Carte The Weekly Coaching Conversations

Praise for
The Weekly Coaching Conversation
“Brian Souza is an author after my own heart. Don’t miss

this outstanding story! Not only is The Weekly Coaching
Conversation a great story, but Brian also knows that, as a
leader, you are nothing without your people. I highly rec-
ommend you read this engaging story and let it inspire you
to become a better leader.”
—KEN BLANCHARD,
Coauthor of The One Minute Manager and Great Leaders Grow
“Prepare to be entertained, inspired, and educated on what

it really takes to begin the transformational journey from
acting like a manager to becoming ‘a coach.’ To get the most
out of your organization, team, and especially yourself, The
Weekly Coaching Conversation is an absolute must-read.”
—RICHARD J. BAKOSH, Global Managing Director, Accenture
“Management folklore has a new hero: Coach—a colorful

and crusty veteran with tons to teach eager high-achievers.
Brian Souza artfully brings Coach to life in The Weekly
Coaching Conversation, a book grounded solidly in rig-
orous research and practical experience and written in a
highly memorable and inviting style. The fictional world
of The Weekly Coaching Conversation is packed with real-
world dilemmas, timeless lessons, and unforgettable turns-
of-phrase. It’s a highly enjoyable read, and one you’ll find
yourself returning to often. The Weekly Coaching Conver-
sation is a winner!”
—JIM KOUZES, Coauthor of The Leadership Challenge,
Dean’s Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School
of Business, Santa Clara University
“The Weekly Coaching Conversation is great for the mind
and the soul. Powerful coaching!”
—MARSHALL GOLDSMITH,
Author of MOJO and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
“The Weekly Coaching Conversation is a great read and

will become the definitive guide for aspiring leaders. If you
want to take your team’s performance to the next level,
read this book.”
—MARK SILVERMAN, President, The Big Ten Network
“The Weekly Coaching Conversation is full of warm, won-

derful wisdom with timeless lessons for leadership and per-
sonal success.”
—BRIAN TRACY, Author, How the Best Leaders Lead
“Brian Souza’s new book, The Weekly Coaching Conversa-

tion, is destined to become a classic in the world of business
leadership and the pursuit of maximizing human potential.
It is an inviting, enchanting, and awe-inspiring parable. I
highly recommend Brian’s new masterpiece.”
—MICHAEL LARDON, M.D., Author of Finding Your Zone:
Ten Core Lessons for Achieving Peak Performance
in Life and Sports
“The Weekly Coaching Conversation is a powerful book

with an important message for all managers. In addition
to a great story, in this book Brian Souza also presents a
wonderful framework. I highly recommend it!”
—VERNE HARNISH,
CEO, Gazelles, and Founder, Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO)
“I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Weekly Coaching Con-
versation and highly recommend it. Brian Souza is a won-
derful storyteller with a powerful message. The ideas
presented in this book are the foundation of long-term suc-
cess and should be required reading for all managers and
aspiring leaders.”
—JOHN DAUT, Senior Vice-President of Sales, NetJets
“If you want to learn what it takes to lead and succeed in

today’s highly competitive corporate environment, read
The Weekly Coaching Conversation. While it’s an engaging
story that makes it a quick read, the leadership message is
timeless!”
—RICK JACKSON, Chief Marketing Officer, VMWare, Inc.
T H E W E E K LY
Coaching
Conversation
A BUS I N ES S FA B L E
about taking your team’s performance

—and your career—to the next level
r /&83&7*4&%&%*5*0/ r
B R IA N S O U Z A
copyright page tk
To my amazing wife for all her love, support, and friend-
ship over the years. And to my two beautiful daughters
for reminding me what it’s all about.
CONTE NTS
Introduction 1
THE FABLE 7
Party Time 9
Hero to Zero 13
Growing Pains 21
Another Disciple 29
Coach’s Secret 33
The Moment 39
&NQUZUIF$VQ 47
A New Approach 55
The Next Level 65
Magic Pint Glass 81
Mindset 89
The Talk 99
The Greatest Gift 109
The Coaching Conversation Continues 117
The Leadership Moment 129
The Story After the Story 137
THE PROGRAM 145

3FTFBSDI0WFSWJFX 147
'SBNFXPSL0WFSWJFX
Acknowledgments 177
About the Author 180
Introduction
I
f you study high-performance teams, it’s fascinating
to observe the parallels between professional sports
and business. There is the intense training, complex
strategies, tactical game plans, fierce competition, and, of
course, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. How-
ever, above all else you’ll notice one key commonality:
They both have world-class “coaches” who are com-
mitted to bringing out the best in their teams.
Take a good look at your team. Have you ever felt that
your team members had more to give, but you weren’t
quite sure how to get it out of them? Have you ever
thought that they might benefit from a coaching conver-
sation, but you didn’t really know what to say or how to
say it? Are you looking for that one new idea, that one
simple strategy that will take your team’s performance—
and your career—to the next level? If so, I wrote this
book for you.
1
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While the fable you’re about to read is fictional, the

foundation of the framework behind this book and asso-
ciated training program is deeply rooted in an exhaustive
five-year research project on employee performance that
my team and I conducted in conjunction with Ipsos, one
of the world’s leading research firms.
With our research encompassing thousands of man-
agers and employees from hundreds of companies, we
had the unique opportunity to interview, study, and ana-
lyze hundreds of world-class leaders of highly productive
teams. Ironically, while we were initially in pursuit of a
new theory on employee performance and organizational
productivity, we accidentally stumbled on something
much more profound—a truth so simple in its construct
and yet so significant in its application that it has literally
changed my life.
In short, in analyzing the critical few key distinctions
that separate world-class leaders of high-performance
teams from most managers, we discovered that the fun-
damental difference wasn’t necessarily their IQ, strategic
vision, or operational prowess, as one might suspect.
Surprisingly, the fundamental difference primarily came
down to one thing: their approach. They didn’t act like a
manager; they acted like a coach.
Just as in sports, world-class leaders of high-performance
2
*/530%6$5*0/
teams understand that the only way to systematically im-

prove performance is through consistently giving con-
structive coaching and developmental feedback. In fact,
dozens of studies—including our own—have proven that
there is a direct correlation between the quantity and
quality of coaching that an individual receives and his or
her level of performance improvement.
In other words, a lot of coaching equals a lot of im-
provement. A little coaching equals a little improvement.
No coaching equals no improvement. This seems pretty
obvious, right? Apparently not, because we discovered
that 44 percent of employees report never having received
any constructive coaching or developmental feedback.
That’s right: nearly half of employees aren’t receiving any
constructive coaching or developmental feedback!
Why aren’t most employees receiving much, if any,
DPBDIJOH &WFONPSFJNQPSUBOU XIZBSFOUNPSFNBO-
agers coaching and developing their teams? As you’re
about to learn, the answer is surprisingly simple—when
it comes to the people side of management, they’ve never
been taught the right approach.
Most managers fail to realize that relying on annual
or quarterly performance reviews is not nearly enough
to move the needle and that relying on someone else to
come in once a year and train their team won’t get the
3
T H E W E E K LY C O A C H I N G C O N V E R S A T I O N
job done. They don’t realize that coaching and devel-

oping employees isn’t an annual event, or even a quar-
terly event. In fact, it’s not an event at all. It’s an ongoing
process that should be inextricably tied to everything
that you—as a manger, supervisor, or team leader—do
on a weekly basis.
In fact, from a cadence perspective, our research re-
vealed that the optimal level of engagement was to facili-
tate what amounted to a weekly coaching conversation.
Having devoted years to codifying those critical few key
behaviors required to systematically improve employee
performance, we’ve distilled them into a simple-to-under-
stand, easy-to-apply, three-step framework.
What exactly does that mean? Where’s the system?
What’s the plan? In short, that’s what this book is all
about. But this book is also about something else: having
a little fun!
Have you ever noticed how most business books have
a tendency to lull you to sleep before you get the take-
away? Well, I wanted this book to be entertaining first,
educational second. My goal is for you to actually want
to read this book, not feel that you had to because it was
a “gift” from your boss.
,OPXJOH GVMM XFMM UIBU UIF POMZ UIJOH XPSTF UIBO B
boring business book is a bad fable, I decided that if I was
4
*/530%6$5*0/
going to tell a story, I wanted to tell a good story—no,

a great story. I wanted to tell the kind of story that not
only motivates the mind but inspires the heart. The kind
that makes you laugh, makes you think, and maybe even
makes you shed a tear or two in the end. As you’ll learn
in “the story after the story” in the back of this book, this
is a story that is near and dear to my heart.
3FHBSEMFTTPGXIFSFZPVBSFPOZPVSMFBEFSTIJQKPVSOFZ
—whether you’re an aspiring team leader, a new man-
ager, mid-level executive, or seasoned leader—I guarantee
you’ll find yourself in this story and learn some incredibly
valuable lessons along the way.
The plot is centered around Brad, a sales manager, who
gets an impromptu Ivy League lesson in leadership from
an old college football coach at a dive bar. After recently
turning around one of the company’s worst-performing
EJWJTJPOTBOECFJOHOBNFE4BMFT-FBEFSPGUIF:FBS #SBE
thinks he has all the answers—that is, until he meets Coach.
With the business acumen of Jack Welch and the motiva-
UJPOBMJOUFOTJUZPG7JODF-PNCBSEJBOE4JS"MFY'FSHVTPO
Coach is a bundle of contradictions. At one moment, he’s
jokingly ranting mild obscenities, and the next he’s dis-
pensing wisdom like the Dali Lama. At times, he can be
as militant as a drill sergeant, and at others as mellow as a
3BTUBGBSJBO%FTQJUFIJTNBOZDPOUSBEJDUJPOT POFUIJOH
5
is certain: Everybody loves Coach. As you’ll soon discover,

Coach shares with Brad a new system that not only trans-
forms his career but ultimately ends up changing his life.
Irrespective of your position, industry, or where you
might fall on an org chart, if you truly want to become a
world-class leader, you must first realize that the only way
you can reach your potential is to first help your team
NFNCFSTBDIJFWFUIFJST0S BT$PBDITBZT ZPVNVTUHFUJU
into your head and your heart that coaching is not merely
something that you, as a manager, must do. A coach is
someone that you, as a leader, must become.
# 3 * "/ 4 0 6; "
President & Founder, ProductivityDrivers
ProductivityDrivers.com
San Diego, CA
6
TH E
FABLE
Party Time
B
rad Hutchinson was riding high as he made his
way down Interstate 280. His destination was
Halftime—a famous dive bar just down the street
GSPN4UBOGPSE6OJWFSTJUZJOUIFPUIFSXJTFZVQQJàFEDJUZPG
Palo Alto, California. Brad was raring to celebrate. Just a
few hours earlier, he had been named Sales Leader of the
:FBS CZ UIF FYFDVUJWF WJDFQSFTJEFOU GPS /1$B Fortune
500 high-tech company—at the company’s regional awards
meeting. This wasn’t just any award. In a results-focused,
sales-driven company like NPC, it was the award. In a few
XFFLT UIF DPNQBOZT $&0 XPVME QSFTFOU #SBE XJUI UIF
award at the company’s annual black-tie gala.
As excited as Brad was, a cloud hung over his achieve-
ment. A strange vibe had pulsated through the room when
UIF&71NBEFIJTTVSQSJTFBOOPVODFNFOU5IFBQQMBVTF
had been polite but light, and whispered reactions com-
bined to form a murmur that filled the room. For some
9
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reason everyone—especially those on Brad’s team—had

been shocked that he of all people had received such a
IJHIMZDPWFUFEBXBSE&WFSZPOF UIBUJT FYDFQU#SBE"T
far as he was concerned, his results were proof positive
that he had earned it. After all, he had managed to trans-
form one of the company’s worst-performing divisions
into one of the best in only a year.
For Brad, the award was his crowning career achieve-
ment and served as proof that he could transcend his
humble roots. His drive and determination to succeed
were rooted in his upbringing in a working-class family
that at times felt lucky just to have enough milk for
the Cheerios, let alone a silver spoon to eat with. After
working his way through school and earning his bach-
elor’s degree, Brad landed an entry-level job and quickly
rose through the sales ranks. Senior management soon
took note of this rising superstar and put him on the man-
agement fast-track—which only seemed to increase his
appetite for more money, a bigger title, and greater pres-
tige. And the more he raced through life, the more he did
it with a singular focus: himself. With that focus, how-
ever, came blind spots that would only become apparent
in his new management role.
After the regional meeting ended, Brad had invited
his team to help him celebrate at Half-time for Friday
10
1" 35 : 5 * . &
afternoon Happy Hour. Now as he sped down Interstate

TXFSWJOHJOBOEPVUPGUSBGàD CMBSJOH#MBDL&ZFE
Peas through his stereo, singing “I Gotta Feeling” at the
top of his lungs—he couldn’t help but think, Tonight’s
gonna be a good night. He thought for sure that this night
would be one of those legendary nights people would talk
about and relive for years to come.
In a way, he was right.
11
Here to Zero
B
rad hit the scene at Halftime at 5:15 p.m.,
bursting through the doors with enough swagger
to make Donald Trump seem like an introvert.
With neon beer signs plastered on the walls, peanut shells
scattered over the concrete floor, and a mishmash of old
EBSUCPBSET PWFSTJ[FE57T BOE VOEFSTJ[FE QPPM UBCMFT
Halftime was one of those unique watering holes where
an eclectic mix of bar regulars, high-powered business ex-
ecutives, and university students came together to let their
hair down and blow off steam.
Brad bellied up to the bar and ordered a pint from
Little Nikki. An imposing figure at six-foot-five with a
shiny bald head and his signature cutoff T-shirt to show
off his bulging biceps, Nikki looked more like the leader
of the Hell’s Angels biker gang than the affable owner of
one of the friendliest hangouts in town.
13
Brad shucked a few peanuts, throwing the shells on

the floor as Nikki slid him a cold draft. He downed it
like ice-cold water on a hot summer day. He was there
to celebrate, and tonight he planned to go big. So he or-
dered another and managed to polish it off as quickly as
the first. With two pints down in less than thirty minutes,
he figured he had better hit the head before the others
showed up and the real party started.
As he made his way to the restroom at the back of the
CBS UIF#MBDL&ZFE1FBTTPOHTUJMMTUVDLJOIJTIFBE BOE
he thought to himself, Yes, indeed . . . tonight’s going to
be a good night.
Brad stood over the old tin horse trough, looking over
last week’s sports section pinned to the corkboard in front
of him. Without warning, the door behind him flew open
and slammed into the wall.
“That’s an awful fancy suit you got on there!” bellowed
a gruff voice. “Don’t you think you’re a little overdressed
for a sh-- hole like this? What—you just come from a
funeral or something?” The voice broke into a cascade of
coarse laughter.
Brad twisted his head as best he could, given the rather
peculiar circumstances, and tried to get a look at the man
behind the booming voice. He was surprised—and re-
lieved—to see it wasn’t one of the rougher-looking guys
14
)&3&50;&30
he’d seen at the bar pounding shots of Jack Daniels at

five in the afternoon. This man was older—probably in
his early seventies. He was smartly dressed and rather dis-
tinguished looking. It wasn’t just the way he dressed that
said this man was clearly very successful. It was also the
way he carried himself—his presence. There was a unique
aura about him that instantly put Brad at ease.
“No, not exactly,” Brad said as he loosened his tie. “This
isn’t my usual Friday night getup. I actually just came from
my region’s annual awards meeting. I’m here to—”
“Awards meeting!” the old man interrupted in a loud
but friendly tone. “Did you win anything?”
“Matter of fact, I did,” Brad boasted, feeling more re-
laxed now that he’d finished his personal business. “I had
a huge year. I absolutely crushed my number. In fact, just
B GFX IPVST BHP NZ &71 BOOPVODFE UIBU *WF CFFO TF-
MFDUFEBTUIFDPNQBOZT4BMFT-FBEFSPGUIF:FBS"OEUP
top it off, this is only my first year as a manager!”
As the old man went over to wash his hands, Brad half-
jokingly added, “I guess this management stuff isn’t so
tough after all.”
“I don’t know about that,” the old man said as they
left the restroom and walked toward the bar together,
“but that’s pretty damn impressive. Congrats! So I take it
you’re here to celebrate?”
15
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#SBE HMBODFE BU IJT XBUDIi:FBI *O GBDU NZ EJSFDU

reports should be here any minute now. And don’t be sur-
prised if you see me riding that electric bull over there in
a few hours. I have a feeling tonight’s going to be one of
those nights.”
“Then let me be the first to buy you a celebratory cold
one,” the old man said as he motioned to Little Nikki for
another round.
Brad thanked him for the pint and kept the friendly
banter going.
“So what brings an old fart like you to a dive bar like
UIJT :PVEPOUFYBDUMZMPPLMJLFZPVSFXJUIthose guys,”
Brad joked, motioning with his head to a few bikers sit-
ting at the bar.
The old man smiled. “Who? Thrasher? Don’t worry.
He may look tough, but he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll
ever meet. I’m traveling a lot these days, so on Fridays
whenever I’m in town I like to come down here to meet
up with a few old friends, throw back a few, tell some lies,
BOESFNJOJTDFBCPVUUIFHPPEPMEEBZT:PVLOPXIPX
it is . . .”
No sooner had the old man mentioned his buddies
than one of them yelled at him from across the room.
i)FZ $PBDIuIJTCVEEZDBMMFEi:PVHPOOBTIPPUQPPM
or keep trying your tired pickup lines on the new guy?”
16
)&3&50;&30
The group hanging out by the pool tables roared with

laughter and exchanged high-fives. The old man just
shook his head and grinned.
“Listen,” he said, grabbing his pint, “I’d better get back
to my pool game before those jokers start trying to cheat.
They know that’s the only way they’ll stand a chance. I’m
like Minnesota Fats—I’m just too damn good!” The old
man held up his glass for a toast and added, “Here’s to
ZPV LJE4BMFT-FBEFSPGUIF:FBSJOZPVSàSTUZFBSPVUPG
the gate? That’s one hell of an accomplishment.”
Back on his stool at the bar, Brad glanced at his watch.
He thought for sure he had told his team to meet him at
5:30, but here it was 5:45, and no one had shown up yet.
No worries, he thought, trying to reassure himself. They’ll
show. After all, it is Friday at rush hour; they’re probably
just stuck in traffic or something. He grabbed his phone
and fired off a few text reminders.
&WFSZ UJNF UIF GSPOU EPPS TXVOH PQFO #SBE FBHFSMZ
turned his head, expecting to see one of his team members.
But the minutes ticked by and not one of them showed
up. Maybe they got lost, he thought. So he grabbed his
phone again and fired out a few more texts, this time with
directions.
Meanwhile, he couldn’t help noticing the constant flow
of professionally dressed, middle-aged men and women
17
streaming through the doors and making a beeline to the

back of the bar where the old man was holding court.
&BDIPOFHSFFUFEUIFHVZXJUIBOFOUIVTJBTUJDi$PBDIu
and accepted his bear hug as if they were long-lost friends.
Who is this guy? Brad wondered.
By 6:15, with no messages and no direct reports to
be found, Brad began wondering if anyone was going
to show up. Of course they will, he thought, desperately
trying to assure himself. Why wouldn’t they? Still, he
decided he had waited long enough. It was time to kick
things up a notch and really get the party started. He
ordered another pint, but this time backed it up with a
Purple Hooter.
A few more minutes passed. He checked his phone—
still no messages. He glanced at the door—still no direct
reports. He ordered another pint, another Purple Hooter,
and a plate of nachos. Still no messages. Still no direct
reports. Another pint, another Purple Hooter, and a plate
of wings. Still no messages. Still no direct reports.
After a few hours at the bar celebrating alone, the
harsh reality finally sank in: They’re not going to show.
Brad’s heart sank. I don’t get it, he thought. Why didn’t
they come? As if to add insult to injury, he couldn’t help
but look toward the back of the room, where at least a
couple of dozen people had now gathered around the old
18
)&3&50;&30
man; the crowd was back-slapping, belly-laughing, and

