Coachability

Introduction

Coachability can make or break careers; it involves 2 main concepts:

Self-awareness (understanding one’s impact, performance, strengths, weaknesses, etc)
Willingness (not just passively listening to feedback, but acting upon it, ie ability to actively seek, receive, reflect on and apply feedback)

Coachability is viewed less as a fixed trait and more as a practice and mindset that can be learned and reinforced over time.

Impact of coachability

Outcome	Research Insight
Leadership Effectiveness	Highly coachable leaders score significantly higher in 360‑degree assessments (on influence, innovation, overall effectiveness.)
Career Longevity & Promotability	Coachable individuals receive 20–30% higher performance and potential ratings and are much more likely to be promoted.
Engagement & Retention	Teams led by coachable leaders see 2.5 times higher employee engagement and lower derailment risk from blind spots.

The Cost of Becoming “Uncoachably Senior”

Many rise to leadership by being coachable, but once at the top, growth often stalls.
Receptiveness to feedback diminishes with seniority unless intentionally maintained.
Leaders who stop modelling coachability send a negative message, ie growth stops at a certain level and become a liability, if adaptation and innovation are needed

The Career-Breaking Risks

Employees labelled "uncoachable" or stuck in a fixed mindset are seen as less promotable, less adaptable and more likely to experience career derailment due to unchecked blind spots or resistance to change.

Define dimensions: curiosity, accountability, feedback-seeking, action-orientation, openness, etc.
Self-assess: reflect on where you fall on these traits.
Seek feedback proactively: request ‘360 degree’ feedback, mentor input, peer observations, etc.
Reflect and act: keep a journal, set concrete improvements, hold yourself accountable.
Model behaviour: as leaders, explicitly ask for feedback and act on it publicly.
Embed in culture: incorporate coachability into hiring, performance reviews and leadership training

Coachability isn’t just a soft skill—it’s strategic. Firms that cultivate it adapt faster to disruption (e.g. AI integration, succession planning).
Private-equity-backed and high-growth firms often value leaders who display coachability as a sign of readiness to evolve and scale.

Summary

Coachability is essential (both a personal mindset and a skill that shapes career trajectory.)
It separates stagnation from growth (coachable individuals outperform, gain trust and rise faster.)
It must be continuously practised, (especially by leaders; otherwise, cultural stagnation is likely.)
Organizations that embed coachability (gain agility, talent retention and competitive edge.)

(main sources: Kevin Wilde, 2022 & LeaderFactor, 2025)