Self-Awareness And Coachability: The Two Most Important Leadership Traits
by Quint Studer, author of “ The Busy Leader’s Handbook: How To Lead People and Places That Thrive “ I remember an interesting conversation I had with a venture capitalist. We were discussing the qualities he looks for when thinking of buying a company. I was expecting to hear words like “profitability” and “growth potential.” But instead, the VC put self-awareness and coachability at the top of the list. I was surprised but probably shouldn’t have been. I’ve worked with hundreds of leaders — in hospitals, on baseball fields, in government offices, in hotels, stores, and restaurants — and have seen that organizations that focus on these two qualities tend to be strong, innovative, and profitable. It makes sense. Today’s business environment requires us to adapt quickly and relentlessly. That means leaders must not only be great at what they do, they also have to be great learners. This mindset — which is connected to humility—requires that leaders “know what they don’t know” and be...