having a grand old time.
Meanwhile, back up at the bar all alone, dazed and
confused, Brad was an emotional wreck. His stomach
churned and he suddenly felt an aching emptiness inside.
How could one of the best nights of my life turn into one
of the worst? Didn’t his team understand the significance
of this award? Didn’t they appreciate all the deals he had
closed for them? What was wrong with them?
Then it hit him: Had he done something wrong?
For the first time, Brad felt his once-impenetrable shield
of self-confidence crumble. At 8:45 p.m., he closed out his
tab and headed to the restroom for a final pit stop before
counting his losses and calling it a night.
19
Growing Pains
T
he old man deftly banked the nine ball off a side
rail and into the far corner pocket. He did a vic-
tory dance around the pool table to the hoots of
the half-dozen or so friends who were still hanging out
with him in the back room of Halftime. The soirée had fi-
nally started to die down a bit, but those hanging around
were still going strong.
6OCFLOPXOTUUP#SBE UIFPMENBOIBECFFOLFFQJOH
an eye on him throughout the evening. Following his cel-
ebratory dance, he looked across the room and noticed
Brad closing out his tab and then heading toward the re-
stroom. After handing his cue to one of his buddies, he
followed Brad into the men’s room.
“Hey, kid?” he jokingly hollered as he burst through
the doors. “What the hell happened to all those direct
SFQPSUTPGZPVST :PVEJEOUàSFUIFN EJEZB u
21
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Brad lifted his face from the sink where he’d been
splashing water in his eyes, partly in an attempt to sober
up and partly in hopes that it might wake him from this
horrible nightmare.
i0I OPCJHEFBM uIFTBJEi:PVLOPXIPXJUJT*N
sure they had a good excuse. No worries.”
The words rang hollow in the old man’s ears. In the
span of just a few hours, he’d watched as the once seem-
ingly invincible young man had degenerated into a shell
of his former self. Feeling compassion for the young man-
ager, the old man decided he had better help.
“Hey,” he said softly, “just out of curiosity, would you
mind if I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” Brad said. “What’s that?”
“When we were talking earlier, you said that you
crushed your number, right? Well, my question is . . . how
many people on your team crushed theirs?”
With that, the old man abruptly turned and walked
away. Brad lifted his head from the sink and stared into
the mirror, his face still dripping wet.
“What the hell was that all about?” he said out loud.
He reached for a paper towel, dried his face, and exited
the restroom.
“Hey, wait a minute,” he yelled in the old man’s direc-
tion. “What is that supposed to mean?”
22
( 308 * / ( 1" * / 4
The old man was walking slowly back toward the pool
tables, as if to give Brad some time to ponder the depths
of the question he had just asked. He turned back to Brad.
“Well, you said that your ‘direct reports’—I believe
that’s how you phrased it—were supposed to come here
tonight to help you celebrate, because you crushed your
number, right?”
i:FBI UIBUTSJHIU u#SBESFQMJFEi8IBUBCPVUJU u
“And they didn’t show up, did they?”
“No, they didn’t.”
“So, I was just curious if they had a reason to cele-
brate,” the old man said.
The question hung in the air unanswered. Finally the
old man continued, asking, “How many ‘direct reports’
did you say you had?”
“Ten,” Brad said.
“And just out of curiosity, how many of them made their
number?”
Brad paused a moment to think it over. “Five,” he said.
“And most of them probably wouldn’t have even made
their numbers if it hadn’t been for me parachuting in at the
bottom of the ninth inning to close a few monster deals
for them.”
“Ahhhhhh . . .” the old man said. “Now I see.”
“See what?”
23
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“So that’s the reason they didn’t show,” the old man said
under his breath. He looked back at Brad with a smirk on
his face and asked, “So how long have you had it?”
“Had what?” Brad asked, surprised by such a random
question.
“A.A.M. Syndrome,” the old man said without missing
a beat.
“A.A.M. Syndrome?”
The old man’s mischievous smile helped Brad relax just
a little but the next words from the his mouth dealt a
clean blow to Brad’s ego.
“It’s called ‘All About Me Syndrome.’ It’s very common
among frontline managers—especially sales managers. It’s
a frightening disease that causes its victims’ heads to swell
to twice their normal size, making them think they’re a hell
of a lot smarter than they actually are. It’s brutal. I bet it’s
killed more careers than the Great Depression ever did!”
The old man could hardly contain his laughter. Brad,
on the other, was clearly not amused.
i)B IB uIFTBJEi7FSZGVOOZOPX*HFUJUu
“Do you? Do you really get it?” the old man asked,
cranking the intensity up a notch. “Tell you what. Since
you think you’ve got all this management stuff figured
out, let me ask you another question to see just how much
you really get it.”
24
( 308 * / ( 1" * / 4
Brad stood silently, waiting. The old man appeared to

be carefully choosing his next words. With a piercing in-
tensity, he finally asked, “What is your job?”
The seemingly simplistic question disappointed Brad.
Suddenly he wondered why he was even wasting his time
with this conversation.
“What do you mean?” he snapped. “Like I told you,
I’m a sales manager.”
i0LBZ uUIFPMENBOTBJE WJTJCMZTUSVHHMJOHUPNBJO-
tain his composure. “In your role as a sales manager, what
is your job?”
“Isn’t that obvious?” Brad quipped. “To make my
number.”
Having had enough of Brad’s pompous attitude, the
old man lunged forward like a predator pouncing on prey.
i8SPOHuIFTIPVUFEi:PVSKPCJTOPUUPNBLFyour
number; it’s to help your team members make theirs.”
Noticing that heads were starting to turn, the old man
lowered his voice slightly but didn’t let up on the intensity.
i:PVSF XPOEFSJOH XIZ ZPVS EJSFDU SFQPSUT EJEOU
show up to help you celebrate?” he said. “It’s because
they don’t have a reason to celebrate. Half of your team
failed to achieve their goal. And for the other half who
made it, you said yourself that it was basically handed to
them. There’s no cause for celebrating failure. And there’s
25
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
no joy in celebrating an empty victory that was handed

to you.”
Brad stood in silence, stunned.
i,JE ZPVKVTUEPOUHFUJU EPZPV uUIFPMENBOTBJE
“In your new role, it’s not about you anymore; it’s about
them—your team members. It’s about their dreams, their
goals, and their victories—not yours. And until you get
that, you’ll be just another typical manager who’s in it to
win it for himself.”
i:PVLOPXXIBUZPVSQSPCMFNJT uUIFPMENBOBEEFE
i:PVTUJMMUIJOLJUTZPVSKPCUPCFUIFTNBSUFTUQFSTPOJO
the room. It’s not. In your new role, your job is to make
everyone else on your team feel as if they’re the smartest
people in the room.”
“What are you talking about?” Brad said in a slightly
defensive tone. “I’m not supposed to be smart? I’m not
TVQQPTFEUPNBLFNZOVNCFS 3FBMMZ u
The old man sighed, unable to conceal his mounting
frustration.
i-JTUFO LJE u IF TBJEi0WFS UIF ZFBST *WF TFFO IVO-
dreds of mediocre managers just like you come through
those doors in their knockoff suits and cheap Italian shoes,
walking with a swagger they have yet to earn—thinking
they have all the answers. The truth is, you don’t know
TI:PVNBZCFBGSPOUMJOFmanager, but you don’t have
26
( 308 * / ( 1" * / 4
the slightest clue about what it takes to become a front-

line leader.”
With that, the old man turned and started back toward
his buddies by the pool table.
27
Another Disciple
B
SBEGFMUMJLFB6'$.."àHIUFSCBSFMZBCMFUP
get up from the floor after a series of brutal body
blows. But while he may have been down, he
wasn’t out. He decided to make one last attempt to sal-
vage what little pride he had left.
“Hey, hold on a minute,” he said. “I won Sales Leader
PGUIF:FBS EJEOU* u
The old man stopped, turned, and looked Brad dead
in the eye.
“I hate to burst your bubble, but to be a leader, people
must follow. And the fact that your team didn’t show up
tonight speaks a hell of a lot louder than any trophy you
may put on your mantel.”
Brad’s heart sank—not just because none of his team
showed up, and not just because of what the old man
said, but because of how the old man said it. He remem-
bered how lighthearted and fun-loving the old man had
29
been earlier in the evening, and it was obvious that Brad

had managed to really upset him. Brad knew that the guy
was just trying to help. He suddenly started feeling some-
thing he hadn’t experienced in years—remorse. He also
knew something else: The old man was right.
Brad took a deep breath and said, “Hey, listen, I want
to apologize if I’ve offended you. It’s obviously been a
pretty rough night.”
With his emotions running high and plenty of liquid
courage running through his veins, Brad decided to let
down his guard, stop pretending, and for the first time
just open up and acknowledge the truth.
“The truth is . . . the truth is . . .” He took another deep
breath and quickly glanced around to make sure no one
was within an earshot. “The truth is, you’re right. I don’t
have a friggin’ clue about how to be a manager, let alone a
MFBEFS:PVXBOUUPLOPXXIZ*QBSBDIVUFJOUPDMPTFCJH
deals for my team? It’s because that’s all I’ve been trained to
do. I’m a sales guy. When I was promoted, I was basically
thrown out there without any real training or coaching
and basically left to sink or swim. I’m not sinking, but I’m
sure as heck not doing synchronized swimming, either.”
i3FBMMZ u UIF PME NBO TBJE MJGUJOH BO FZFCSPX BOE
cracking a smile. “I think you’d look pretty cute in one of
those sparkly outfits with your hair all up in a bun.”
30
"/05)&3%*4$*1-&
Both of them had a good laugh, which helped diffuse

the tension in the air.
The raw honesty and humility in Brad’s response struck a
chord with the old man. The old man wondered if the com-
bination of his Irish temper and the Irish whiskey had gotten
the better of him. He decided he’d been too hard on Brad,
especially given all that he had been through that evening.
The old man had been officially retired for quite some
time, and it had been years since he’d taken on a new
protégé. The young manager clearly needed help, but the
old man took a minute to consider whether he had the
time and energy to help, given his other charitable and
business interests. Finally, the look of confusion and des-
peration in Brad’s eyes convinced him that he had to get
involved. Although he hadn’t openly asked for any help,
the old man felt compelled to at least offer.
i*MJLFZPV LJE TPIFSFTUIFEFBM uIFTBJEi:PVTFFN
like you’ve got some potential, some humility, and a lot
of fire. And if you’re up for it, I think I can help you out.
But only under one condition. . . .”
“Sure, what’s that?”
“I want you to promise that you’ll pay it forward.”
“Pay it forward?”
“I want you to promise me that you’ll use what I’m
about to teach you to make a positive difference in
31
people’s lives—especially your team members. I’ll invest

in you as long as you promise to invest in them.”
Brad took a deep breath. Sure, he barely knew this guy.
But he was definitely in need of some serious help, and
he had a hunch that the old man could provide it. So he
decided to follow his gut instinct.
“Done,” Brad said.
With a smile the old man extended his hand. “Mick
Donnelly,” he said, “but you can call me ‘Coach.’”
“Brad Hutchinson,” Brad said as he shook Mick’s hand,
“but you can call me ‘Sales Manager.’”
Coach smiled, patted Brad on the back, and said, “Now
go home, drink some water, and get some rest. I’ll meet
you right back here next Friday at 5:30. Don’t be late.”
"T UIFZ QBSUFE XBZT $PBDI UVSOFE BOE DBMMFE i0I
and one more thing. I want you to do a little homework
over the next week.”
Homework? Brad thought to himself. But he wasn’t about
to question his new coach before they even got started.
“Sure,” Brad said, “what’s that?”
“I want you to chew on this question: Why is it that the
best players often make the worst coaches?”
Brad gave him a thumbs-up and headed out the door
to hail a cab.
32
Coach’s Secret
A
fter he had recovered, Brad spent the weekend
mentally going over his encounter with Coach
and wondering what he’d gotten himself into by
agreeing to meet with this mysterious character. But he
also felt relief, sensing that this outspoken gentlemen was
about to help him conquer some pretty serious manage-
ment challenges he didn’t even know he had. At work
that week, Brad—unsure of how to handle the fact that
his team hadn’t shown up—decided to just play it off as if
nothing had happened.
The following Friday he arrived at Halftime fifteen
minutes early, vaguely remembering Coach saying some-
thing about not being late. He grabbed a stool at the bar
next to a sharply dressed woman in her early fifties. The
woman casually glanced in Brad’s direction—then did a
double-take.
33
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
“Hey, aren’t you that guy Coach was talking to last

week?” she asked.
Brad, always good with faces, quickly placed this one.
“I am, indeed,” he said. “And I believe you were
shooting pool with the guy who made the joke about
Coach using his pickup line on me.”
The woman grinned and nodded.
“I have to admit, that was pretty funny,” Brad added.
i*N3JUB8BOH uUIFXPNBOTBJE FYUFOEJOHIFSIBOE
Brad returned the favor. “I’m Brad Hutchinson,” he said
with a smile. Brad slid a bowl of peanuts between them and
DSBDLFEPOFPQFOi4P 3JUB IPXEPZPVLOPX$PBDI u
“Gosh, we’ve probably been friends for more than
twenty years now,” she responded. “I was actually on
his team years ago when we worked for a small start-up
company together.”
#SBESFDBMMFEUIBU3JUBBOE$PBDIIBEJOUFSBDUFENPSF
MJLFMPOHMPTUGSJFOETUIBOGPSNFSDPXPSLFSTi:PVVTFE
to work for him?” he said with surprise. “So who were
all those other people in the group? Was it someone’s
birthday or something?”
“Well, we like to say that we’re all a part of Coach’s
crew. At some point in our careers, we’ve all been fortu-
nate enough—blessed, really—to have been on Coach’s
team. Whenever he’s in town, we all like to spend time
34
$ 0"$ ) 4 4 & $ 3 & 5
with him and thank him for all he’s done for us and our
careers over the years.”
Brad couldn’t hide the shock on his face. “But there
must have been thirty people back there!”
“And there are probably hundreds—maybe even thou-
TBOETNPSF BSPVOE UIF XPSME u 3JUB TBJEi$PBDI IBT
touched a lot of lives over the years, both directly and
indirectly. He’s an amazing human being and by far the
best boss I’ve ever had. I’ve learned more from Coach
about what it takes to lead and succeed in a few Happy
Hour sessions sitting right back there in Coach’s Corner
than I did earning my MBA. And trust me, it was a heck
of a lot cheaper too.”
3JUBUPPLBTJQGSPNIFSHMBTTPGXJOFBOEBTLFE i4P
what about you? How long have you known Coach?”
“Actually, I just met him for the first time last Friday,”
Brad said. “To make a very long story short, I discov-
ered that night that I had some pretty serious manage-
ment challenges. I guess he thought I could use a little
coaching—so he volunteered to help me out. In fact,”
Brad said as he looked down at his watch, “he should be
here any minute now.”
“Well, consider yourself a veryMVDLZNBO u3JUBTBJE
enthusiastically. “If I were you, I’d absorb every word
that comes out of his mouth.” She paused for a moment,
35
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
considering Coach’s penchant for profanity. “Well, almost

every word,” she added with a chuckle. “If it weren’t for
him, I’d probably still be stuck in the same frontline man-
ager position I was in when he found me.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what do you do now?”
Brad asked.
i.F 0I *NJONBSLFUJOH/PCJHEFBMu
3JUB TIPXFE OP EFTJSF UP FYQBOE PO IFS SFTVNF TP
Brad shifted the conversation back to Coach.
“I can’t get over the fact that all those people who
worked for Coach so long ago still worship the ground
he walks on and want to hang out with him,” Brad said.
“That’s unbelievable. Hell, I can’t even get my team to
share a pint with me, and I’m still their damn boss!” Brad
cracked open another peanut and tossed it in his mouth
before asking, “So what’s his secret?”
i5IBUTUIFGVOOZQBSU u3JUBTBJEi:PVEUIJOLIFXBT
some type of academic scholar or something. He’s not. In
fact, I don’t think he even went to business school.”
3JUBQBVTFE MPPLJOHUIPVHIUGVMBTTIFTJQQFEIFSXJOF
“His secret is all in his approach,” she continued. “He
doesn’t act like a manager. He acts like a coach.”
“A coach?”
i:FBI CFMJFWF JU PS OPU IF BDUVBMMZ QMBZFE B DPVQMF
years of professional football back in the day. But after
36
$ 0"$ ) 4 4 & $ 3 & 5
that didn’t pan out, he started coaching college football

and eventually became the head coach for a small Ivy
League school. After a couple of rough seasons, the long
hours and stress began taking its toll on his health and he
was forced to quit.”
“Wow, that’s crazy. So how did he end up in the busi-
ness world?” Brad asked.
#FGPSF 3JUB DPVME BOTXFS UIF GSPOU EPPS PG UIF CBS
swung open.
“Coach!” everyone in the bar yelled in unison.
i8FMM TQFBLPGUIFEFWJM uTBJE3JUBi*ECFUUFSMFUhim
finish the story.”
37
The secret is all in the approach.
Stop acting like a manager and start
acting like a coach.
The Moment
C
oach made the rounds as he strolled into Half-
time, greeting everyone with high-fives and hugs
as if it had been months—not just a week—since
he’d last seen them. He eventually made his way over to
3JUB QVU IJT BSN BSPVOE IFS BOE IPMMFSFE i3JUB :PV
aren’t telling lies about me again, are you?”
“Come on, Coach, you know me better than that,” she
TBJEi0GDPVSTF*BNu
$PBDIMBVHIFEi:FBI KVTUSFNFNCFSZPVTUJMMPXFNF
five bucks from that whippin’ I gave you shootin’ pool
the other night, and I don’t want to hear any excuses,
FJUIFS/PXUIBUZPVSFBCJHUJNF$.0 ZPVTIPVMEOU
have any problem coming up with the cash.”
Then Coach looked at Brad.
“Sales Manager! How the hell are ya?” Coach nearly
shouted. “Looks like you finally recovered from all those
Purple Tweeters you were drinking the other night. That’s
39
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
sure some pretty hard stuff, isn’t it? It’ll knock you on
your a-- if you’re not careful!”
Brad laughed, along with everyone else in the bar.
“No kidding,” Brad said. “I noticed Thrasher drinking
all the JD, so I figured a Purple Hooter was the next best
thing.”
Thrasher cast a quizzical look in Brad’s direction. He
could barely remember where he was last Friday, let alone
who this young yuppie punk was that somehow knew his
name.
With the universal “I need two pints” hand signal,
Coach motioned to the far side of the bar where Little
Nikki was clearing away some empty glasses. “Comin’
your way, Coach,” he said.
When their pints arrived, Brad and Coach made their
way back to the far corner of the bar, where Brad noticed
a four-inch bronze plate on the wall above a booth that
SFBE i$PBDIT$PSOFSu0OUIFPQQPTJUFXBMMXBTBHJBOU
chalkboard. The side walls were pinned with dozens of
celebratory pictures of Coach and his crew that had been
taken at Halftime over the years.
“Take a seat, Sales Manager,” Coach said as he slid into
the booth. “So . . . pretty interesting week last week, huh?”
i:FBI JU XBT QSFUUZ SPVHI PO B MPU PG MFWFMT u #SBE
replied sheepishly.
40
5)&.0.&/5
“Did you have a chance to noodle on some of the

things we talked about?”
“I did, and let’s just say I didn’t get a whole lot of
sleep,” Brad said. “I just kept thinking about what you
said—that I was acting like every other mediocre man-
ager who’s in it to win it for himself.”
“And?” Coach prompted.
“It’s true. That’s how I’ve been acting, but that’s not
who I am,” Brad said. “I don’t want to be just another
crappy manager. I want to be a leader. And I don’t want
to have to wait another ten or fifteen years to figure it out.
I want to make it happen now.”
Coach tossed a peanut about four feet into the air and
caught it effortlessly in his mouth when it came down.
“Look, kid, I hate to break it to you, but you ain’t
gonna become Winston Churchill overnight. Becoming
a world-class leader is a process that takes time. And
given that we only have a few weeks together, we have
two goals: First, I want to teach you the single most im-
portant thing that you need to know about taking your
team’s performance—and your career—to the next level.
And second, I want to make sure you’re completely pre-
pared so that when your leadership moment finally ar-
rives, you’re ready for it.”
“Leadership moment?”
41
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
i.BLFBOPUF u$PBDITBJEi0OFPGUIFLFZTUPTVD-
DFFEJOHJOMJGFJTUPCFSFBEZXIFOZPVSUJNFDPNFT&W-
erything you do, everything you learn, and everything
you experience is all preparing you for that one critical
moment. I call it the leadership moment. Think of it as
a rite of passage that all great leaders must go through.
(FPSHF8BTIJOHUPOIBEIJTBU7BMMFZ'PSHF(BOEIJIBE
IJT PO UIF 4BMU .BSDI 3PTB 1BSLT IBE IFST PO B CVT
and Mother Teresa had hers on the streets of Calcutta.
It’s that split second in time when one’s preparedness is
challenged, one’s character is tested, and one’s destiny is
determined. It’s the very first time people follow you—not
because they have to, but because they want to.”
Brad reached into his pocket for a pen, but he had
nothing to write on.
Coach, who’d apparently anticipated this moment, pulled
out a new pocket-sized journal and handed it to Brad.
“I don’t have many rules, but here’s one that’s non-
negotiable: Never come to one of my coaching conver-
sations without this journal,” he said. “In fact, don’t go
anywhere without it. I have mine with me twenty-four-
seven.” He pulled a tattered-looking journal from his
pocket and held it up.
Brad took his new journal and jotted down some notes
as Coach moved on to another random question.
42
5)&.0.&/5
“What do you think of the frogs?”

