Coaching works best with high potential people who are willing to make a concerted effort to change, not as a religious conversion activity.
Interpretation
Coaching is most effective with motivated individuals ready to put in the effort to improve themselves.
In this quote, Marshall Goldsmith emphasizes that successful coaching requires engagement from individuals who have the potential for growth and are actively willing to work towards change. He clarifies that coaching should not be viewed as a form of forced belief change, but rather as a supportive process that individuals embrace to enhance their skills and performance.
In practice
This quote can be used in a motivational speech during a leadership training session.
Active questions are the alternative to passive questions. There is a huge difference between, 'Do you have clear goals?' and 'Did you do your best to set clear goals for yourself?' The former is trying to determine the employee's state of mind; the latter challenges the employee to describe or defend a course of action.
Treat every piece of advice as a gift or a compliment and simply say, βThank you.
The only thing I don't think people don't understand about good leaders is that they're both good and lucky. A lot of it is timing.
Life is short. Do whatever you can to help people - not for status, but because the 95-year-old you will be proud if you did help people and disappointed if you didn't.
If we become aware of what's happening before we act, behaviour becomes a function of choice rather than a result of an impulse or trigger. You begin to control your world more as opposed to the outside world controlling you.
A leader who is self-aware enough to know that he or she is not adept at everything is one who has taken the first step toward being a great leader.
There is no worse mistake in public leadership than to hold out false hope soon to be swept away.
To be the ultimate team, you must use your body and your mind. Draw up on the resources of your teammates. Choose your steps wisely and you will win. Remember, only teams succeed.
Part of diplomacy is to open different definitions of self-interest.
Whether at home or abroad, the task of statesman is to work with human nature warts and all, and to draw on instincts and even prejudices that can be turned to good purpose. It is never to try to recreate Mankind in a new image.
All things being equal, the primary competitive advantage of your business will be your ability to grow Leaders Without Titles faster than your industry peers.
Be men and women with others and for others: true champions at the service of others.
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