Are you more of a cheerleader or a critic, and how can you become more of a coach?
Adam Grant is a psychologist who recently wrote a book called Hidden Potential that talks about how you can raise and exceed the expectations you have for yourself and others. He says we constantly underestimate our potential and the potential of others, and one of the greatest disappointments in life is seeing people squander their potential.
He says a leader's ultimate measure of success is how much the groups they lead accomplish, so if you fail to help people or teams realize their full potential, you fail as a leader.
Adam says leaders can fall into one of two traps: Cheerleaders recognize people’s best selves and harness their strengths but don’t help them identify their weaknesses, hold them accountable, or help them grow. Critics deflate the people around them by focusing on what they can’t do or what they are always doing wrong, destroying their confidence and hope.
The best leaders are coaches who see hidden potential and help people become the best version of themselves by recognizing and leveraging their strengths without allowing them to get complacent, helping people to see their weaknesses without getting discouraged, and energizing people by helping them recognize how good they are today and how good they can and will be tomorrow.
Great coaches give effective feedback, and they do so in real-time instead of waiting for the end of the season or performance reviews. When giving feedback, coaches grow and build people by sharing a couple of things they do well and a couple of areas for improvement, and they focus on behavior change by saying, “I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations, and I’m confident you can reach them.”
Saying this in your own words communicates, “I’m not attacking you and I’m not judging you, I am here to coach you and help you grow.”
Leaders build, grow, and develop people by being motivating and inspiring cheerleaders and by being constructive critics who provide feedback and hold people accountable.
Questions of the Day: Are you more of a cheerleader or a critic, and how can you become more of a coach?
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