“The frogs?”
i:FBI ZPVLOPX UIF'SFODIu
Brad stammered, unsure of where the old man was
going with this. “Well, I . . .”
i:FBI UIBUT XIBU * UIPVHIU "OZXBZ UIFSFT POF
Frenchman I respect and that’s Napoleon—not because of
his morals or values, but because of his leadership quali-
ties and how successful he was at such a young age. Did
you know that Napoleon became a general at twenty-
four, ruler of France at thirty-three and emperor at only
thirty-five? Do you want to know how he did it?”
“Let me see, if memory serves me, he did it by having
short-man’s disease and picking fights with his neighbors.”
Coach chuckled, but kept on point.
“There was one transformational event—a leadership
moment—early in his career during the Battle of Toulon
that changed everything for Napoleon. That singular
event not only changed how everyone else saw Napo-
leon, but more importantly, it changed how Napoleon
saw himself. For the first time, he didn’t just think he had
what it took to become a leader—he knew it.”
Coach leaned forward in his seat, his eyes wide. “Na-
poleon’s troops were outnumbered ten to one, and defeat
appeared imminent. Napoleon realized he couldn’t wait
43
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
on orders from Paris, so he decided to step up and take

charge. With rain pouring down, he mounted his horse,
rode out in front of his troops, and shouted. ‘Gentlemen,
it looks like history has made room for us after all! If
any of you don’t feel like going, that is fine . . . I do!
I’ll take this fort alone and destiny will be waiting. . . .
Bullets will bounce off me. . . . Cannonballs will swerve
with fear. . . . Not one of you need take this fort, but I
absolutely insist you come with me and watch me take
it. . . . If I go forward, follow me. . . . If I retreat, shoot
me. . . . If I am killed, avenge me!’
“With that, Napoleon led the charge. Toulon fell,
TBWJOHUIF'SFODI3FWPMVUJPOBOEGPSFWFSNFNPSJBMJ[JOH
Napoleon’s place in history.”
Coach’s horrible attempt at a French accent echoed
throughout the bar as Brad and everyone else in the bar
started to laugh.
i0IIIIIOPX*HFUJU u#SBETBJEi:PVXBOUNF
to start riding around the office on horseback, wearing a
silly little hat, sipping on Beaujolais, yelling Charge!”
i0LBZ TNBSUB BSFZPVEPOF u$PBDIBTLFE
“Sorry, Coach,” Brad said with a chuckle. “Couldn’t
resist.”
“Seriously,” Coach said. “I want you to absorb what
44
5)&.0.&/5
I’m teaching you so that when your leadership moment

arrives, you’re prepared to seize it.”
“How will I know when my leadership moment ar-
rives?” Brad asked. “What if I miss it?”
“Trust me—you’ll know. The only question is, will you
be ready? Will you step up and seize the moment to prove
to yourself and everyone else that you have what it takes
UPCFDPNFBXPSMEDMBTTMFBEFS 0SXJMMZPVCFMJLFNPTU
mediocre managers who fail to live up to their potential?
0OMZ UJNF XJMM UFMM LJE #VU XIFO UIBU NPNFOU DPNFT
and it’s just you standing on that stage—all alone in the
spotlight—you are the only one who will have the power
to make it happen.”
45
Empty the Cup
B
rad headed to the restroom and was on his way
CBDLXIFO3JUBOFBSMZCVNQFEJOUPIJN
i)FZ #SBE u3JUBTBJEi)PXTJUHPJOHCBDL
there?”
i(SFBU *N MFBSOJOH UPOT BCPVU UIF 'SFODI 3FWPMV
tion,” Brad said with a smile.
3JUB MBVHIFE IBWJOH IFBSE $PBDIT /BQPMFPO TUPSZ
more times than she’d care to remember.
“Hey, I almost forgot to mention,” she said, “be sure
to ask Coach about the time he almost got fired from his
first management job.”
"T3JUBXBMLFEBXBZGSPN#SBEUPXBSEUIFPUIFSTJEF
PG UIF CBS TIF BEEFE JO B MPVE WPJDF i0I BOE EPOU
forget to ask him about his secret system!”
Brad walked back to the Coach’s Corner, but before he
could even sit down, Coach said, “I saw you chatting with
3JUB8IBUXBTUIBUBMMBCPVU u
47
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
“I don’t know, something about you almost getting

canned from your first management job.”
“Next to salespeople, marketing people have the big-
gest damn mouths, I tell you. I bet she also told you about
my story, didn’t she?”
Not wanting to throw his new friend under the bus,
Brad responded, “She didn’t go into too much detail. But
I’d love to hear it.”
“All right,” Coach said, glancing at his watch. “I guess
we’ve got enough time for me to give you the Reader’s
Digest condensed version.”
Coach explained that he’d grown up idolizing his
father, who was a successful high school football coach,
and how he’d always wanted to follow in his footsteps.
After a successful playing career and a few years as an
assistant, Coach landed his dream job: head coach at his
Ivy League alma mater. But the university wasn’t as com-
mitted to winning as he was, and as the losses started
UPQJMFVQ IJTTUSFTTDPOUJOVFEUPNPVOU&WFOUVBMMZ IJT
doctor recommended he find a different career before he
suffered a serious heart attack.
“After I hung up my whistle and left the sidelines for
good, I was devastated,” Coach said. “I was already in my
late thirties, and all I’d ever known was coaching. I had
absolutely no idea what the hell I was going to do next.
48
&.15:5)&$61
Lucky for me, an old college football teammate happened

to be an executive for a communications firm in New
:PSL4PNFIPXIFNBOBHFEUPIFMQNFMBOEBKPCBTBO
operations manager with his company.”
i3FBMMZ u#SBETBJEi%JEZPVIBWFBOZNBOBHFNFOU
experience?”
“Nope.”
“Wow, that’s crazy. So how did you pull it off?”
“I didn’t, at first. In fact, my new career in manage-
ment was almost over before it even began. After about
six months it became apparent to everyone—especially
my team—that I had absolutely no idea what the hell I
was doing.”
“So what did you do?”
“I panicked. That’s when I started devouring every
NBOBHFNFOUBOEMFBEFSTIJQCPPL*DPVMEàOE:PVOBNF
it, I read it. But nothing seemed to speak to me; nothing
worked. Finally, one day I’d had enough. I walked up to
my buddy’s office and told him I was going to quit.”
“Are you serious?” Brad said. “What did he say?”
“He looked me in the eyes and said something that
completely changed my life. He said, ‘Listen, Mick. I
didn’t stick my neck on the line for you because I thought
you’d make a good manager. I stuck my neck on the line
for you because I knew you’d make a great coach. So do
49
us both a favor. Stop trying to be something you’re not.

Stop trying to act like a manager and start acting like a
coach.’ And boom! Just like that, it hit me. I made a deci-
sion then and there that I had to change my approach.”
“What an amazing story,” Brad said. “So is this where
UIF TFDSFU TZTUFN UIBU 3JUB XBT UFMMJOH NF BCPVU DPNFT
in?”
i&BTZ CJHTIPPUFS u$PBDITBJEi0OFTUFQBUBUJNF
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I believe you had some
homework to do. Did you do it?”
i:FQu
i0LBZ TPXIBUBSFZPVSUIPVHIUT u
“Well, I guess I’m a little confused,” Brad said. “The other
night I came in here feeling pretty good about myself—like
I had all this management stuff all figured out. But after my
team stood me up and you burst my bubble, I guess I left
with a lot more questions than answers.”
Coach nodded in approval. “Make a note,” he said.
“As a leader, your job is not to have all the right answers;
it’s to ask all the right questions. Speaking of which, have
you ever heard about the scholar who traveled to Tibet to
discuss Buddhism with a wise old monk?”
By now Brad was getting used to Coach’s rather unique
style of coaching, so he simply said “No” without even
looking up from his notebook.
50
&.15:5)&$61
“As soon as the scholar arrived at the monastery,”

Coach continued, “the monk invited him inside to have a
cup of tea. While the monk prepared the tea, the scholar
began spewing all that he had learned about Buddhism
XIJMFTUVEZJOHBUUIFVOJWFSTJUZ0OBOEPOIFLFQUSBN-
bling, trying to impress the monk with how much he
knew about Buddhism. Meanwhile, the wise old monk
just quietly listened as he prepared the tea. When the
tea was finally ready, the monk began to pour it into the
scholar’s cup as the scholar continued lecturing. He con-
tinued pouring the tea, even though the scholar’s cup was
already overflowing. When the hot tea ran off the table
and onto the scholar’s leg, he jumped out of the chair and
TIPVUFE A:PVPMEGPPM8IBUUIFIFMMBSFZPVUIJOLJOH
The old monk calmly replied, ‘A cup that is already full
has no room to receive.’”
Coach reached for a handful of peanuts.
“I’m not following you,” said Brad with a puzzled
look. “I thought my homework was to think about why
the best players often make the worst coaches. Is there
some sort of connection here?”
“There is,” said Coach. “The best players often fail
to make the leap from player to coach because they fail
to empty the cup. Think about it. Michael Jordan, the
greatest basketball player who ever stepped on a court,
51
failed miserably as head of basketball operations for the

8BTIJOHUPO 8J[BSET 8BZOF A5IF (SFBU 0OF (SFU[LZ
spent four years as head coach of the NHL’s Phoenix
Coyotes and failed to make the playoffs even once. Diego
Maradona, one of the best soccer players to ever step
onto the pitch, was fired after just eighteen months as
head coach of Argentina’s national team—and he even
had Messi!”
“I think I see what you’re saying,” Brad said. “When
they transitioned from their role as an individual contrib-
utor into the new role of a coach, they thought they had
it all figured out. Their cup was full, so to speak.”
i&YBDUMZ u $PBDI TBJEi"MPOH UIPTF MJOFT IFSFT BO-
other little nugget you may want to jot down: To suc-
ceed at the next level, you must realize that the rules of
the game have changed—and so, too, must you. If you
really want to take your team’s performance—and your
career—to the next level, you’re going to need a new
playbook, a new system.”
“All right, already!” Brad blurted out. “What’s this
secret system I keep hearing about?”
Coach took a quick look around. In a voice slightly
BCPWFBXIJTQFS IFSBJTFEIJTFZFCSPXTBOETBJE i:PV
really want to know, huh?”
Brad nodded with eager anticipation.
52
The first step to becoming
a world-class leader is to realize that
the rules of the game have changed—
and so, too, must you.
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i0LBZ TPZPVLOPXIPXUIFZTBZQBUJFODFJTBWJSUVF
right?”
Brad hung on every word uttered out of the old man’s
mouth, anticipating something truly profound.
“Well, why don’t you be a virtuous young lad and get
this old fart another pint while I sit here waiting patiently.”
Coach roared with laughter, and Brad just shook his
head as he grudgingly made his way back up to the bar.
54
A New Approach
W
hile Brad was at the bar waiting for another
round of drinks, Coach was busy jotting
down questions on the back of an old flyer
that had been pinned to the wall. Then he grabbed a cock-
tail napkin and sketched out a simple chart composed
of four squares. When Brad returned with their drinks,
Coach pulled a sheet of paper from his tattered journal.
“Here,” Coach said, handing the paper to Brad. The
noise level in the bar had grown louder as the Friday
Happy Hour got rolling, so Coach raised his voice against
the commotion. “I want you to answer these questions.”
Brad scanned the sheet, noticing ten questions along
the lines of On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident are you
that your team trusts you and believes that you genuinely
have their best interests in mind?
Brad looked up from the paper. “These are some inter-
esting questions, but I don’t see how this has anything
55
to do with me doing my job and making my number,” he

said somewhat defensively.
“Trust me,” Coach said. “This has everything to do
with you doing your job and making your number.”
Brad quickly plowed through the list, answering the
questions. He handed the sheet back to Coach.
Staring intently through the reading glasses on the tip of
his nose, pen in hand, Coach looked more like a university
QSPGFTTPSHSBEJOHBTUVEFOUTQPQRVJ[6TJOHUIFTLFUDI
he’d drawn on the napkin, he tallied Brad’s responses by
making a mark next to one of the four squares, depending
on how Brad answered each question. Brad watched and
wondered until finally Coach took off his reading glasses
and looked up.
i:FQ *LOFXJU u$PBDITBJE FYIBMJOHMPVEMZi:PVSF
a classic Do-It-All Manager.”
Brad was both curious and defensive.
“Do-It-All Manager?” he said.
Coach calmly slid the napkin his way.
“I’ve been coaching managers into leaders since long
before you were even a twinkle in your mother’s eye,” he
said. “And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there are
basically four types of managers. Just by asking a handful
of questions, I can pinpoint a manager’s approach in only a
few minutes. Want to know what’s even more interesting?”
56
" / & 8 " 1 1 30"$ )
“What’s that?”
“If you ask the manager’s team the same set of ques-
tions, nine times out of ten there’s a huge disconnect be-
tween how managers think they’re doing and how well
their team members think they’re doing. Here’s the sad
part: Most managers are completely oblivious to the
impact their approach is having on their team members
and their team members’ level of performance.”
Coach tapped his finger on the four-square matrix, his

eyes fixed on Brad.
i&BDIUZQFPGNBOBHFSIBTBWFSZEJTUJODUJWFTUZMFPS
approach that impacts his or her rapport with the team
57
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and the team’s level of productivity—or performance. Let

me give you a few quick examples. When you think of the
term micromanager, what immediately comes to mind?”
“I think of that annoying boss in the movie Office
Space u #SBE TBJE XJUIPVU FWFO UIJOLJOH BCPVU JUi:PV
know, the guy with the huge glasses and the obnoxious
suspenders that keeps bugging Peter about putting a
cover sheet on his TPS report.”
The look on Coach’s face indicated he’d obviously
never seen the movie.
i0LBZ XFMM BOZXBZ u#SBEXFOUPO i*UIJOLPGTPNFPOF
who’s anal . . . who’s always right . . . you know, always in
your business.”
“That’s right,” Coach said. “Micromanagers are quick
to correct and slow to praise. The fatal flaw of the micro-
manager is that subconsciously they don’t trust in their
team members’ ability to get the job done without them.
As a result, they micromanage the work until it’s done
perfectly—just the way they would do it. As a result, mi-
cromanagers are perceived as being distrustful, control-
ling, uncaring, and bossy, right? So let me ask you: How
do you think this particular management approach makes
the people on the team feel?”
“I guess it makes them feel stressed out . . . frustrated . . .
resentful . . . unmotivated . . . and unhappy.”
58
" / & 8 " 1 1 30"$ )
“And how does having to work in an environment

that makes a team member feel stressed out, frustrated,
resentful, unmotivated, and unhappy impact the team’s
level of performance?
“Not in a good way,” Brad said.
i&YBDUMZ u $PBDI TBJE i5IF NJDSPNBOBHFST PWFSMZ
engaged approach causes his or her team members to
put forth just enough effort to skate by—to fly below the
radar in hopes of collecting another paycheck. For those
team members, it’s not a career—it’s just a job.”
Coach then pointed to the box in the bottom left corner
labeled Micromanager.
“With that kind of approach,” Coach said, “is it any
surprise that micromanagers have the lowest level of rap-
port with their team members and get the least out of their
team?”
“Nope,” Brad agreed.
Coach next turned his attention to the box in the lower
right corner.
“So what comes to mind when you think of a Nice-
Guy Manager?” he asked.
“I think of someone who’s laid-back, mellow, hands-
off—maybe even at times a little disengaged,” he said.
“Good. Nice-Guy Managers are friendly, non-con-
frontational, and easy to work for. Their fatal flaw is that
59
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subconsciously they’re more concerned with being liked

by their team members than they are in getting results
from them,” Coach said. “And when a manager’s ap-
proach is too laid-back or too hands-off, how do you
think that impacts the team’s performance?”
“I don’t know; I guess if that kind of manager isn’t
challenging and pushing the team enough, they obvi-
ously won’t be learning, growing, or improving,” Brad
said. “And because those kinds of managers shy away
from confrontation, they probably also have a challenge
holding their team members accountable.”
i:PVSFMFBSOJOH 4BMFT.BOBHFS u$PBDITBJEi(PPE
work.”
Coach then turned his attention to the box in the upper
left corner. With a smirk on his face, Coach said, “Now
here’s one that shouldn’t be too hard for you to figure
out: The Do-It-All Manager. How would you describe
your—er, excuse me—this management approach?”
i7FSZGVOOZ u#SBETBJE
Coach waited for an answer, but Brad just sat there
silently with his arms folded across his chest.
“Look,” Coach said, “I’m not here to tell you what
you want to hear; I’m here to tell you what you need
UPIFBS&WFSZUIJOH*NUFBDIJOHZPVJTQSFQBSJOHZPVTP
that when your leadership moment comes, you can step
60
" / & 8 " 1 1 30"$ )
up and make it happen—because you never know when,

or if, you’ll get another chance. So you can either listen
and learn or not. The choice is yours.” After a short pause,
Coach asked, “Shall I continue?”
Brad took a deep breath, uncrossed his arms, and
nodded a bit sheepishly.
i0LBZ UIFO u$PBDIDPOUJOVFEi5IFGBUBMáBXPGUIF
Do-It-All Managers is that they overestimate their own
abilities while underestimating the capabilities of their
team members. As a result, they have a tough time del-
egating. They subconsciously believe if you want it done
right, you’d better do it yourself. They drive results and get
things done by taking over. As far as their level of engage-
ment is concerned, they’re either all over it or completely
absent. Do-It-All Managers are often perceived as being ar-
rogant, selfish, egotistical, distant, uncaring, cold, cocky—”
“All right, all right,” Brad said, cutting Coach off.
i&OPVHIBMSFBEZ*HFUZPVSQPJOUu
Coach, however, wanted to make sure he really drove
the message home.
“This is important,” he continued. “I want you to
imagine that this is your reality. Forget about your per-
spective for a minute and put yourself in your team mem-
bers’ shoes. How do you think your current management
approach makes them feel?”
61
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Brad resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I don’t know,”

he said. “I guess it might make them feel frustrated and
unmotivated.”
Coach sat across the table and said nothing, purposely
creating a long, awkward silence.
“And,” Brad added after giving it some more thought,
“I guess they might feel a little unappreciated . . . under-
valued . . . unimportant . . . and maybe even a little sad.”
Coach softened his tone. “And if your team members
come to work feeling frustrated, unmotivated, unappreci-
ated, undervalued, unimportant, and maybe even a little
sad, how might that impact your relationship with them?
How might it affect their level of performance? How
might that weigh on their self-confidence, their pride, and
their sense of worth? How might that spill over into their
personal lives and affect their family?
Brad felt his eyes tearing up and quickly looked away.
When he looked back at Coach, he pushed past the
lump in his throat and finally tried to answer the question.
i:PVLOPX *WFOFWFSUIPVHIUPGJUUIBUXBZ uIFTBJE
gazing into the distance as if he were talking to himself.
“I’ve really never thought of it that way. . . .”
i:PV TFF BU UIF FOE PG UIF EBZ JUT OPU BMM BCPVU UIF
numbers,” Coach said. “In the short run, you may manage
to put some points on the board and place some trophies
62
" / & 8 " 1 1 30"$ )
on the mantel, but that’s just because you’re hogging the

ball and stealing all the glory.”
Coach continued, “I want you to always remember
something. When all is said and done and we’ve completed
this journey we call life, what will matter most is not what
we have achieved, but rather who we have become.”
63
When all is said and done and
we’ve completed this journey we call
life, what will matter most is not what
we have achieved, but rather
who we have become.
The Next Level
V
eronica Sanchez, one of the old man’s friends,
approached Coach’s Corner, eyed the two men
sitting at the table, and immediately sensed
some tension.
“I hate to interrupt such a festive conversation,” she
blurted out, “but I’d like to remind that this is a bar and
that some people come here to have a good time.”
Brad, still reeling from coming face-to-face with the
reality of how his current management approach was
hurting his team, did his best to muster a smile.
7FSPOJDBQVUIFSIBOEPO#SBETTIPVMEFS
“Don’t feel bad,” she said reassuringly. “All of us have
been on the receiving end of this coaching conversation
many times over the years. Coach may make Jack Welch
look like a pussycat at times, but I guarantee if you do
what he says, it’ll not only improve your team’s perfor-
mance, it just may change your life.”
65
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“What the hell is this, an infomercial or somethin’?”

