me, the journey is worth it.
Thanks a billion,
Dave
Coachable Leaders Lead Coachable Cultures