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  • Michael Edmondson

Do you remain open to having a coach?


Today is October 13 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is “How often do you remain open to having a coach?”

People who navigate the chaos like Eric Schmidt know the value of getting a coach.

A colleague recommended that Schmidt get a coach in 2001 when he was far along in his career. From 2001 to 2011, Schmidt served as the CEO of Google.

As Schmidt recalls “I initially resented the advice, because after all, I was a CEO. I was pretty experienced. Why would I need a coach? Am I doing something wrong? How could a coach advise me if I'm the best person in the world at this? But that's not what a coach does. The coach doesn't have to play the sport as well as you do. They have to watch you and get you to be your best. In the business context a coach is not a repetitious coach. 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. Once I realized I could trust him, Bill Campbell, and that he could help me with perspective, I decided this was a great idea. When there is [a] business conflict you tend to get rat-holed into it. [Bill's] general advice has been to rise one step higher, above the person on the other side of the table, and to take the long view. He'll say, "You're letting it bother you. Don't."

As the 16th century French writer Michel de Montaigne noted “There is nothing more notable in Socrates than that he found time, when he was an old man, to learn music and dancing, and thought it time well spent.”

When he was at the top of his game Schmidt remained open to learning and hired a coach.

Do you remain open to learning as you age?

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