$PBDI KPLJOHMZ CBSLFE DVUUJOH 7FSPOJDB PGG CFGPSF IFS
flattery made him even more uncomfortable. “Get back
over there and start warming up those darts. I’ll be over
in a sec to give you a chance to redeem yourself.”
"T7FSPOJDB XBMLFE BXBZ $PBDI SFUVSOFE IJT BUUFO-
tion to his new protégé.
“Now where was I?” he continued.
“I don’t know,” Brad said, “but I’m hoping you’re going
to tell me how to change my management approach, be-
cause right now I’m feeling like a pretty big jerk.”
i0I ZFBI OPX*SFNFNCFS u$PBDITBJE QPJOUJOHUP
the upper right-hand quadrant on the napkin. Here we
have the Coach.”
“As you can see here,” he continued, “unlike the others,
the Coach is able to consistently get his or her team to
perform at the highest level, while at the same time main-
taining the highest level of rapport. I can assure you that
this is no coincidence. The two go hand in hand.”
“How so?” Brad asked.
“Make a note,” Coach said. “Great Coaches consis-
tently get the most out of their people because they con-
sistently put the most into their people. They believe in
their people, want them to succeed, and are committed to
helping their team members achieve their potential.”
66
Great coaches consistently get
the most out of their people because
they consistently put the most
into their people.
Brad scribbled notes as fast as he could.

“Let me ask you a question,” Coach said. “Hypotheti-
cally speaking, what if you stopped acting like a manager
and started acting like a coach? How do you think this
new approach might affect the dynamics of your relation-
ship with your team members?”
Brad took a deep breath while he pondered the pos-
sibilities. “Well, for starters they’d probably feel more
valued . . . trusted . . . appreciated . . . empowered . . . and
maybe even a little fired up to come to work.”
“And what if you could create the type of environment
where your people felt valued, trusted, appreciated, em-
powered, and fired up to come to work?” Coach asked.
“How might that impact their performance? Better yet,
how might that impact your performance?”
Brad got the point, but he hesitated before responding.
“I don’t know; I guess I’m still having a tough time envi-
sioning myself as a leader,” he confessed. “I mean, when
I think of leadership, I don’t think of a lowly frontline
manager like me way down in the trenches. I think of
the bigwigs up in the ivory tower who are making all the
strategic decisions.”
“Listen, when you’ve been around as long as I have,
you’ll realize that strategy ain’t sh-- without execution. Let
the big cheeses worry about crafting the organizational
68
5)&/&95-&7&-
vision, strategy, and plan. As a frontline leader, it’s your

job to get bottom-up buy-in on that plan, execute the
strategy, and transform that vision in into reality. You are
the critical piece in the puzzle.”
i&BTJFS TBJE UIBO EPOF u #SBE SFQMJFE i* NVTU IBWF
told my team what to do a thousand times. They know
what to do—they’re just not doing it.”
“Make a note,” Coach said. “Leaders don’t just tell
their people what to do. They invest the time to under-
stand their people and to align their team members’ per-
sonal goals with the company’s goals. Frontline leaders
help bridge the gap between what the company wants
and what their team members want, making sure that ev-
eryone is onboard and rowing in the same direction.”
Coach paused, thought for a moment, and then leaned
forward for added emphasis.
“Before I forget, I want to make an important distinc-
tion that few very people understand,” he said. “Coaching
is not merely something that you, as a manager, must do.
A coach is someone that you, as a leader, must become.”
“Wow, that’s pretty profound stuff,” Brad said. “The
way you’re describing this new management approach,
it seems like a no-brainer. But if that’s the case, then why
aren’t there more coaches? I mean, why are there so many
bad managers out there?”
69
Coaching is not merely something
that you, as a manager, must do.
A coach is someone that you,
as a leader, must become.
5)&/&95-&7&-
“There may be a lot of bad managers, but most of them

are not bad people,” Coach said. “In fact, most of the time
it’s not even their fault. When it comes to the people side
of management, they’ve simply never been taught the right
approach. Most managers have never been taught one of
the most important skills they need to know—how to fa-
cilitate a constructive coaching conversation. It’s amazing.
People wonder why most teams are so dysfunctional. It’s
pretty simple: There’s no coach! How in the hell can you
expect managers to coach and develop their teams when
they haven’t ever received any coaching?”
Brad nodded. “Good point. At least that makes me feel
a little better.”
Coach cracked open another peanut and waited pa-
tiently for Brad’s next question.
i0LBZ TPMFUNFBTLZPVTPNFUIJOHFMTF u#SBETBJE
“Based on your experience, what would you say is the
single most important thing I need to know about be-
coming a world-class leader?”
“Simple,” Coach said without hesitation. “At its core,
leadership isn’t a head issue; it’s a heart issue. Most man-
agers today have it all wrong. They’re so wrapped up in
their damn spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and Six
Sigma BS that somewhere along the line they forgot these
aren’t machines we’re dealing with—they’re people. They
71
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don’t realize that as a coach, the more you give, the more
you’ll get. The more you care, the more they’ll contribute.”
Coach paused to take a sip from his pint and then
added, “If you want really want to become a world-class
leader, here’s my advice: Get your heart right first, and
your head will follow.”
Brad was furiously taking notes, trying to capture what
he was hearing and process it so he could ask follow-up
questions.
i0LBZ * IFBS XIBU ZPVSF TBZJOH CVU JG NZ SPMF BT B
coach is to constantly observe, evaluate, and coach my
team,” he said, “don’t tactics and strategies—or, as you put
it, ‘head issues’—play an important part in that process?”
“Absolutely. Listen, I’m not saying that it’s not important
to teach your people the fundamentals. It is. It just shouldn’t
CF ZPVS WFSZ àSTU QSJPSJUZ:PVWF HPU UP VOEFSTUBOE UIBU
change cannot be imposed; it must be chosen. In order to
get people to improve, they first have to want to improve.”
Coach pointed toward a nearby television that was
QMBZJOHPOFPGUIFHSFBU&VSPQFBO$IBNQJPOT-FBHVF
TPDDFS NBUDIVQT.BODIFTUFS 6OJUFE BHBJOTU #BZFSO
.VOJDI )F UIFO BTLFE i:PVWF IFBSE PG 4JS "MFY
Furgeson, haven’t you?
Brad shot back, “Come on—do you think I’m a
TUVQJE "NFSJDBO PS TPNFUIJOH 0G DPVSTF *WF IFBSE
72
As a coach the more you give,
the more you’ll get. The more you care,
the more they’ll contribute.
of him. He’s a legend—the most successful manager in

British football history.” He paused for a moment before
BEEJOH i&WFO UIPVHI IFT UIF OFNFTJT PG NZ CPZT JO
blue, Chelsea.”
$PBDISFQMJFE i:FBI XFMMXIFO4JS"MFYàSTUBSSJWFE
BU ."/ 6 UIFZ IBEOU XPO BO &OHMJTI UJUMF JO twenty
years; again they found themselves in the relegation zone.
Do you have any idea how he turned things around so
quickly and transformed that club into one of history’s
most successful sports franchises?”
“No,” Brad answered, “but I’m guessing that drafting
%BWJE#FDLIBNBOE3ZBO(JHHTQSPCBCMZEJEOUIVSUu
“Correction,” Coach responded. “He didn’t draft Giggs
and Beckham—he developed them.”
Brad sat there with a confused look on his face. “What
do you mean?”
Coach continued, “Like most companies today, your
CPZŇ+PTÊ.PVSJOIPBOEIJT3VTTJBO0MJHBSDICPTTCVJMU
their strategy around on spending boatloads of money
to acquire talent. Sir Alex, on the other hand, focused on
developing it.”
Brad jokingly replied, “Watch it . . .”
“Back in the late eighties and early nineties, when
Sir Alex was implementing his long-term strategy to
FOTVSF UIBU ."/ 6 XBT DPOTJTUFOUMZ BU UIF UPQ PG UIF
74
5)&/&95-&7&-
table, the foundation of his master plan was based on

creating a youth-development academy where he found
young teenage lads like Giggs, Beckham, and Scholes and
coached them into world champions,” Coach explained.
“So, how did he do that?” Brad asked.
Coach replied, “Well, for starters he constantly com-
municated the four most powerful words any coach or
leader can say: I believe in you.” Coach paused, but not
long enough for Brad to pepper him with another ques-
tion. “I want you to remember something: Behind every
great player is a coach who believed in that player more
than the player believed in himself.”
Coach was on a roll now. As Brad wrote his notes, he
did his best to maintain some eye contact.
i0WFSUIFZFBST u$PBDIXFOUPOi*WFDPBDIFETPNF
amazing people who have gone on to achieve some ex-
traordinary things. And I see every bit as much potential
JO ZPV BT * EJE JO UIFN #VU IFSFT UIF DBUDI:PV NVTU
realize that as a coach the only way you can achieve
your potential is to first help your team members achieve
theirs.”
“So how do I help my team members achieve their po-
tential?
“That’s where the system comes in,” Coach said as he
looked at his watch and shot a glance in the direction of
75
Behind every great player is a coach
who believed in that player more than
the player believed in himself.
5)&/&95-&7&-
the crew who had gathered by the pool table. “But, un-
fortunately, it looks like our time for this evening is up.”
i"SF ZPV TFSJPVT u #SBE OFBSMZ TDSFBNFE i:PVSF
killing me! Can you at least give me a hint?”
“Nope,” Coach said with a smirk. “But I can give you
some more homework. I want you to think about the
three toughest challenges you’re facing right now in trying
to get the most out of your team. Give it some thought,
make some notes, and we’ll reconvene next Friday. Same
UJNF TBNFQMBDF0I BOEEPOUCFMBUFu
r r r
The next day Brad returned from his morning jog, pulled
a bottle of water from his refrigerator, and sat down
on his leather couch to review his notes from the pre-
vious evening’s coaching conversation while he watched
Sportscenter. With a yellow highlighter, he began to mark
some key coaching points:
r The secret is all in the approach. Stop acting like

a manager and start acting like a coach.
r The first step to becoming a world-class leader
is to realize that the rules of the game have
changed—and so, too, must you.
77
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
r Great coaches consistently get the most out of

their people because they consistently put the
most into their people.
r As a coach, the more you give, the more you’ll get.
The more you care, the more they’ll contribute.
r Behind every great player is a coach who believed
in that player more than the player believed in
himself.
r As a coach, the only way you can achieve your
potential is to first help your team members
achieve theirs.
r Coaching is not merely something that you, as a
manager, must do. A coach is someone that you,
as a leader, must become.
r When all is said and done and we’ve completed
this journey we call life, what will matter most is
not what we have achieved—but rather who we
have become.
78
As a coach, the only way you can achieve
your potential is to first help your
team members achieve theirs.
Magic Pint Glass
T
he following Friday, Brad zipped into the lot
at Halftime, parked his car in the first space he
could find, and jogged toward the front door.
It was 5:41 p.m., and he was late.
He looked to the back of the bar and saw Coach sitting
there—reading glasses on the tip of his nose—drawing
something on the back of a cocktail napkin.
Barely acknowledging the others in the bar, Brad made
a beeline back to Coach’s Corner, his apology already
prepared in his mind.
“Sales Manager, you’re late,” Coach grumbled, beating
Brad to the punch.
“I know, Coach. My bad. Today was the last day I could
get fitted for my tux and to get it back in time for next
Friday’s big awards shindig.”
i5VY u $PBDI SBJTFE BO FZFCSPXi:PV HPJOH UP UIF
81
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0TDBSTPSTPNFUIJO 8FMM IBWFZPVXSJUUFOZPVSBDDFQ-

tance speech yet?”
“No, but I have jotted down a few ideas,” Brad said
before he realized that Coach had been joking about the
speech. “I mean,” he continued, “I don’t want to go up
there looking like an idiot in front of five hundred of
the company’s top brass, right? They might have second
thoughts and take back the award!”
Coach just shook his head. “So did you do your home-
work?”
Brad nodded as he held up his journal.
“In case I forgot to mention it, the penalty for not
showing up on time to one of my coaching conversations is
a pint for every minute you’re late,” he said. “But since I’m
in an especially good mood today because my Packers made
the playoffs again, I’m going to give you a chance to get off
the hook. I’ll make you a bet. If I’m able to guess at least
two out of the three biggest challenges you’re having with
improving your team’s productivity, then you buy the next
round and we’ll call it even. Anything less and it’s on me.”
“Done.” Brad said. “A chance at free tuition? I’m in!”
Coach hunched over the table and started rubbing his
pint glass as if it were some sort of magic crystal ball. “I
TFF &TUISFF PG UIFN JO GBDU5IF àSTU QSPCMFN IBT UP
EPXJUIBMBDLPG&GàDJFODZ uIFTBJEi*UTFFNTUIBUNPTU
82
MAGIC PINT GLASS
of your team members are working hard, but they’re

working on the wrong things. There’s a lot of input (ac-
tivity) but very little output (results). In fact, they’re so
busy reacting instead of acting that they never really get
anything done.”
“That’s pretty darn impressive, old man.”
Coach resumed his fortune-telling position and rubbed
IJTQJOUHMBTTBHBJOi5IFTFDPOE&IBTUPEPXJUI&GGPSU
or rather, a lack of it. It seems that others on your team are
coming into work and just going through the motions—
doing just enough to get by. It’s as if you’re only getting
IPSTFTPVUPGBIPSTFQPXFSFOHJOF3JHIU u
“Dang, you’re good! How’d you know that?” Brad
asked.
“That’s two for two,” Coach said. “Do you want to
go double or nothing and throw in a plate of nachos for
good measure?”
“Bring it,” Brad shot back. “But I guarantee you’ll never
get this one.”
Coach rubbed his magic pint for the third and final
UJNFi0LBZ JU MPPLT MJLF UIF MBTU & TUBOET GPS PI
ZFT&GGFDUJWFOFTT uIFTBJEi:PVSTBMFTQFPQMFNBZCF
making calls and attending meetings, but they’re unsure
of the next step they should be close for and are getting
MPTUJOUIFTBMFTQSPDFTT0I BOEXIFOJUDPNFTUPHFUUJOH
83
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
UIFN UP JOQVU UIFJS EBUB JOUP UIF $3. TZTUFN GPSHFU
about it. It’s like trying to pull a pint of Guinness from an
Irishman’s hands!”
“Wrong!” Brad shouted.
$PBDI TUBSFE CBDL JO EJTCFMJFG i3FBMMZ u IF TBJE
i:PVSFLJEEJONF8IBUTUIFUIJSEPOF u
Brad laughed. “Getting them to actually show up and
have a pint with me so I don’t have to sit there celebrating
all by myself, looking like a complete jackass!”
“I’ll tell you what,” Coach said when he stopped
laughing. “I’ll cut you a break on the nachos. But while
you’re up, go ahead and grab one for yourself, too.”
As Brad left for the bar, Coach began scribbling on the
chalkboard. He wrote,
When Brad returned with their drinks, he stopped and

stared at the chalkboard.
“Hey, wait a minute,” he said as he placed the pints on
the table. “I was told there’d be no math in this class. Did
you forget? I’m a sales guy—not an engineer. The only
numbers I pay attention to follow dollar signs.”
i0LBZ .S 4BMFT (VZ EP ZPV XBOU UP MFBSO IPX UP
84
MAGIC PINT GLASS
solve some of the problems we were just talking about?”

Coach said.
“Absolutely.”
Coach drew a division line under the equation. Below
it he wrote a question mark. “It’s simple. Figure out the
common denominator, and you’ll solve the problem.”
Brad just sat there quietly with a puzzled look on his face.
Sensing Brad’s confusion, Coach glanced around the
bar. When he found what he’d been searching for, he
pointed to the wall behind one of the pool tables.
“Here’s a hint,” he said. “Go take a look at that picture
over there next to the dartboard—the one behind that
pool table over there—and tell me what you see.”
Brad walked over, stood about ten feet in front of the
picture, and slowly but loudly began to read, “We . . .
proudly . . . serve . . . Stroh’s . . .”
Coach got up and walked over to Brad and laughed.
“No—take a closer look.”
Brad walked a few steps closer.
“Now what do you see?” Coach asked.
Brad looked past the beer-marketing slogan and saw
his reflection on the picture’s surface.
“Me uIFTBJEi:PVUIJOLI’m the solution? Are you
TFSJPVT 0VS TFOJPS MFBEFST IBWFOU FWFO CFFO BCMF UP
figure it out, and you think I can?”
85
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“I can guarantee you one thing: They’ve never tried

XIBU*NBCPVUUPUFBDIZPV:PVTFF UIFZEPOUSFBMJ[F
that the fundamental problem is not a frontline employee
skillset issue—it’s a frontline employee behavioral issue.
And the real reason most employees aren’t doing what
they’re supposed to be doing actually has a lot less to do
with the employees themselves and a lot more to do with
their managers.”
“I’m not sure I follow,” Brad admitted as they headed
back to Coach’s Corner.
i:PVTFF NPTUPSHBOJ[BUJPOBMMFBEFSTEPOUSFBMJ[FUIBU
the main reason employees are underperforming is the
same reason why most training initiatives fail to stick.
It’s the same reason why it’s so difficult to get bottom-up
buy-in on strategic change initiatives. The main reason is
a lack of management reinforcement—especially at the
frontline manager level,” Coach said he slipped back into
the booth.
i0LBZ OPXZPVWFSFBMMZMPTUNFu
“Think of it this way,” said Coach, after pausing for a
moment. “In football you can draw up a beautiful game
plan and have a killer playbook, but if your quarterback
can’t command the huddle on the field, your team will fail
to execute the plays.”
86
MAGIC PINT GLASS
As Brad took a seat across from him, Coach leaned

forward and pointed at Brad’s chest. “As a frontline man-
ager, you, my friend, are like the quarterback on the field.
Do you want to solve the problems we’ve been talking
about and get your team members to bring their A-game
each and every day? Do you want to take your team’s
performance—and your career—to the next level?”
Brad nodded.
Coach flipped over the cocktail napkin. “Here’s how
you do it,” he said.
87
Mindset
B
rad silently stared at the cocktail napkin as if it
had some sort of mystical power. There it was in
illustration form, scribbled on the back of a two-
ply paper napkin with Budweiser stamped on the other
side. Brad’s eyes were fixed on it with anticipation. Surely
it would stand on the table and begin speaking with the
WPJDFPG+BNFT&BSM+POFT0SQFSIBQTTQBSLTXPVMEáZ
from the edges as Coach levitated to some point just
BCPWFUIFUBCMF0SQFSIBQTBWJEFPXPVMECFHJOQMBZJOH
inside the napkin, like a message from Princess Leia to
young Luke Skywalker.
A few seconds passed, and the napkin didn’t come to
life after all. Brad looked up at Coach with a puzzled look
as if it say, Is this it? Really?
i0OFUIJOHZPVMMMFBSOXIFOZPVIBWFBTNBOZHSBZ
hairs as I do is that the probability of a plan succeeding
is in direct proportion to its simplicity. Don’t get fancy.
89
,FFQ JU TJNQMF *U EPFTOU NBUUFS JG XFSF UBMLJOH BCPVU
marketing, customer service, operations, engineering, fi-
OBODF TBMFT *5 PS)3UIJTGSBNFXPSLáBUPVUXPSLT
And the reason why it works is because it’s simple to un-
EFSTUBOE FBTZUPBQQMZ BOEEFMJWFSTSFTVMUT0I BOEZPVS
team will absolutely love it.”
i:PVSFTFMMJOHNFQSFUUZIBSEPOUIJTTZTUFN BSFOU
you?”
“I don’t have to sell it, son,” Coach shot back, mo-
tioning toward the back of the room where a number
of successful executives from Coach’s crew had already
gathered. “The results speak for themselves.”
“Touché.”
Having made his point, Coach continued, “Look, there
is a lot you need to learn about becoming a world-class
coach, and it’s going to take time. But having been in this
game as long as I have, I can guarantee you that the single
most important skill you must master if you want to con-
sistently get the most out of your team and systemati-
cally improve their performance is by facilitating what I
call a weekly coaching conversation.” Coach paused for
a moment before adding, “And since you’re in sales, the
objective of the weekly coaching conversation is to trans-
form your one-on-ones from an interrogation of the pipe-
line into a constructive coaching conversation.”
90
.*/%4&5
i0LBZ *NMJTUFOJOHu
“However, before you’re even ready to sit down with
your team members and start having your weekly coaching
conversations, there’s some important prep work that
OFFETUPCFEPOF4PMFUTHFUUPJU:PVSFBEZ u
Brad gave an enthusiastic nod, and Coach launched into
the framework, shifting his verbal intensity into high gear.
i4UFQ0OF$IBOHF:PVS"QQSPBDI u$PBDIBOOPVODFE
“We touched on this earlier, but I want to reiterate a
few key points,” he said. “The difference that makes the
difference is all in the approach. Stop acting like a man-
BHFSTUBSUBDUJOHMJLFBDPBDI:PVOFFEUPSFEFàOFXIBU
ZPVQFSDFJWFZPVSSPMFUPCF:PVWFHPUUPHFUJUJOUPZPVS
head and heart what your real job is: to pull every ounce
of potential from each and every team member each and
every day. Got it?”
“Got it,” Brad said as he scribbled some notes.
“They are your team, and you are their coach. What
they may or may not be able to achieve is a direct reflec-
tion of you and your approach. No excuses. Their prob-
lems are your problems. Their victories are your victories.
And their failures are your failures. Are you with me?”
i:FQ u #SBE TBJE XJUIPVU FWFO MPPLJOH VQ )F XBT
still frantically taking notes, trying to capture every word
Coach uttered.
91
As a coach your job is to pull
every ounce of potential from each and
every team member each and
every day.
.*/%4&5
“Good. Now make a note: How you define success

