Why All Top Performers Know They Need a Coach

Studying Excellence

Michael Jordan. Tom Brady. Simone Biles. Shaun White.

These are some of the biggest names in sports. The level of excellence each has demonstrated in their respective careers has elevated their status beyond the arena of competition, and catapulted them to international fame.

While each of the star athletes listed above competed in a different sport, I’m sure you could quickly identify some shared attributes that contributed to their meteoric success. Innate talent, drive, perseverance, ambition, and maybe even a little bit of luck, are just a handful that come to mind.

But there’s one more factor that I believe trumps all the rest. It’s the common denominator for all top performers, whether it’s in athletics, business, or healthcare.

Coaching.

Each of the above athletes has had at least one world-class coach who came alongside and helped take them to a level that would not have been possible by themselves.

MJ and Phil Jackson. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Simone Biles and Aimee Boorman. Shaun White and Bud Keene.

The need for a coach in sports is so great, that it’s nearly impossible to find an example of an athlete who is the top of their game without one.

But athletes aren’t the only ones who benefit from a coach. Savvy business leaders also recognize that one of their greatest assets can be found in a trusted coach. They understand the benefits of having an outside perspective who can come alongside and help them achieve excellence.

Our Problem With Coaching

Unfortunately, few people have the insight to recognize the benefits of a coach on their own.

Our problem with coaching is one of perception. We live in a culture that glorifies individual achievement and the perception that our success is based soley upon our own hard work and sacrifice.

We carry a false perception that we are incompetent, lazy, or somewhat of a failure if we involve others in our business. As a result, the need for a coach is regarded as a sign of weakness rather than a source of greater strength; a punishment for underperformance rather than a benefit to unlocking potential.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt once scoffed at advice he received to hire a coach.

“I’m an experienced CEO. Why would I need a coach?” he thought. “Am I doing something wrong?”

But Schmidt soon came to realize the real value of a coach. Not as somebody you need to supplement your skills, but as someone who enhances what you already have.

In an interview with Fortune, Eric Schmidt admitted that finding a coach was the best advice he ever received. “A coach is somebody who looks at something with another set of eyes, describes it to you in [his] words, and discusses how to approach the problem.”

The Hidden Costs of Going Alone

Many talented and hard working individuals make the mistake of refusing to seek the help and advice of a coach. Often their refusal comes from a place of misplaced self-worth and pride. They believe they can get to their destination just the same on their own.

While this may be true, people with high potential in their careers often fail to appreciate the true cost of moving forward alone.

The greatest costs are speed and potential.

Solo is Slow

To illustrate the costs of not finding a coach, imagine that you’re a bodybuilder at the gym who wants to increase their bench press from 200lbs to 250lbs.

So you get underneath the bar and start your workout, but with each set you have to stop a few reps sooner than you’d like to because you don’t have a spotter. Nobody is there to help safely guide the weight off your chest as you strain your muscles outside of your comfort zone.

Consequently, your progress is slower than it could have been otherwise. You may eventually reach your goal of a 250lb press, but at the cost of getting there faster.

Solo Caps Potential

Let’s continue with the bodybuilder analogy for a minute…

A spotter is someone who not only helps you complete difficult reps, but they also are there to encourage you and celebrate wins with you along the way.

As you make progress on your goal to 250lbs, your spotter may be quick to suggest that your goal is too low. From their experience, they’ve seen people your size bench 280lbs – easily!

Without a spotter on your team, you run the risk of plateauing at the limitations that you set for yourself. Whereas a spotter can provide the unique insight, inspiration, and motivation to help you accomplish more.

The Best Invest in a Coach

Lebron James spends roughly $1.5 million every year on coaches and trainers.

Why? Because he realizes that investing in a strong supporting cast will pay huge dividends in his career. They’re a key component that keeps him performing at his highest level, even after 16 seasons in the NBA.

Finding a coach does not mean that your performance is necessarily struggling.

Rather, top performers recognize that partnering with a great coach is an act of further investing in their current success.

Additional Benefits

If you’re still unconvinced if you could benefit from a professional coach, think about these ways that coaches unlock our true potential by:

• Helping us ask better questions
• Providing recommendations based on their unique, specialized experience
• Identifying gaps between where we are and where we want to be
• Asking for more intentional thought or action than what we ask of ourselves
• Holding us accountable
• Helping clarify our goals
• Identifying blind spots
• Finding a competitive advantage
• Getting us unstuck

Doing What’s Right For You

At MDManagement Group, we strongly believe in the advantages that a coach can provide to your healthcare practice. That’s why our mission is to come alongside independent physicians so they can practice on purpose, care for patients, and reach their personal goals.

But we also acknowledge that finding the right coach is a very personal decision.

Your success in business is yours to manage. You need to own it and be accountable for why coaching matters to you.