Are you holding yourself back?

"The day you decide to stop learning, you will start dying" says Richard di Benedetto, President of Aetna International, in an early episode of Manageable Conversations, the podcast featuring leaders who talk frankly about managers, teams, themselves and organisational issues they face.

It is one thing to be coached, and another to be coachable. Farley Thomas, co-founder and CEO of Manageable, says: “Coachability pushes you to acknowledge that you don’t have all the answers, gets you comfortable with not knowing and helps you explore, identify and act on blind spots.”

Regardless of whether you’re just starting out or have multiple years of experience under your belt, there is always more to know. “Learning every day should be on each and every person’s agenda”, along with a willingness to change, according to Richard di Benedetto. No-one has all the answers, but you can take control of your own success by adopting a daily commitment to learning.

When faced with changes, being receptive to advice can help you navigate new roles and responsibilities. Stuart Connolly, CEO of CloudMargin was offered a leadership position relatively early in his career. He admits this: “I fell into the trap of thinking, I’ve made it. I’m on the pathway here, this is it. Fast track to the top and, I don’t know, I wasn’t ready to lead, quite frankly.” Any responsibility can be daunting, but being coachable means that you are prepared to acknowledge your weaknesses and learn from those around you to be better prepared.

Sabine VanderLinden, CEO of Alchemy Crew, discusses the value of being open to new perspectives: “There is a process of continuous education and learning from others’ ideas, thoughts and concepts which can be brought into an industry that needs to change.” Sabine also touches on the importance of diverse experiences in order to keep developing personally. She believes that developing people as a manager involves giving them the ability to go and learn elsewhere. Coachability helps individuals explore possibilities far and wide.

Being coachable is one of the greatest skills you can have if you want to succeed. To hear more, tune into Manageable Conversations on Apple Music and Spotify.