will ultimately determine the level to which you succeed.”
Brad slammed his pen down on the table and looked
VQi0LBZ OPXZPVWFMPTUNFu
“Let me show you what I mean.” Coach grabbed a
peanut and handed it to Brad. “Here, see if you can throw
this peanut into that garbage can right there.”
Brad took the peanut and tossed it into the can, which
was only a few feet away.
“Did you succeed?” Coach asked.
i0GDPVSTF*NPOFGPSPOF BSFOU* u
Coach handed him another peanut. “Go ahead and
give it another shot, but this time go for that garbage can
way over there.” The can he pointed to was about twenty
feet across the room.
Brad took aim as if he were shooting a three-pointer
and tossed the peanut. It came within an inch of hitting
a Stanford coed in the head before landing on the floor a
few inches away from his target.
Coach said, “What about now? Do you still think
you’re successful?”
“Come on,” the manager said. “Fifty percent might be
good enough for some slackers, but it sure as heck isn’t
good enough for me.”
93
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Coach could tell by Brad’s voice that he was joking, but

he was never one to let a coachable moment slip by.
“Interesting,” he said to himself.
“What?”
“Interesting,” Coach repeated.
“What!”
Coach turned his attention back to Brad. “I just find it
interesting that you’re not satisfied with a 50 percent suc-
cess rate throwing peanuts into a garbage can,” he said.
i:FUXIFOPOMZQFSDFOUPGZPVSUFBNNFNCFSTNBLF
their number, you want to celebrate because you’re Sales
-FBEFSPGUIF:FBSu
i0VDI u#SBETBJEi5IBUTBMPXCMPX $PBDI#VUHP
ahead and bring it. I can take it.”
Coach smiled. “Atta boy. Moving on, make a note: What
you believe affects what they achieve and you receive.”
“Come again?”
“What you do is controlled by how you think—your
NJOETFUu $PBDI FYQMBJOFE i:PVS NJOETFU JT CBTJDBMMZ
made up of a series of beliefs and associations that con-
trol how you think and, ultimately, how you behave. For
example, let’s say that one of your core beliefs is that win-
ners are born—not made. In other words, what if you
believed that trying to coach, develop, and improve your
team’s performance was a complete waste of time?
94
What you believe affects
what they achieve and you receive.
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How might this mindset affect your priorities—what

you choose to focus on?”
After thinking for a moment, Brad replied, “I obviously
wouldn’t waste much time trying to coach or develop my
UFBNNFNCFST*EQSPCBCMZKVTUMFBWFUIBUVQUP)3u
i&YBDUMZ/PXKVTUJNBHJOFGPSBNPNFOUJGBQSPGFT-
sional coach had this same mindset. After drafting a bunch
of young players, he sat them down and said, ‘Gentlemen,
I believe you either got it or you ain’t got it. So me and
the other coaches ain’t gonna bother making you practice
and trying to improve your performance, because we all
know that’s a complete waste of time.’”
Brad couldn’t help but laugh out loud at how absurd
this sounded.
“Seriously, what if a professional coach had this
mindset?” Coach continued. “What if he believed that after
draft day his job was more or less done, and all he needed
to do was given them their comp plan, put them through
training a few days a year, and then show up for game day?
How might this coach’s mindset affect the likelihood that
he would be able to get the most out of his players? How
might this coach’s mindset impact the probability that his
team could compete and win at the highest level?”
“Wow,” said Brad, “I guess I’m really starting to see that
the connection between the approach of a professional
96
.*/%4&5
sports coach and this new management approach you’re

talking about is very similar.”
$PBDIDPOUJOVFE i:FQ OPXNBLFBOPUF.JOEZPVS
mind. It all starts with you and your mindset. Change
your mindset, and you’ll change your behavior. Change
your behavior, and you’ll change their behavior. Change
their behavior, and you’ll change their performance. It’s
that simple. So before you waste all this time and energy
trying to change your team’s behavior, take a good long
look in the mirror and first focus on what you need to
DIBOHF*UBMMTUBSUTXJUIZPV NZGSJFOE:PVBSFUIFDBUB-
MZTU3FNFNCFS OPUIJOHDIBOHFTVOMFTTZPVEPu
97
It all starts with you and your mindset.
Change your mindset, and you’ll
change your behavior. Change your
behavior, and you’ll change their
behavior. Change their behavior, and
you’ll change their performance.
The Talk
L
ittle Nikki set a plate of nachos on the table in
front of Coach and put a smaller, empty plate in
front of Brad.
i&YUSBKBMBQFÒPT KVTUMJLFZPVMJLFFN $PBDI uIFTBJE
with a smile.
“Perfect!” Coach said as he slid the plate closer to Brad.
While Little Nikki returned to the bar, Brad stuffed
his face and mumbled, “Step one, change your approach.
Stop acting like a manager and start acting like a coach.
Got it. What’s next?”
Coach passed Brad a napkin and shook his head.
i4UFQ5XP$SFBUFUIF&OWJSPONFOU0S UPQVUJUBO
other way,” Coach said, “you’ve got to pull the weeds
before you plant the seeds.”
“Create what?” Brad asked as he washed down a jala-
QFÒPXJUIBTXJHPG1JMTOFS
“Let me give you a quick example,” Coach continued.
99
i&BSMZJO7JODF-PNCBSEJTGPPUCBMMDPBDIJOHDBSFFS UIF
bulk of his experience was as the head coach for a small,
private high school—St. Cecilia’s. While Lombardi was
at St. Cecilia’s, he won six straight parochial school state
titles and at one point won thirty-two consecutive games.
So when he finally landed a position in the pros as the of-
GFOTJWFDPPSEJOBUPSGPSUIF/FX:PSL(JBOUT IFàHVSFE
he’d just use the exact same system—the same approach—
he had used in his winning career at St. Cecilia’s.”
As an avid sports fan, Brad knew all about Coach Lom-
bardi’s legendary success as the head coach of the NFL’s
Green Bay Packers. “Well, it obviously worked, right?”
asked Brad. “I mean, he’s one of the greatest football
coaches of all time.”
“Nope,” Coach said. “In fact, every time Lombardi tried
to have a coaching conversation with one of his team mem-
bers, they’d tune him out and wouldn’t listen. In fact, the
players even mocked him for treating them like they were
BCVODIPGIJHITDIPPMLJET0OFEBZ-PNCBSEJIBEàOBMMZ
had enough. He decided to talk to Frank Gifford, the team
leader and star player at the time. After finding Frank in
the locker room playing cards with a couple of other team
veterans, Lombardi approached them with complete hu-
mility and said, ‘Guys—what the hell am I doing wrong?’
“And with that,” Coach continued, “everything changed.
100
5 ) & 5" - ,
:PVTFF -PNCBSEJMFBSOFEBWBMVBCMFMFTTPOUIBUEBZ5P
get your team to become coachable, you must first become
coachable. To get your team to open up, you must first open
up. To get your team to embrace constructive coaching and
developmental feedback, you must first embrace construc-
tive coaching and developmental feedback. As a coach, you
set the standard for your team to follow. And your personal
example is the most powerful leadership tool you have.”
Brad did his best to capture all of Coach’s insights in
his journal. There was a pause in the conversation as Brad
tapped his pen on the table and reviewed his notes while
Coach enjoyed a few nachos.
“That makes sense,” Brad said, “but what’s that got to
do with what you said a minute ago—something about
pulling the weeds before you plant the seeds?”
Coach slapped the table and reached for his pint.
i&WFSZUJNF*UBMLBCPVU$PBDI-PNCBSEJ (PESFTUIJT
soul, I get all fired up,” he said, washing down the last of
the nachos on his plate. “Lombardi learned to plant seeds
and help them grow. When we talk about the process of
becoming a coach and consistently getting the most out
of your team, what we’re really talking about is planting
seeds in the minds of your team—seeds of self-confidence;
seeds of belief, desire, positive expectation; and, ulti-
mately, seeds of greatness.”
101
To get your team to become
coachable, you must first become
coachable. To get your team to open up,
you must first open up. To get your
team to embrace constructive coaching
and developmental feedback,
you must first embrace constructive
coaching and developmental feedback.
As a coach, you set the standard for
your team to follow. And your personal
example is the most powerful
leadership tool you have.
5 ) & 5" - ,
Coach paused to search for an analogy.

“A farmer hoping to reap a huge harvest,” he continued,
“wouldn’t just walk up to any old dry, unfertile patch of
dirt choked with weeds and start tossing out seeds like they
were chicken feed, would he?” To punctuate the point,
Coach threw a handful of peanuts across the floor.
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“Because if you don’t properly prepare the soil,” Brad
said, “the seeds won’t take root. And if the field is already
choked with weeds, the seeds will never stand a chance.”
i&YBDUMZ u $PBDI TBJEi.BLF B OPUF 1VMM UIF XFFET
before you plant the seeds.”
Brad’s journal again became the focus of attention.
i0LBZ MFUNFQVUJUUIJTXBZ u$PBDIBEEFEi:PVOFFE
to hit the rest button on your relationship with your team.
:PVOFFEUPTJUEPXOXJUIFBDIUFBNNFNCFSBOEIBWFB
IFBSUUPIFBSUUPTFFXIFSFZPVTUBOE:PVOFFEUPJEFO-
tify and remove the friction points in your relationship
that could be preventing your team members from being
open to having a coaching conversation. Just like Coach
Lombardi, you’ve got to be the first one to put your cards
on the table and ask, ‘What am I doing wrong? What can
I do better? How can I improve?’”
103
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“Well, that’s going to be a lot of fun,” Brad sarcastically

moaned.
“Just remember, when they start opening up and telling
you some things you’d probably rather not hear, don’t get
EFGFOTJWF %POU KVEHFKVTU MJTUFO 3FBMMZ USZ UP VOEFS-
stand their perspective and see things through their eyes.
Try to understand their perception of you and your man-
agement approach, because you know what?”
“What?”
“Their perception is your reality. Make a note: Leader-
ship is a reciprocal process. In order for people to follow
you, they must trust and believe in you. And in order for
them to trust and believe in you, you must first trust and
believe in them. Trust is the foundation of leadership, and
it’s at the core of becoming a world-class coach.”
Brad, still taking notes, didn’t look up as he asked
IJTOFYURVFTUJPOi0LBZ TP *TJUEPXO XJUI FBDI UFBN
member and ask what I’m doing wrong—or, better yet,
what I can improve on,” he said. “And after they pro-
ceed to unload on me—telling me what a selfish jerk I’ve
been—then what?”
“Simple,” Coach said. “Apologize. But don’t just say it;
mean it. Look them in the eyes and tell them the truth. Tell
them exactly what you’ve shared with me over these past
couple of weeks. And then, most important, change your
104
Leadership is a reciprocal
process. In order for people to follow
you, they must trust and believe in you.
And in order for them to trust and
believe in you, you must first
trust and believe in them.
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
approach. Stop acting like a manager and start acting like

a coach!”
#SBEUPPLBEFFQCSFBUIi0LBZ uIFTBJE iTPPODF*WF
pulled the weeds, then I start planting the seeds, right?”
“Wrong.”
“Wrong?”
“Dang, son, didn’t your mama teach you anything
BCPVUHBSEFOJOH :PVDBOUUSFBUEJGGFSFOUTFFETUIFTBNF
and expect them all to flourish, now can you? The next
thing you’ve got to do is figure out which types of seeds
grow best under which conditions.”
Coach pointed toward a line of old framed photos
hanging on a nearby wall. Among the black-and-white
mug shots of famous athletes and celebrities hung a pic-
ture of a racehorse, and Coach was pointing right at it.
i&WFSTFFUIFNPWJFSeabiscuit?” Coach asked.
i(SFBUNPWJF u#SBESFTQPOEFEi0OFPGNZGBWPSJUFT
3JHIU VQ UIFSF XJUI Caddy Shack and The Hangover. I
must have seen it a dozen times.”
i3FNFNCFSIPX FBSMZPO 4FBCJTDVJUIBEBMFHFOEBSZ
trainer by the name of Fitzsimmons? If you’ll recall,
Fitzsimmons saw a lot of potential in Seabiscuit, but for
some reason the horse just wasn’t performing up to ex-
pectations. Fitzsimmons thought the horse was just too
darn lazy. So do you remember what he did?”
106
5 ) & 5" - ,
i:FBI IFUSJFEUPCSFBLIJNEPXOBOECFBUJUPVUPG
him,” Brad recalled.
“And did it work?” Coach asked.
“Nope,” Brad said. “I think he either finished dead last
or in the back of the pack in his first ten races.”
i3JHIU4PUIFOBMPOHDPNFT4FBCJTDVJUTOFXUSBJOFS
an old, washed up horse-whisperer by the name of Tom
Smith. And lo and behold, Seabiscuit starts winning every
race, eventually becoming the number-one racehorse in
the whole damn country! Same horse. Same potential. But
vastly different results.”
Coach paused for a minute, letting his point sink in.
“Let me ask you this: What made the difference? Was it
the horse or the trainer?”
“The trainer,” Brad answered without even thinking
twice. “Seabiscuit had it in him the whole time.”
“So what did Smith know that Fitzsimmons didn’t?”
“Simple: He knew his horse.”
i&YBDUMZu $PBDI TBJE JO B CPPNJOH WPJDFi.BLF B
note: Get to know your people. If you want them to trust
ZPV ZPVWF HPU UP FBSO JU:PVWF HPU UP NBLF JU B UPQ
priority to continually invest in those relationships before
they’ll start to pay dividends. Find out what’s special and
unique about each of your team members. Learn about
their backgrounds, their upbringings, their idiosyncrasies,
107
their strengths, their weaknesses, their hopes, their

dreams, and their desires. Find out what drives them. Not
only will this help you establish a higher degree of trust
and rapport with your team, but it will also give you vital
information that you’re going to use during your weekly
coaching conversations. Are you following me?”
“Absolutely! This is great stuff,” Brad said as he finished
jotting down his notes. “But I have a question. Going back
to what you were talking about earlier, how will I know
when it’s time to start planting the seeds? At this point I
don’t think my team will even be receptive to having a
coaching conversation. When will I know I’ve developed
enough trust and rapport so that they’ll be open to having
these weekly coaching conversations?”
i%POU XPSSZ u TBJE $PBDIi:PVMM LOPX5SVTU NF
:PVMMLOPXu
108
The Greatest Gift
C
oach returned with another round of drinks and
looked over Brad’s notes as he settled back into
his seat.
i:PVSF DBUDIJOH PO 4BMFT .BOBHFS u IF TBJE i)BE
enough, or do you think you can handle more?” Coach
pulled out his journal, wrote something down, and re-
turned his attention to his newest protégé.
“I can handle it,” said Brad.
i&YDFMMFOUu $PBDI SFQMJFEi8IJMF UIF GSBNFXPSL JT
universal and works for any manager, since you’re in sales,
let me ask you a question.” After pausing, he asked Brad,
“What’s the greatest gift you can give a salesperson?”
“A bluebird deal,” Brad shot back.
“Wrong.”
“A great territory.”
“Nope.”
“A hot wife . . . a fancy car . . . I don’t know!”
109
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Coach laughed. “All right, all right,” he said. “Let me

help you out. The greatest gift you can give a salesperson—
or any person, for that matter—is self-confidence.” He
scooped a handful of peanuts from the bowl between
them and continued. “As a salesperson, the first sales job is
always on yourself. It doesn’t matter how great your pitch
is, how good your closing skills are, or how pretty that
PowerPoint presentation might be—if the prospect can
sense that you don’t believe in yourself and what you’re
selling, the prospect ain’t gonna buy. It’s that simple.”
Coach continued. “In order to convince, you must first
be convinced. Not only must you have confidence in your
product and your company, but more importantly, you
must have confidence in yourself. It doesn’t matter whether
you’re in marketing, operations, engineering, finance, ac-
DPVOUJOH DVTUPNFSTFSWJDF *5 PS)3UIFTBNFQSJODJQMF
applies. Improving your team member’s self-confidence is
the first step to improving his or her performance.”
“Great stuff,” Brad said as he continued taking notes.
“Great stuff.”
“No need to kiss my a--,” Coach said with a grin. “We
talked about how it’s your job to believe in your people
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Brad nodded.
“Well, the next step is to transfer that belief—that
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5 ) & ( 3 & "5 & 4 5 ( * ' 5
sense of confidence—to your team. After you’ve raised

your performance standards and expectations, you’ve got
to get them to raise theirs:PVWFHPUUPHFUUIFNUPCF-
lieve that they haven’t even scratched the surface of their
potential, and that—with the right coaching—they’re ca-
pable of performing at a much higher level.”
Brad put his pen down and looked at Coach. “How am
I supposed to do that?”
Coach stared across the table deep in thought.
i0LBZ MFUNFBTLZPVBOPUIFSRVFTUJPO u$PBDITBJE
“Why do you think professional coaches are so obsessed
with watching game film?”
“Well, they watch game film to break down each play-
er’s performance,” Brad answered. “To figure out what
each player did right and what he did wrong so they can
help them improve next time.”
“And once the coaches have broken down each team
member’s performance and pinpointed what they need
to work on in order to improve, what do they do with
UIBUJOGPSNBUJPO u$PBDIBTLFEi%PUIFZSVOVQUP)3
asking for a performance evaluation sheet, write down
what each team member needs to work on in order to
improve, seal it up, and file it away until the end-of-year
performance reviews?”
Brad laughed out loud at how absurd this sounded.
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“No! They use the info to give their team members imme-
diate feedback so they can improve in the very next game.”
i'FFECBDL :FT MBE UIBUT JU 1FPQMF OFFE GFFECBDL
and coaching to improve their performance, don’t they?
If your team doesn’t know what they’re doing right and
what they’re doing wrong, how can they adjust? How can
they improve?”
Coach leaned forward. “Make a note: The only way
to systematically improve performance is through con-
sistently giving constructive coaching and developmental
feedback. And in the business world, just like in sports,
there’s a direct correlation between the quantity and
quality of coaching a person receives and his or her level
of performance improvement.”
Coach took out his pen, grabbed a cocktail napkin,
and drew a chart. Pointing to the chart, he said, “In other
words, a lot of coaching . . . a lot of improvement. A little
coaching . . . a little improvement. No coaching . . . no
improvement.”
“That seems pretty obvious.”
i:PVE UIJOL TP XPVMEOU ZPV u $PBDI SIFUPSJDBMMZ
asked. “The sad truth is that most managers aren’t giving
their team members any constructive coaching or devel-
opmental feedback.
“Speaking of which,” Coach continued, “I’m curious.
112
5 ) & ( 3 & "5 & 4 5 ( * ' 5
How often are you giving your team members construc-

