How to Be Coachable
For players, students and professionals who want to get better faster.
Being coachable means you can hear feedback without getting defensive, ask questions to understand it and change what you do because of it. Coachable people listen first, thank the person, try the adjustment and report back. It is one of the traits coaches, teachers and managers value most, because it tells them every bit of effort they put into you will turn into improvement.
In a team meeting about sales strategy, an area where I had years of experience, I recognized the team’s ideas and then redirected them to my own approach. Afterward, another leader pulled me aside.
He said, “Your idea might produce slightly better results, but shutting down something they worked hard on might cost you more than you gain.”
My first reaction wasn’t agreement. It was resistance. But I wasn’t helping the way I thought I was. That wasn’t leadership. It was control.
So, I went back to the team and owned it. I apologized. I made it clear that I trusted them and that I supported the direction they wanted to take.
Experience can make you less coachable, not more. The better you get, the easier it is to believe you no longer need advice. Kano Jigoro, the founder of judo, is often said to have asked to be buried in a white belt, the belt of a beginner. The best keep a beginner’s mindset.
Talent gets you noticed. Being coachable gets you better.
Seven ways to be more coachable
Listen all the way through
Let the coach, teacher or manager finish before you respond. The urge to explain is usually the urge to defend.
Notice your first reaction
Feeling defensive does not mean the feedback is wrong. Notice it, then set it aside long enough to consider the point.
Say thank you
A simple thank you tells people their honesty is welcome. A defensive reply tells them not to bother next time.
Ask one clarifying question
“What would that look like?” or “Can you show me?” turns general feedback into something you can practice.
Try it, even if you are unsure
Give the adjustment a real attempt before deciding it does not work for you.
Report back
Tell your coach what you tried and what happened. Nothing makes people invest in you more.
Own it when you get it wrong
If you reacted badly, go back and say so. Owning a mistake builds more trust than never making one.
That wasn’t leadership.
It was control.
Signs you are not as coachable as you think
- 1. You explain why you did it before the feedback is finished
- 2. You agree in the moment and change nothing
- 3. You only take advice from people you like
- 4. You feel attacked by small corrections
- 5. Your coach or manager has stopped giving you feedback
The last one is the most dangerous. When people stop correcting you, it is rarely because you have nothing left to fix.
Related reading: How to Stop Being Defensive, How to Take Criticism at Work and People Who Tell You What You Need to Hear.
Common questions
What does it mean to be coachable?
Being coachable means you can receive feedback without getting defensive, understand it and change what you do because of it.
Why is being coachable important?
Because it turns other people’s experience into your improvement. Coaches, teachers and managers invest more in people who use their feedback.
How do I become more coachable?
Listen without interrupting, say thank you, ask one clarifying question, try the change and tell the person what happened.
Can you be too coachable?
You can take advice from too many people. Choose a few trusted sources who know your goals and your work.
Listen all the way through, notice your first reaction, say thank you, ask one question, try it and report back.
You Are Capable
of More.
Ten principles for becoming the person you know you are capable of being, built from real stories of people who doubted themselves and did it anyway. Winner of the How-To category at the 2026 Paris Book Festival.
When I’ve got something worth sending.
Just a story or an idea I picked up that I think will help you.
Sometimes that’s twice in a month. Sometimes it’s not for a while.