tive coaching and developmental feedback?”
Brad took a moment to think that over. “Well, I don’t
know how ‘constructive’ or ‘developmental’ it is, but I
guess I at least give them feedback once a year during
their annual performance reviews.”
$PBDI TIPPL IJT IFBE i0ODF B ZFBS :PV UIJOL
coaching your team once a year is going to have any
impact on improving their performance?”
“Well, since you put it that way, probably not,” Brad
said, “but isn’t that pretty standard these days for most
companies?”
113
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QBUIFUJD &NQMPZFST XPOEFS XIZ FNQMPZFFT BSF TP EJT-
engaged, unmotivated, and underperforming. Think of
it this way. If you have a weekly coaching conversation
with your team members, you’re giving them fifty times
more opportunities to improve their performance than
the competition is getting. And a side benefit is that the
built-in weekly cadence will also help you improve your
team’s accountability and give you a consistent venue to
look for those coachable moments.”
Brad began writing. “Coachable moments?” he asked.
“I’ve got another Lombardi story to illustrate my point,”
$PBDITBJEi:PVMPWFNZ1BDLFSTUPSJFT EPOUZPV u
“No; actually, I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan.”
$PBDITIPPLIJTIFBEi'JHVSFT"OZXBZ +FSSZ,SBNFS
one of the offensive linemen on Coach Lombardi’s team,
told a story about what happened when he jumped offside
once in a scrimmage. Lombardi immediately got in his face
and yelled at the top of his lungs, “The concentration period
of a college student is five minutes, a high school student is
three minutes, and a kindergartener is thirty seconds—and
you don’t even have that! So where does that put you?’ After
QSBDUJDF ,SBNFSXFOUCBDLJOUPUIFMPDLFSSPPNUIJOLJOH
there’s not a chance in hell I’m ever going to play for this
guy again. Then all of a sudden Lombardi burst through the
114
5 ) & ( 3 & "5 & 4 5 ( * ' 5
EPPS IFBEFETUSBJHIUPWFSUP,SBNFS CFOUEPXO MPPLFE

him dead in the eye, patted him on the back, and said, ‘Son,
one of these days you’re going to be the best damn guard in
GPPUCBMM8JUIUIBUIFBCSVQUMZXBMLFEBXBZ,SBNFSMBUFS
said that moment was the turning point in his career. From
that day on, he poured his heart out for Coach Lombardi
because he knew Lombardi believed in him—and he didn’t
want to let him down. And you know what?”
“What?”
i)F EJEOU +FSSZ ,SBNFS CFDBNF POF PG UIF UIJSUFFO
players on a losing 1–10–1 team that Lombardi inherited
back in ’59 who either became an All Pro or a Hall of
'BNFQMBZFS:PVTFF VOMJLFNPTUNBOBHFSTUPEBZ -PN-
bardi didn’t complain about the talent that wasn’t there—
he focused on developing the talent that was.”
Coach again fixed his gaze on Brad. “Same player.
Same team. Same potential. But vastly different results.
So, what was the difference—the player or the coach?”
“It was obviously the coach—but to be more specific,
it was the coach’s approach,” Brad said.
“Bingo,” Coach said. “Make a note: As a coach, ev-
erything you do and everything you say sends a message
to your team. The question you’ve got to constantly ask
yourself is this: What message am I sending? And always
remember: What you say affects how they play.”
115
The only way to systematically improve
performance is through consistently
giving constructive coaching and
developmental feedback.
The Coaching
Conversation Continues
B
rad looked up from his journal, a puzzled expres-
sion on his face. “I get what you’re saying about
the importance of having a weekly coaching con-
versation, and I get that what I say affects how my team
plays. But my question is, what do I say?”
Coach smiled. “Good question. Let’s start by analyzing
what your current one-on-ones look like.”
“Well, for starters, there’s really no set cadence and
no consistent process. I guess I just kinda wing it,” Brad
said.
Shaking his head, Coach asked, “How can you expect
to get consistent results from an inconsistent process?
Anyway, grab your pen and journal and get ready, be-
cause we’re going to kick it up a notch. As you can see,”
117
he said, gesturing toward the back of the bar, “the crew is

getting restless.”
Brad looked toward the pool tables, where a crowd of
corporate executive types were partying like college kids,
singing and dancing.
Coach jumped up, grabbed a piece of chalk, and started
scribbling something on the chalkboard behind the table.
He wrote:
1. Stop focusing so much on the prize that

you forget about the process.
Coach put down the chalk and asked, “Why is it that

most people come to work Monday morning with the
best intentions to get a lot done, but at the end of the day
have so little to show for their efforts?”
Brad shrugged. “I dunno.”
“Let me give you a hint,” Coach said. “Think back to
your issue with your team not working as efficiently as
they should be.”
From the look on Brad’s face, it was obvious he was
drawing a blank.
Coach peered over the rim of his glasses and continued.
118
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“Still don’t know? What if I told you that you are part of
the problem?”
“Me?” said Brad, oozing with sarcasm. “Not a chance!
I’m the cocky guy who’s got this management stuff all
àHVSFEPVU3FNFNCFS u
Coach smiled in recognition of his protégé’s newfound
sense of humility.
“I want you to remember three important things. First,
you’ve got to help your team members minimize distrac-
tions and maximize focus on weekly priorities. Second,
you need to stop focusing so much on the prize that you
forget about the process. And finally, you’ve got to under-
stand that what gets reinforced gets done. Focus controls
behavior. Questions control focus. If you as a manager
are not knowingly asking the right questions, there’s a
good chance that you’re unknowingly reinforcing the
wrong behaviors.”
“Whew!” Brad said, wiping his brow. “Where’d you
MFBSOBMMUIJTTUVGG :PVTVSFBTIFDLEJEOUQJDLJUVQPO
the football field.”
“No, I learned it while studying behavioral psy-
chology,” Coach said, “but that’s beside the point. When
you sit down with your team for your weekly one-on-
ones, what type of questions are you asking?”
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Brad half-jokingly replied, “I’m all about Glengary

Glen Ross. A–B–C. Always. Be. Closing. So of course I
ask the same two questions that every other sales man-
ager asks: How big’s the deal? And when is it closing?”
Coach shook his head and sighed. “Well, that explains it.”
i&YQMBJOTXIBU u
“Why you can’t get your salespeople to do more pros-
pecting.” Coach grabbed another cocktail napkin and drew
a sales funnel diagram on the back. At the top he wrote All
Prospects and at the bottom he wrote Closed Deals.
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Coach tapped on the drawing with his pen and said,

“When you ask those questions—‘How big is the deal?’
and ‘When is it closing?’—where on the sales funnel does
that put the focus?”
i0OUIFCPUUPNu
“If you want them to start doing more prospecting on
a more consistent basis,” Coach continued, “where on the
sales funnel should you be focusing their attention?”
i0OUIFUPQu
“Are you starting to see the problem here?”
“Now*HFUXIBUZPVSFTBZJOH:PVCSJOHVQBHPPE
point. I guess I never realized how much of an impact
what I do affects what they do.”
$PBDI KVTU TNJMFEi3FNFNCFS " TLJMMFE DPBDI VTFT
Socratic questioning to control focus and direct behavior
in order to initiate learning and improve performance.”
When Brad finished writing his notes, Coach wrote the
second key point on the chalkboard:
2. Don’t just celebrate the touchdowns—

celebrate the first downs.
i:PVTBJEUIBUTPNFNFNCFSTPGZPVSUFBNXFSFOUQVU-
UJOH GPSUI UIF FYUSB FGGPSU:PV TBJE UIFZ TFFNFE UP CF
121
Don’t just celebrate the touchdowns—
celebrate the first downs.
5 ) & $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 / $ 0 / 5 * / 6 & 4
just going through the motions—doing just enough to

skate by. What if I told you that you were part of this
problem too?”
Brad frowned. “Hey, wait a minute. I’m starting to see
a theme here. What the heck is this? Beat-up-on-Brad
day?”
$PBDI TNJMFEi3FMBY8IJMF ZPV NBZ CF QBSU PG UIF
problem, you’re going to be an even bigger part of the so-
lution. Just do what I say and you’ll be a hero. I promise.”
“So what does my team’s sub-par performance have to
do with celebrating first downs?” Brad asked.
“Make a note,” Coach said. “Long-term success re-
quires short-term focus. And the fastest way to improve
performance is to help your team members set process-
oriented, weekly goals and then positively reinforce small,
incremental improvements. This isn’t some management
gimmick; it’s a scientific fact,” Coach continued. “What
gets reinforced gets done. Whether we’re talking about
succeeding in business, sports, teaching, or even par-
enting, the same timeless principles apply. The goal here
is steady, consistent progress—day in and day out. All
you’re trying to do is to get your team members to be a
little better today than they were yesterday.”
Back at the board, Coach wrote his third key point:
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Embrace mistakes as coachable moments.
“This one has to do with some of the challenges your

team is having around effectiveness—or skill competency
level—”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Brad interrupted. “Let
me guess. This one’s my fault too.”
“Actually, no,” Coach said. “Chalk this one up to con-
ventional wisdom not being all that wise. For some reason,
conventional wisdom has always been that it was the pri-
NBSZSFTQPOTJCJMJUZPG)3UPUSBJOBOEEFWFMPQyour team.
It’s not. They obviously play an important part, but ulti-
mately, that’s your job. In fact, that’s one of the most im-
portant aspects of your job and why it’s so critical that
you—and your company’s leaders—redefine your role.
“The best way to systematically improve employee per-
formance is by giving them constructive coaching and de-
velopmental feedback on a weekly basis. That’s why the
weekly coaching conversation is so important. And, frankly,
without this critical piece of the puzzle in place, trying to do
any training for frontline employees is a colossal waste of
time, energy, and money because it won’t stick.”
Brad nodded and continued taking notes while Coach
took a sip from his pint.
124
Embrace mistakes as coachable
moments.
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
“Building a high-performance team can be achieved

only through the identification and perfection of seem-
ingly small things consistently done right over time. But
here’s the catch: We learn far more from our mistakes
than we do from our successes,” Coach continued. “If you
only give your team members positive reinforcement, they
may feel all warm and fuzzy, but they’re never going to
JNQSPWF:PVWFHPUUPQVTIUIFNBOEDIBMMFOHFUIFNJG
ZPVXBOUUIFNUPHSPX:PVWFHPUUPBDDFQUUIBUGBJMVSF
is a natural byproduct of success.”
Brad kept frantically scribbling down notes, trying to
capture every word.
i,FFQJONJOE ZPVSKPCJTUPFWBMVBUF OPUKVEHFJUT
to coach, not criticize,” Coach added. “Learn to embrace
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nities for improvement. As long as you’ve done a good
job of creating—and maintaining—an environment that’s
conducive to coaching, your team members will not only
be open to having a coaching conversation, they’ll proac-
tively come to you asking for it.”
Just as Coach was about to start explaining the impor-
tance of the five critical coaching questions, the buzzing
of his phone cut him off. He pulled the phone from his
pocket and looked at the number on the screen.
“Gimme a sec,” Coach said. “I need to take this call.”
126
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He stepped away from the table, giving Brad a few min-

utes to collect his thoughts and go over his notes.
i&WFSZUIJOHPLBZ u#SBEBTLFEXIFO$PBDISFUVSOFE
a few minutes later.
“I hate to do this, but I’ve got to cut this coaching
conversation a little short. I have to catch the next flight
UP&VSPQFGPSBOFNFSHFODZCPBSENFFUJOHu
Brad had begun to see Coach as larger than life, but a
TQVSPGUIFNPNFOUCVTJOFTTUSJQUP&VSPQFTUJMMTUVOOFE
him a bit.
i3FBMMZ uIFBTLFE
i:FBI POFPGUIFDPNQBOJFT*NBOBDUJWFCPBSENFNCFS
for is trying to close an M&A deal they’ve been working
on for months. I’ll probably be gone for a week or so.”
Brad noticed that Coach’s tone was casual, as if the trip
were as routine as a drive around the block.
“I’m sorry I won’t be here next Friday to celebrate after
you receive your big award,” Coach said.
“Ah, no worries,” said Brad, doing his best to mask his
disappointment.
Coach slapped Brad on the back with his left hand and
extended an envelope in his right hand. “I got you a little
something,” he said, “but don’t open it until right before
the awards banquet.”
Brad flipped the envelope over a few times, resisting the
127
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
temptation to slice it open and examine what was inside.

As Coach made his way toward the exit, yelling mildly
obscene good-byes to his crew, Brad stuck the envelope in
his journal and put them both in his jacket pocket.
“Safe travels, Coach,” he yelled across the room.
128
The Leadership Moment
B
rad pushed hard through the traffic on Highway
101 as he made his way toward the Imperial
Hotel in downtown San Francisco for the NPC
annual awards banquet. The big day had finally arrived.
More than five hundred of the company’s top executives
were gathered in the ballroom of one of the swankiest
hotels in the city—and it looked for all the world like the
winner of the event’s biggest award would arrive late.
i5IF4BMFT-FBEFSPGUIF:FBSPVHIUUPCVZIJNTFMGPOF
of these stupid monkey suits,” Brad said to himself, refer-
ring to the tuxedo he’d had to rent. He exited the highway
and sat anxiously waiting for the light to change.
The tux rental is what had put him behind schedule.
The formalwear store had sent the wrong suit over, and
Brad quickly decided he’d rather arrive late than dress
in teal and look like a 1970s lounge singer. By the time
he took it back, got the right tux, changed, and drove to
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the hotel, he had already missed the salads, and the main
course was being served.
The people on Brad’s team—who’d been invited to
attend so they could see him receive the award—were
seated at a table near the back of the room. Brad noticed
them from across the room as soon as he walked in. He
gave them a quick nod and wave as he hurriedly made his
way toward a table at the front. They obligingly returned
the wave and went back to buttering their rolls.
Brad took his seat, apologizing to his tablemates for
his tardiness. Suddenly it hit him: In his rush to resolve
the tux fiasco, he’d forgotten to open the envelope Coach
IBE HJWFO IJN CFGPSF MFBWJOH GPS &VSPQF )F QVMMFE IJT
journal from his jacket pocket, slid out the envelope, and
opened it. Inside, he found a handwritten, heartfelt con-
gratulatory note from Coach.
“Not hungry?” asked Jan Muller, the senior vice-presi-
dent of operations for NPC.
The question startled Brad, who’d been lost in thought
as he reflected on Coach’s letter.
i0I OP * IBE B MBUF MVODI u #SBE TBJE MPPLJOH VQ
from the note. “I’m not very hungry.”
He downed the glass of iced tea in front of him, trying
to bring life to his dry throat. He made a feeble attempt
to join in the group’s conversation to hide the fact that
130
5)&-&"%&34)*1.0.&/5
his stomach was doing flip-flops. As the awards ceremony

began, Brad’s palms were sweating, his heart was racing,
and his mind was drifting back to the coaching conversa-
tions he’d had with Coach over the past few weeks. His
mind was in a fog when he heard the applause and real-
ized it had followed his name that was being announced
CZ/1$T$&0 .BSUJO$PXFS
“And for the final award of the evening, it brings me
HSFBUQMFBTVSFUPJOUSPEVDFPVS4BMFT-FBEFSPGUIF:FBS
Brad Hutchinson!” Cower announced.
With his adrenaline pumping and his speech in hand,
Brad slowly walked up to the podium. As the applause
finally died down, Brad looked across the now-silent
room filled with the “who’s who” of his company’s
power players, all dressed to the nines. Suddenly it was
as if the scene had switched into slow motion. He could
hear his heart pounding, and his breathing speeded up.
His sweaty palms tightly clutched the speech he had la-
bored over.
As he arrived at the podium, Brad looked down at his
speech notes. I can’t do this, he thought as he glanced
over the notes one last time. This just isn’t me anymore.
With a fresh wave of courage and inspiration, he took a
deep breath and began. “A wise man once told me . . .”
Abruptly, Brad stopped. His voice had cracked. He
131
cleared his throat and started again, this time a little

louder and directly into the microphone.
“A wise man once told me to get it out of my head and
into my heart,” he said. “So here goes—”
With that, he crinkled up the speech and tossed it over
his shoulder, drawing light laughter from the crowd.
“When I first became a manager,” he said, “I thought I
had all the answers. Now I realize that’s not my job. My
job is to ask all the right questions. When I first became a
manager, I thought my job was to make my number. I was
wrong. I now realize that my job is to help my team mem-
bers make their number. When I first became a manager,
I thought it was all about me. I was wrong. I now realize
it’s about them—my team.”
Brad pointed to the table at the back of the room where
his team was sitting and called out each person by name.
“I now realize it’s about helping my team achieve
their dreams, their goals, and their aspirations. It’s about
helping them grow and improve so that they can achieve
their potential—as professionals and as human beings.”
Brad took another breath but his pause was brief.
“And while the scoreboard may indicate that I’ve suc-
ceed as a sales manager,” he said, “the truth is, I now re-
alize that I’ve failed as a sales leader. I’ve learned a lot
over the past few weeks and I now realize that I’ve been
132
5)&-&"%&34)*1.0.&/5
wrong about a lot of things. But there’s one thing I know

I’m right about—and that’s that I am not worthy of this
BXBSE:PVTFF *EHMBEMZBDDFQUJUJGJUXFSFOUGPSPOF
word. It doesn’t say sales manager, it says sales leader. So
as much as I sincerely appreciate the acknowledgment,
I’m afraid I must respectfully decline the award.”
A wave of shock rolled over the audience, beginning
XJUIUIFMPPLPO$&0.BSUJO$PXFSTGBDFBOEXPSLJOH
its way to the back of the room where Brad’s team sat in
stunned silence. A murmur of whispers quickly filled the
ballroom as the people at each table began wondering out
loud: “Is this really happening?”
With Coach’s letter still fresh in his mind, Brad added
one final thought.
“A wise man once told me that when all is said and
done and we’ve finally completed this journey we call life,
what will matter most is not what we have achieved, but
rather who we have become,” Brad said with renewed
confidence. “And while I realize I have a long way to go to
reach my potential both as a person and as a leader”—he
paused, overcome with emotion as he realized he’d seized
the moment—“I think I’m finally at least reading from
the right playbook.”
With that, Brad turned from the podium, stepped off
the stage, and walked through the center of the crowded
133
ballroom toward the back doors. A few sporadic claps

finally broke the awkward silence then quickly exploded
into a roaring applause, and, by the time he had reached
the exit, a standing ovation.
Stepping into the cool Bay Area evening, Brad thought
to himself, Great—now what? After considering his op-
tions, he smiled and said, “What else?”
An hour or so later Brad walked into Halftime. The bar
was filled with a typical Friday evening crowd. He parked
himself at the bar, ordered a pint, and began chatting with
Little Nikki and a few regulars he’d gotten to know over
the past few weeks. The familiar surroundings helped him
sense Coach’s presence, but he couldn’t help wondering
what the old man was doing at that particular moment
JO&VSPQF
After finishing his first pint, Brad excused himself from
the small talk and made his way to the restroom. He
stood over the old tin horse trough, perusing last week’s
sports sections that were pinned to the corkboard in front
of him. Without warning, the door behind him flew open
and slammed against the wall.
“Now that’s a real fancy suit you got on there!” bel-
lowed a loud, familiar voice. “Don’t you think you’re
a little overdressed for a sh-- hole like this? What, you
134
5)&-&"%&34)*1.0.&/5
just come from a funeral or somethin’?” Coach’s raucous

laughter echoed off the walls.
Brad just about fell over. “What are you doing here?”
IFTIPVUFEi*UIPVHIUZPVXFSFTUJMMJO&VSPQFu
“Just got back a couple of hours ago,” Coach said. “We
ended up getting the deal done sooner than expected, so I
decided to cut the trip a little short. I probably would’ve
made it in time for your big award if it hadn’t been for a
weather delay in Chicago.”
Coach paused and looked at his newest protégé. “So
how did it go, kid?”
Brad desperately wanted to unload all the details about
how he had seized his leadership moment and had de-
clined the award, because he knew how proud Coach
would be of him. But for some reason, it just didn’t feel
right.
i"I JU XBT VOFWFOUGVM u IF TBJE i:PV LOPX IPX
boring those stupid things are.”
With a twinkle in his eye and a knowing smile on
his face, Coach put his hand on Brad’s shoulder as they
walked out of the restroom. He pointed back to the pool
tables, where a large group of Coach’s crew had gathered.
“Come on, why don’t you come on over and join us?”
As he started toward the pool tables, Coach noticed
135
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something out of the corner of his eye. A group of about

ten young professionals all dressed to the hilt had just
walked into the bar; they were standing in the entrance,
scanning the place as if they were looking for someone in
particular.
i0OTFDPOEUIPVHIU 4BMFT-FBEFS u$PBDITBJEBTIF
patted Brad on the back and directed his attention toward
the front door, “it looks like some friends came to help
you celebrate after all.”
136
The Story Behind the Story
8)&/&7&3 * (*7& " keynote or workshop, I’m often

asked about the inspiration behind Brad and Coach—and
whether the story you just read is true. In celebration of
this new edition of The Weekly Coaching Conversation, I
want to share with you a bit of the story behind the story.
It all started just about the time my team and I were
about two-thirds of the way through our research project
on employee performance. While we had not yet drawn
any definitive conclusions from the data, we had already
made a number of surprising breakthroughs that I’ll share
with you in the next section.
I decided to share some of our preliminary findings
XJUIBGFXGSJFOETBOEDPMMFBHVFTJOUIFJOEVTUSZ0OFPG
UIPTFQFPQMFXBT,FO#MBODIBSEBGSJFOEBOENFOUPSPG
mine, someone for whom I have a tremendous amount of
respect.
0OFNPSOJOH*XBTTJUUJOHXJUI,FOBUIJTLJUDIFOUBCMF
and we were reviewing the research. He turned to me and
said he thought we were onto something big—and that I
should write a fable.
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This seemed logical enough. That has obviously

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problem: I had absolutely no idea how to write a fable.
Creativity just wasn’t my strong suit. I’m more of a busi-
ness-minded, analytical type. Truth be told, I don’t even
read fiction!
Despite my initial apprehension, I decided to at least
give it a try. But after weeks of racking my brain for a sto-
ryline, nothing came. I was starting to get frustrated and
was about to give up on the idea—until fate intervened.
As luck would have it, not too long thereafter I was
scheduled to take my family on a weeklong Disney Cruise
in the Caribbean. What better place to find a little cre-
ative inspiration than on a Disney Cruise, right?
I don’t know if you’ve ever been on a cruise—espe-
cially a Disney Cruise—but they’re not exactly conducive
to getting work done. It seemed every time I managed to
sneak away to a quiet spot on the ship for a little brain-
storming, Mickey Mouse would pop around the corner
or Tinkerbelle would flutter by followed by a swarm of
screaming kids. Not exactly an idyllic writer’s retreat.
Having made zero progress and already being halfway
through the trip, I relented, decided to pack my journal
away, and vowed to just enjoy the rest of the vacation
with my family.
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Later that evening—in the middle of the night—I woke

from a deep sleep. My eyes popped wide open. I’ve got it!
I jumped out of bed, grabbed my journal, and managed
to scamper through the cabin and out onto the balcony
without waking any of my family.
*MMOFWFSGPSHFUUIBUOJHIU&WFOBT*XSJUFUIJT *DBO
still see it. The moon was bigger and brighter than I had
ever seen, and the crystal-clear, blue Caribbean water was
literally glowing. It was magical.
I sat down, opened my journal, and started furiously
writing: Act 1 . . . Act 2 . . . Act 3 . . . The story was
coming together in my mind faster than I could capture it
on paper—which was rare for me, as I honestly struggle
with writing. But strangely enough, the story didn’t come
to me as a book; it came to me as a movie.1 In my mind’s
eye, I could see Brad and Coach sitting at the bar en-
joying a couple of pints and developing this rather unique
relationship. At the time, I was simply trying to capture
snap shots of the coaching conversation between these
two characters and then weave in bits and pieces of the
framework where possible.
1
My vision of this becoming a movie partially came true when we rented
out a dive bar, cast professional actors to play Brad, Coach, and the rest of
Coach’s Crew and acted out the portions of the fable so that we could use
the videos to really bring our training program to life.
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In hindsight, I now realize that the reason this story

flowed through me so effortlessly is because, in many re-
spects, the story you just read is really my story. It’s me
acting as Coach—knowing what I’ve learned, studied,
and experienced—having a conversation with the me
of twenty years ago, when I first started managing and
learning about leadership.
Fortunately, I didn’t get stood up by my team at a dive
bar like Brad did. But there was one transformational
event early in my management career that has had a pro-
found impact on my life and was a big part of the inspira-
tion behind writing this book.
I was in my mid-twenties and was managing close to
a $100 million business for a publically traded company.
I’d just been selected as the Worldwide Sales Manager of
UIF:FBS BOE*XBTBCPVUUPCFQSPNPUFEUPCFBNFNCFS
of the management committee. But before I officially
transitioned into my new role, I decided to have my team
over for a little celebratory sendoff.
Life was good. I was newly married, had just bought
a new house, and my career was taking off. So my wife
and I decided to pull out all the stops for a party—fancy
hors d’oeuvres, open bar, live music, the whole nine yards.
The evening was a hit and everyone seemed to be having
a blast.
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&WFSZPOF UIBUJT FYDFQUGPSNF CFDBVTFPGXIBUIBQ-

pened as the evening drew to a close.
Things had finally died down and there were only about
a dozen or so of my team members left in the backyard.
We were telling jokes, sharing funny stories, laughing,
and just having a great time.
Just about the time the music stopped, one of my team
members turned to me—with everyone listening in—and,
JOBEFBETFSJPVTUPOF TBJE i:PVLOPX #SJBO:PVSF
actually a really cool guy . . . outside of the office.”
4JMFODF*UIJOLFWFOUIFDSJDLFUTTUPQQFEDIJSQJOH:PV
could have heard a pin drop as everyone on my team
turned to me, nervously awaiting my response.
While I was obviously stunned by the comment, I didn’t
want to make a scene, so I decided to just laugh it off and
QMBZ BMPOH XJUI B MJUUMF TFMGEFQSFDBUJOH IVNPS 6OGPSUV-
nately, this only seemed to make matters worse. Perhaps
partially inspired by a little liquid courage and the fact that
I was no longer their boss, other team members started to
chime in with some of their “funny” stories about me and
my management approach. I just laughed and continued to
play it off as if it didn’t matter—but it did. It mattered a lot.
Later that evening, after everyone had left, I was up-
stairs washing my face and getting ready for bed. I re-
NFNCFSTUBSJOHJOUPUIFNJSSPSGPSBMPOHUJNF&WFOUVBMMZ
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my eyes started to well up when, for the first time, I didn’t

recognize—or like—the person staring back at me.
In psychology, this is called self-deception. In other
words, you have a problem, but the real problem is that
you don’t realize you have a problem. Well, I can assure
you, I was under no illusion after that evening. I knew I
had a problem—a big problem.
For the first time, I became aware that my maniacal focus
on driving results and getting things done had unintended
consequences. Sure, I was succeeding, but at what cost?
While acknowledgment of this problem was a giant
step in the right direction, there was another big problem:
I had absolutely no idea where to turn for a solution. I
started devouring every management book I could get
my hands on and attending every leadership workshop I
could find, but nothing worked.
Not too long thereafter, I did what any world-class
leader would do . . . I quit! My wife and I sold our house
and we went on worldwide sabbatical, which ultimately
culminated in me writing my first book, Become Who
You Were Born to Be.
:PVTFF BTBMUSVJTUJDBTUIJTNBZTPVOE *WFIPOFTUMZ
always had a very strong sense of purpose—I’ve always
believed that I was put on this earth to make a positive
difference in peoples’ lives. And I now realize that at the
142
5 ) & 4 5 0 3: # & ) * / % 5 ) & 4 5 0 3:
time I was just too naïve, and perhaps too stupid, to re-
alize that being a manager—or better yet, a leader—pro-
vides the perfect platform to do just that.
Fast-forward to today. After years of researching suc-
cessful people, leaders, teams, and organizations and after
a career as a management consultant and the founder of
a couple of startup companies, I now realize that “my
story” has, ironically enough, come full circle.
If I had known then what I know now, there’s a very
good chance I would never have quit that job. Instead,
I probably would have stayed on the corporate path—
which would have been a heck of a lot easier than the
path I’ve taken. But that obviously wasn’t meant to be.
I guess the Man had a different plan, and I needed to
personally experience back then what I now teach today.
I hope by now you get the sense that this is a topic that
I’m incredibly passionate about. Not only is this some-
thing that I’ve studied academically and experienced pro-
fessionally, but, more important, I’ve lived it personally.
My hope is that in some small way this book and my
story will prove to be a catalyst in ensuring that your
story has an even happier ending.
143
TH E
PROGRAM
“In all cases, weekly coaching vastly
improved employee productivity.”
—Timothy Keningham, PhD
Global Chief Strategy Officer and EVP, IPSOS
Research Overview
A
s a management consultant during the height of
the global financial crisis in the spring of 2008,
I was curious to see how organizational leaders
were adapting to the proverbial “new normal.” After
speaking to dozens of leaders of companies ranging in
size from small and medium-size businesses to Fortune
500 companies, it quickly became apparent that they
were all focused on one thing: organic productivity.
In other words, they had shifted their focus from re-
source allocation to resource optimization, and they
were looking for new and innovative ways to drive more
growth and more improvement from within their existing
organizations.
With that in mind, my team and I, along with Ipsos—
one of the world’s leading research firms—started on what
turned out to be an exhaustive five-year research project.
While we initially focused on sales, we quickly expanded
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our research to include all functional areas once we began

to understand the magnitude and universal nature of the
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two thousand managers and employees from two hun-
dred and fifteen companies that ranged in size from small
domestic businesses to Global 2000 companies.
3FBMJ[JOHUIBUUIFàSTUTUFQUPTPMWJOHBQSPCMFNJTUP
define it correctly, my research team and I set out to find
the answer to one seemingly simple question: Why aren’t
employees more productive?
As the following chart illustrates, we discovered that
there are four main reasons:
WHY EMPLOYEES AREN’T MORE PRODUCTIVE
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3 & 4 & " 3$ ) 07 & 37 * & 8
Lack of Efficiency (or Focus)
Perhaps the single most pervasive problem plaguing em-

ployee productivity is a lack of efficiency or focus. The
vast majority of employees come to work intending to get
a lot done, but without a system to help minimize distrac-
tions and maximize focus, they end up squandering pre-
cious time reacting instead of acting. There’s a lot of input
(activity) but very little output (results). They’re working
hard but they’re working on the wrong things—and as a
result, they have very little to show for their efforts. This
problem is compounded as organizational leaders con-
tinually pile on more and more for their employees to do
with fewer and fewer resources.
There’s an equally troubling side effect to lack of ef-
àDJFODZ 0WFS UJNF BT FNQMPZFFT JOFWJUBCMZ UJSF GSPN
working hard and having little to show for their efforts,
they become discouraged, get burned out, and stop
trying so hard—which is the second biggest issue we
discovered.
r r r
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Lack of Effort (or Work Motivation)
This could best be summed up by the anecdotal response

we received from countless employees: “I give 100 per-
cent to my boss . . . about 50 percent of the time.” In
fact, our research revealed that one in four employees re-
ported that they were consistently performing at less than
50 percent of potential. I know what you’re probably
thinking: How can you measure someone’s potential? It’s
completely subjective. And you’re right.
But that’s not the point. The point is that employees are
telling us that they have more to give. So the fundamental
question becomes what you—as a manger, supervisor, or
team leader—have to do to get it out of them.
More to the point, we began to analyze why most em-
ployees weren’t giving their best to their boss. This led us
to begin studying what role a manager’s level of engage-
ment and feedback (or lack thereof) played in the amount
of discretionary effort the team members put forth.
"GUFSBMM FGGPSUJTUIFLFZTUPOFUPTVDDFTT0SBT8JOTUPO
Churchill put it, “Continuous effort—not strength or in-
telligence—is the key to unlocking our potential.”
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3 & 4 & " 3$ ) 07 & 37 * & 8
Lack of Accountability (or Follow-through)
This is an interesting dynamic: Team members know

what to do and how to do it—they just don’t do it. While
some in this group are actively disengaged, we discovered
that many are actually well intentioned. In other words,
they want to get things done, but continually lose focus
and fail to follow through given the whirlwind of activi-
ties, tasks, and fire drills constantly being thrown at them
on a daily basis.
Surprisingly, “lack of accountability” in most cases ap-
peared to be less of a motivation problem and more of a
“systems” problem. We discovered that most managers
don’t have a closed-loop system where they follow up
with their team members on a regular cadence to make
sure they’re on track for achieving their goals and to hold
them accountable. Most managers tell their team mem-
bers what to do, assume they’re doing it, and then follow
up months later just before the deadline only to discover
that their team members had drifted off course long ago.
r r r
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Lack of Ability (or Effectiveness)
We were shocked to discover that both employees and

managers ranked this category the lowest. After all, with
so many billions of dollars spent each year on front-
line employee skills training, we assumed that a lack of
ability (or skill deficiency) would be one of the biggest
QFSGPSNBODFJOIJCJUPST*OGBDU BSFDFOU.D,JOTFZTUVEZ2
found that frontline managers receive the least amount
of training and development (9 percent) while frontline
employees receive the most (27 percent).
Interestingly enough, if you parse through the research
data, you’ll discover that the fundamental problem para-
lyzing employee performance is not necessarily an em-
ployee skillset issue—it’s an employee behavioral issue. A
study3 published by Bain & Company corroborated our
findings and reported that “65% of initiatives required
significant behavior change on the part of frontline em-
ployees, something that leaders fail to anticipate and plan
for in advance.”
2
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TVMUT)PXDPNQBOJFTNBOBHFUIFGSPOUMJOFUPEBZ/FX:PSL.D,JOTFZ
& Company.
3
-JUSF 1 #JSE " $BSFZ ( .FFIBO 1+BOVBSZ 3FTVMUT
delivery®: Busting three common myths of change management. Insights.
152
3 & 4 & " 3$ ) 07 & 37 * & 8
Employee Productivity =
Efficiency x Effort x Effectiveness
Accountability
This prompted us to start analyzing what role these

world-class leaders of high-performance teams played in
shaping the behaviors of their team members—which led
us to yet another breakthrough: The real reason most em-
ployees aren’t more productive actually has a lot less to
do with the employees themselves and a lot more to do
with their managers.
To put it differently, you could just as easily replace
“accountability” in the above equation with “manager,”
because the manager is the common denominator and the
key to simultaneously initiating and sustaining improve-
NFOU JO BMM UISFF BSFBT :FU JUT BNB[JOH UIBU UIF TBNF
.D,JOTFZ TUVEZ SFWFBMFE UIBU POMZ QFSDFOU PG DPN-
panies believe their frontline managers are prepared to
successfully coach, develop, and lead their teams.
As we began conducting a meta-analysis to compare
our research findings with those of other studies, a picture
began to slowly emerge. The deeper we looked into the
data, the more we became convinced that we had stum-
bled onto something big.
0OBIVODI XFEFDJEFEUPTIJGUUIFGPDVTPGPVSSFTFBSDI
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We stopped asking, “Why aren’t employees more produc-

tive?” and started asking, “Why are most managers only
able to get so little out of their teams?”
And that’s when it hit us: The fundamental difference
between leaders of highly productive teams and most
managers didn’t necessarily come down to what most
would suspect: their IQ, strategic vision, or operational
prowess. The fundamental difference primarily came
down to one thing: their approach. These elite leaders of
highly-performance teams and organizations didn’t act
like managers. They acted like coaches.
Like coaches, leaders of high-performance teams under-
stand that the only way to systematically improve perfor-
mance is through consistently giving constructive coaching
and developmental feedback. In fact, dozens of studies—in-
cluding our own—have proven that there’s a direct correla-
tion between the quantity and quality of coaching a person
receives and his or her level of performance improvement.
In other words, a lot of coaching equals a lot of im-
provement. A little coaching equals a little improvement.
And no coaching equals no improvement. This seems
pretty obvious, right?
Well, listen to this: we discovered that 44 percent of em-
ployees report never receiving any constructive coaching
or developmental feedback. That’s right—nearly half of
154
3 & 4 & " 3$ ) 07 & 37 * & 8
QUANTITY OF CONSTRUCTIVE COACHING AND

DEVELOPMENTAL FEEDBACK REPORTED
BY MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES
all employees aren’t receiving any constructive coaching

or developmental feedback! That’s a staggering figure,
and it begs the next logical question.
Why aren’t most employees receiving much, if any,
coaching? Better yet, why aren’t more managers coaching
and developing their teams? It turns out the answer is ac-
tually pretty simple: When it comes to the people side of
management, they’ve never been taught the right approach.
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As Coach explained in the fable, we discovered that

there are basically four different types of managers. And
each type of manager has a very distinctive style or ap-
proach that impacts the rapport with team members and
the team members’ level of productivity.
The four types of managers include the Nice-Guy Man-
ager, the Micromanager, the Do-It-All Manager, and the
$PBDI6OMJLFUIFPUIFSUISFFUZQFTPGNBOBHFST UIF$PBDI
manages to maintain a high level of rapport with his or her
team members while still consistently getting the most out
of them—often twice as much as most managers.
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3 & 4 & " 3$ ) 07 & 37 * & 8
We discovered that there are two key distinctions that

separate these world-class leaders of high-performance
teams—or coaches—from most managers: their mindset
and their skillset.
For example, in the eyes of most managers, you have
organizational goals on the one hand and people devel-
opment goals on the other. Most managers view them
as separate and distinct goals with separate and distinct
strategies. In fact, most managers are so focused on or-
ganizational goals that they completely disregard people
EFWFMPQNFOUHPBMT PVUTPVSDJOHUIPTFUP)3
Coaches, on the other hand, have a completely different
philosophy. They don’t view organizational goals and
people development goals as separate and distinct—they
view them as one and the same. They superimpose the
two. In other words, they believe that the way to achieve
organizational goals is through people development.
They understand that a manager’s job isn’t done once
you find the right people and put them into the right
seats. In fact, it’s just beginning. They understand that de-
WFMPQJOHUIFJSUFBNJTOUKVTU)3TKPCJUTtheir job. In
fact, it’s perhaps their single most important job. They
understand that giving constructive coaching and devel-
opmental feedback isn’t just something that takes place
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during annual or quarterly performance reviews. It’s an

ongoing process that should be inextricably integrated
into everything a manager does on a weekly basis.
If there’s anything I’ve learned about research, it’s that
when you ask a better question, you typically get a better
answer. So with this in mind, we became laser-focused on
finding the answer to perhaps the most important ques-
tion of all: What is the one thing managers must do in
order to systematically improve their team’s performance?
While there are countless things a manager could do
to incrementally improve his or her team’s performance,
that wasn’t our focus. With surgical precision, we were
focused on pinpointing the high-leverage point where a
manager could systematically improve their team’s per-
formance and drive massive improvement with the least
amount of time, energy, effort, or change required.
Having devoted years to studying best practices and
codifying those critical few key behaviors, tools, tac-
tics, and strategies that will really help you move the
needle on employee performance, we’ve distilled it all
into a simple-to-understand, easy-to-apply, three-step
framework. The result is the foundation of the Weekly
Coaching Conversation framework, which we’ll discuss
in the next section.
158
Framework Overview
I
recently sat down with David Covey—son of the
MBUF HSFBU 4UFQIFO $PWFZ BOE GPSNFS $00 PG
Franklin Covey—and took him through an in-depth
review of the Weekly Coaching Conversation (WCC)
program. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. After all,
here was a guy who was not only extremely bright, but
had literally been in and around the training business
his entire life. If anyone had a pulse on the industry and
a unique vantage point from which to judge how our
training program stacked up against all the rest, it was
definitely David.
After I took him through a thorough review of the pro-
gram, David sat back with a contemplative look on his
face and paused, while I anxiously sat there awaiting the
verdict. To my surprise (and relief), he said that he would
give our WCC program an A+ relative to all the other
programs he’s seen.
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While I was obviously flattered by the compliment, I was

curious as to why he was so enthusiastic. So I asked him. He
responded with something I’ll never forget. He said, “My
father [Stephen Covey] always used to say: If you want to
create incremental change, focus on the behavior; if you
want to create quantum change, focus on the paradigm.”
David went on to say that the WCC program was not
only “world-class,” but more importantly, it was “para-
digm shifting.” And while I hadn’t managed to articulate
it with quite as much panache as Stephen Covey did, as
soon as David quoted his father I realized that subcon-
sciously this had actually been my goal all along.
Through my research over the years, I’ve learned that
if we could fundamentally shift a person’s paradigm—or,
in our case, the way in which people perceive themselves,
their role, and their team—the desired behavioral change
would start to happen automatically. I knew that if we
really wanted the behavioral change to stick, we had to
first address the mindset (how they think) before we ad-
dress the skillset (what they do).
This is why the first step of the framework, “Change
your Approach,” is so important—and, frankly, it’s a
main reason why so many manager-as-a-coach pro-
grams fail. Most programs attempt to address the skillset
without first addressing the mindset. In other words, most
160
' 3 " . & 80 3 , 07 & 37 * & 8
programs fail to address the underlying beliefs that are

controlling the behavior.
For example, as long as you continue to “see” yourself as
a manager, you will continue to act like a typical manager.
But through using various strategies of influence, when we
are able to fundamentally shift your paradigm and get you
to see yourself in a totally different way—as a “coach”—
you will inevitably start to act like a coach. And the more
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you continue see yourself as a coach and act like a coach,

TPNFUIJOHNJSBDVMPVTTUBSUTUPIBQQFO:PVbecome one.
Step 1: Change your Approach
How would you classify your current management ap-

proach? Be honest. Would you say that you’re more of a
Nice-Guy Manger . . . a Do-It-All Manager . . . a Micro-
manager . . . a Coach?
Whenever I ask this question during my keynotes or
workshops, I usually get the same response: “Well, it de-
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That’s funny, because when I ask their team members
the same question, they seem to have no problem putting
their boss in a box—and it’s rarely in the upper right-hand
quadrant.
The truth is, while your behavior may vary slightly
depending on the situation, you do have a distinctive
management approach, whether you realize it or not.
And perhaps more than anything else, your management
approach is having the most profound impact on your
team’s performance—and, by default, your career.
I don’t know about you, but this was a revelation to
me. To be honest, I used to think that there were only
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' 3 " . & 80 3 , 07 & 37 * & 8
two types of managers: producers and non-producers. To

me, defining success as a manager was simple: either you
delivered results or you did not deliver results. I didn’t
used to care how the results were achieved or even who
achieved them, as long as we got the job done. Do what-
ever it takes to make it happen used to be my manage-
ment philosophy.
Sound familiar? Well, based on our research findings,
it should—because it pretty much sums up how the vast
majority of managers think today. When you ask thou-
sands of managers what their job is and you analyze
the data as we’ve done, you’ll see that most managers
respond with an answer along these lines: My job is to
deliver results0S JO#SBETDBTF i.ZKPCJTUPNBLFNZ
number.”
This paradigm shift in thought process that we need
to create could perhaps best be summarized by Coach’s
SFTQPOTFXIFOIFTBJEUP#SBE i:PVSKPCJTOPUUPNBLF
your number; it’s to help your team members make theirs.”
While the play on words is subtle, the distinction between
these two opposing viewpoints and the corresponding
impact your behavior has on your team’s performance
JTQSPGPVOE:PVDBONBLFTJHOJàDBOUTUSJEFTUPXBSECF-
coming a coach by shifting your perspective and changing
the answer to one simple question: What is my job?
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0-% %&'*/*5*0/ My job as a manager is to de-

liver results.
/&8%&'*/*5*0/ My job as a coach is to consis-

tently get the most out of my team and to systemati-
cally improve their performance.
Let me be clear: I’m not saying that your job is not to

deliver results, because that obviously is your job. What
I’m saying is that the best way to consistently deliver re-
sults is through consistently coaching and developing you
people. And I’m not referring to once-a-year check-the-box
training either. I’m talking about you making the intellec-
tual and emotional leap to realize that your new job—as
a coach—is to systematically improve your team’s perfor-
mance by constantly observing, evaluating, challenging,
questioning and coaching your team members to give their
very best each and every day.
Tactical Takeaway:
Spend the next week or so analyzing your current man-

agement approach and acting as an objective observer of
your daily habits and routines. How much of your day do
you spend on the people side versus the process side of
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' 3 " . & 80 3 , 07 & 37 * & 8
MOST MA NAGER S . . .
■ Focus only 30 percent on the people side of manage-

ment and 70 percent on the process side
■ Believe that talent is primarily something you acquire
■ Believe you either “have it” or you don’t
■ Focus too much on the results and too little on
improving the process that produces the results
■ Struggle to find the right balance and are either too
engaged (Micromanager) or too disengaged (Nice-
Guy Manager and/or Do-It-All Manager)
■ Don’t understand the connection between their man-
agement approach and their team’s performance
WO RLD-CLASS COACHES . . .
■ Focus 70 percent on the people side of management

and 30 percent on the process side
■ Believe that talent can be developed
■ Believe that each and every team member is capable
of performing at a higher level and that it’s their job
to help their team members realize their potential
■ Are manically focused on improving the process that
produces the results
■ Find the right level of engagement with each team
member to consistently get the most out of them
■ Understand the connection between their manage-
ment approach and their team’s performance
165
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
management? How engaged are you with your team

members, and what’s the quality of the conversations
you’re having with your team members—from their per-
spective? Write down your insights in your journal.
Second, as far as your mindset is concerned, there are
two key beliefs you must change in order to become a
coach. In short, you must believe that your team has more
to give, and that it’s your job to get it out of them.
And finally, one of the most important things you need
to do in order to change your approach is to become ap-
proachable—which leads us to the second step of the
framework.
Step 2: Create the Environment
Have you ever had someone try to give you some “friendly
advice” but you didn’t hear it because you didn’t really
trust the person or his or her motives? Well, we discov-
ered that the same holds true with the dynamics between
managers and their team members in the workplace.
0VS SFTFBSDI SFWFBMFE TPNFUIJOH UIBU XIJMF EFDFQ-
tively simple, is often overlooked: Before you can fa-
cilitate a constructive coaching conversation, you must
first create an environment that’s conducive to coaching.
166
' 3 " . & 80 3 , 07 & 37 * & 8
MANAGER/TEAM ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT
After all, coaching skills are useless if your team members

aren’t coachable (which, incidentally, is why the WCC
&NQMPZFF.PEVMFJTTPJOWBMVBCMFUPIFMQJOHUFBNNFN
bers buy into the WCC system.)
We were shocked to discover that—by their own ad-
mission—most managers have quite a bit of work to do in
this area. In short, if your team members aren’t feeling re-
spected, appreciated, valued, trusted, understood, empow-
ered, or safe, it’s obvious that they won’t be very receptive to
having a coaching conversation. But keep in mind that this
is only the first step. To get to the next level and become a
167
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
MOST MANAGERS . . .
■ Haven’t created an environment that’s conducive to

coaching
■ Care more about results than their people
■ Have unintentionally created a “go-to environment”
in which team members:
● Do not feel safe coming to them with questions,
concerns, or admitting mistakes

● Do not share honest opinions with them for fear of
reprisal
● Do not proactively come to them for fear of looking
weak, incompetent, or ill prepared
WO RLD-CL ASS COACHES . . .
■ Work hard to create—and maintain—an environment

that is conducive to coaching
■ Care about their people, have their best interests in
mind, and genuinely want them to succeed
■ Have intentionally created a “come-to environment”
in which team members:
● Feel safe coming to them with questions or con-
cerns and/or feel safe admitting mistakes

● Openly share opinions with them—even negative
ones
● Proactively come to them asking for coaching
168
' 3 " . & 80 3 , 07 & 37 * & 8
world-class coach, you’ve got to get your team members

to not only be “open” to having a coaching conversation
but to proactively come to you asking for it, because they
realize it’s the only way they’re going to take their game
to the next level.
Tactical Takeaway:
It is critical that you immediately start taking steps

toward creating a safe environment in which your team
members can try, come up short, receive coaching, and
try again. Given that the first step toward change is
awareness, we’ve designed a simple questionnaire to
help you assess the level of rapport you have with your
team and to determine whether you’ve done a good job
of creating the type of environment that is conducive to
coaching.
3BUFZPVSTFMGPOFBDIPGUIFGPMMPXJOHRVFTUJPOTVTJOHB
score of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest and 1 being the
lowest.
169
5 ) & 8 & & , -: $ 0 " $ ) * / ( $ 0 / 7 & 3 4 " 5 * 0 /
Do my team members trust me and believe that

I genuinely have their best interests in mind?
Do my team members feel safe coming to me
with questions and admitting mistakes?
Do my team members feel valued by me?
Do my team members feel that I appreciate
their hard work and effort?
Do my team members feel understood by me?
Do my team members feel respected by me?
Do my team members feel empowered by me?
Add up your total and write the number in the blank space
provided.
6TFUIFLFZUPEJBHOPTFUIFMFWFMPGSBQQPSUZPVUIJOL
you have with your team members. For maximum impact,
have your team members complete the diagnostic as well
to better understand their assessment of the type of en-
vironment you’ve created. Compare and contrast the re-
sults and use the findings as a basis for a “pull-the-weeds”
conversation as referenced in the fable.
m &9$&--&/5 — ,FFQVQUIFHSFBUXPSL
m 7&3:(00% 0OFPSNPSFBSFBTDPVMEVTF

improvement.
170
' 3 " . & 80 3 , 07 & 37 * & 8
m (00% Several areas could use

improvement.
14–20 '"*3 All areas could use improvement.
m 1003 :PVNBZXBOUUPàOEBOFX

position. :)
Step 3: Transform the Conversation
From time to time, I get a bit of pushback from a skep-

tical manager who essentially says, “I don’t need to have
a weekly coaching conversation with my team members.
I talk to them all the time.”
I typically respond by asking, “And what’s the value of
those conversations—from your team members’ perspec-
tive?
I’m usually met with a long, uncomfortable silence fol-
lowed by a dazed and confused look on their face.
I then explain that having observed hundreds of these
typical manager/team member conversations over the
years, I actually agree that most managers do talk to their
team members with some regularity. But having done
the research, I also understand how most team mem-
bers perceive the value of these interactions. In general,
these conversations are perceived at one extreme as being
171
congenial but meaningless (Nice-Guy Manager), and at

the other extreme directive, demanding, degrading, and/
or downright contentious (Micromanager and/or Do-It-
All Manager).
But then we stumbled onto this rare breed of world-
class leader who had a completely different approach.
These leaders managed to stay engaged, but not too en-
gaged. They were nice, but they weren’t too nice. And they
too had regular interaction with their team members—
but these conversations weren’t unstructured and all over
the map like most that we observed. These conversations
were more focused. There was a certain flow, a rhythm, a
definitive process and set cadence to them.
They weren’t warm and fuzzy career-development con-
versations, nor did they feel like the dreaded performance
review conversations. They were short, to the point, and
productive. The vibe was typically comfortable and posi-
tive but at times it could get pretty intense.
And perhaps more important, the data revealed that
the recipients of these “weekly coaching conversations”
were more engaged, motivated, efficient, effective—and a
lot more productive. In fact, our research revealed that on
average these coaches got twice as much out of their team
members than do most managers.
172
' 3 " . & 80 3 , 07 & 37 * & 8
MOST MA NAGE RS . . .
■ Focus on judgment and blame through negative

reinforcement
■ Talk 80 percent of the time and listen only 20 percent
of the time
■ Do not hold team members accountable to a high
performance standard
■ Rarely get the most out of their team
WO RLD-CL ASS COACHES . . .
■ Focus on improvement and growth through positive

reinforcement
■ Talk only 20 percent of the time and listen 80 percent
of the time
■ Hold team members accountable to a high perfor-
mance standard
■ Almost always get the most out of their team
What was their secret? Well, having spent years searching

for the answer and trying to codify the behaviors of these
world-class coaches, we’ve distilled them into what we call
the five critical coaching questions that you must help your
team members answer in order to systematically improve
their level of performance.
173
Five Critical Coaching Questions:
WHAT MUST I DO?
HOW SHOULD I DO IT?
DID THEY DO IT?
WHAT DID I DO RIGHT?
HOW I CAN I IMPROVE NEXT TIME?
Why are these five critical coaching questions so critical?

Because they directly map back to addressing the four big-
gest inhibitors to employee performance: a lack of efficiency
(or focus), a lack of effort (or work motivation), a lack of
effectiveness (or skill competency), and a lack of account-
ability (or follow-through). In other words, the specific
skills and tools that we’ve modeled from these world-class
coaches were uniquely designed to simultaneously drive
improvement in all four areas—which is why it forms the
foundation of the third step of the WCC framework.
Tactical Takeaways
This was a tough one. Frankly, there is so much more

I want to teach you, I could easily write another book!
174
' 3 " . & 80 3 , 07 & 37 * & 8
Instead of just giving you a few tactical takeaways and

sending you on your way, I thought it might be more
helpful if I actually show you what it looks like to fa-
cilitate a Weekly Coaching Conversation. So I recently
went into the studio and created an exclusive online video
training series that includes high-quality coaching videos
I think you’ll really find of value. In these videos, you can
watch a coach in action and then follow along with me as
I break down the videos and share with you some little-
known coaching tips and best practices.
As a token of my appreciation for you investing the time
to finish this book and taking that first critical step—and
against the advice of some of my advisors—I’ve decided
UPHJWFZPVBDDFTTGPS'3&&)PXFWFS *DBOUHVBSBOUFF
how long I’ll be able to provide these additional resources
at no cost, so I encourage you to act fast and take advan-
tage of them while you still can.
For exclusive online video training series, go to:

ProductivityDrivers.com/FreeWCCResources
r r r
175
Summary
Well, congratulations—you made it! I don’t know about

you, but I’m exhausted. Sitting down to synthesize and
simplify more than five years of research and a lifetime
of experience is no simple task. I sincerely hope that this
isn’t the end, but rather the beginning of our journey to-
gether as we help you take the next step toward becoming
a world-class coach. So whether the next time we connect
is through one of my coaching videos, training programs,
workshops, or keynotes—keep coaching!
176
ACKNOWLE DGM E NTS
This book has been many, many years in the making and
would not have been possible without the incredible group
of family, friends, and colleagues I have been so blessed to
call my team.
First and foremost, my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to
● my amazing wife, Claudia, for being my best friend since

the day we met and for all her patience and support over
the years. You are truly one in a million.
● my two beautiful girls, Grace and Giselle, for bringing so
much joy and love into our lives.
● my parents, Larry and Sandy, for blessing me with the most
amazing childhood one could hope for and for being the
best “Bama” and “PePa” in the world. You are amazing.
● my siblings—Kevin, Jeff, and Ashley—for always being
there. I’m so grateful our relationship has evolved and
that we’ve been able to become such great friends over
the years.
177
"$ , / 08 - & % ( . & / 5 4
● my in-laws, George and Gudrun, for all the love and sup-
port you’ve given us over the years. We would not be
where we are without you.
I would also like to sincerely thank my world-class team,

including
● Martha Lawrence and Stephen Caldwell for your writing

prowess.
● Bill Chiaravalle and his artistic touch on the cover design.
● Elyse Strongin and team at Neuwirth and Associates, Inc.
for their masterful work on the interior design.
● Kathy Gordon and Angela Eschler for your attention to
detail.
● Karen Kreiger and her team at Evolve for her early work
and dedication to this book.
● my research team, especially Tim Keiningham and Luke
Williams for their expertise and commitment to this re-
search project.
● my entire ProductivityDrivers team for their tireless
work and commitment to building world-class training
products and programs that will continue to transform
careers and change lives.
● all my coaches over the years—especially Ken Blanchard
and Stephen Covey—for passing along your wisdom and
example.
178
"$ , / 08 - & % ( . & / 5 4
● and finally, Father Nick Dempsey for feeding my soul every

Sunday at St. Therese and for inspiring me to use my God-
given gifts to make a positive difference in people’s lives.
Without each and every one of you and all your help and
support, I would not be able to achieve my dream of sharing
this important message with the world. And so for this, I
owe you a deep debt of gratitude.
179
ABOUT TH E AUTHOR
#3*"/ 406;" is the president and founder of Productivi-

tyDrivers, an innovative corporate training company special-
izing in improving employee performance and organizational
QSPEVDUJWJUZ 3FDPHOJ[FE BT POF PG UIF MFBEJOH FYQFSUT JO
management coaching and respected as a thought leader in
leadership development and sales, Souza is highly sought
after as a keynote speaker and management consultant by top
companies and organizations worldwide. Souza and his work
have been featured in dozens of magazines and newspapers
around the world, including The European Business Review,
Fast Company, and Success Magazine. His first critically ac-
claimed book, Become Who You Were Born to Be 3BOEPN
House, 2007), has been published in multiple languages
around the world.
Brian lives in San Diego with his wife, Claudia, their two
daughters, Grace and Giselle, and their dog, Gunnar.
To learn more, please visit ProductivityDrivers.com

APPLYING THE WEEKLY COACHING
CONVERSATION FRAMEWORK
Weekly Coaching Conversation

Manager Training Product
Are you looking for a high-impact, cost-effective way to apply the

Weekly Coaching Conversation with your team or organization? In
this highly engaging, video-based DVD home study course, Brian Souza will
act as your personal coach teaching you the principles and skills referenced in
this book, inspiring you every step of the way to become a world-class coach.
Learn more or buy it now at ProductivityDrivers.com
ADDITIONAL WCC PRODUCTS: OTHER ENGAGEMENT OPTIONS:

● WCC Employee Training DVD ● Keynotes
Home Study Course ● Private/Public Workshops
● WCC Reinforcement Kit ● On-site Training
● WCC Mastermind Coaching ● Consulting

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Praise for

The Weekly Coaching Conversation

“Brian Souza is an author after my own heart. Don’t miss

“Prepare to be entertained, inspired, and educated on what

“Management folklore has a new hero: Coach—a colorful

“The Weekly Coaching Conversation is a great read and

“The Weekly Coaching Conversation is full of warm, won-

“Brian Souza’s new book, The Weekly Coaching Conversa-

“The Weekly Coaching Conversation is a powerful book

“If you want to learn what it takes to lead and succeed in

about taking your team’s performance

The Story After the Story 137

THE PROGRAM 145

While the fable you’re about to read is fictional, the

teams understand that the only way to systematically im-

job done. They don’t realize that coaching and devel-

going to tell a story, I wanted to tell a good story—no,

is certain: Everybody loves Coach. As you’ll soon discover,

reason everyone—especially those on Brad’s team—had

afternoon Happy Hour. Now as he sped down Interstate

Brad shucked a few peanuts, throwing the shells on

he’d seen at the bar pounding shots of Jack Daniels at

#SBE HMBODFE BU IJT XBUDIi:FBI *O GBDU NZ EJSFDU

The group hanging out by the pool tables roared with

streaming through the doors and making a beeline to the

man; the crowd was back-slapping, belly-laughing, and

Brad stood silently, waiting. The old man appeared to

no joy in celebrating an empty victory that was handed

the slightest clue about what it takes to become a front-

been earlier in the evening, and it was obvious that Brad

Both of them had a good laugh, which helped diffuse

people’s lives—especially your team members. I’ll invest

“Hey, aren’t you that guy Coach was talking to last

considering Coach’s penchant for profanity. “Well, almost

that didn’t pan out, he started coaching college football

“Did you have a chance to noodle on some of the

“What do you think of the frogs?”

on orders from Paris, so he decided to step up and take

I’m teaching you so that when your leadership moment

“I don’t know, something about you almost getting

Lucky for me, an old college football teammate happened

us both a favor. Stop trying to be something you’re not.

“As soon as the scholar arrived at the monastery,”

failed miserably as head of basketball operations for the

to do with me doing my job and making my number,” he

Coach tapped his finger on the four-square matrix, his

and the team’s level of productivity—or performance. Let

“And how does having to work in an environment

subconsciously they’re more concerned with being liked

up and make it happen—because you never know when,

Brad resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “I don’t know,”

on the mantel, but that’s just because you’re hogging the

“What the hell is this, an infomercial or somethin’?”

Brad scribbled notes as fast as he could.

vision, strategy, and plan. As a frontline leader, it’s your

“There may be a lot of bad managers, but most of them

of him. He’s a legend—the most successful manager in

table, the foundation of his master plan was based on

r The secret is all in the approach. Stop acting like

#SBE HMBODFE BU IJT XBUDIi:FBI *O GBDU NZ EJSFDU

0TDBSTPSTPNFUIJO 8FMM IBWFZPVXSJUUFOZPVSBDDFQ-

0-% %&'/5*0/ My job as a manager is to de-

/&8%&'/5*0/ My job as a coach is to consis-