Reading through Dr. Mark Goulston’s blog posts, I noticed a piece about independence. He explains that the successful people he coaches have the follow three attributes in common: self-reliance, resourcefulness and coachability.
Many of us will take on additional responsibility and we’ll look for ways to leverage resources but we miss out on these high levels of success because we miss out on “coachability.” Mark describes it as a person who can “seek, listen to and act upon solid, relevant input from others.”
The difficulty lies in separating attacks from people that look to tear you down, that quiet little voice inside your head telling you that you’re not good enough to move up to the next level and those people that provide you the encouragement and the feedback you need to take the next step towards greatness. Oftentimes, trying to block all the feedback feels like a safer route. We end up with the “I can do it myself, I don’t want to hear it” attitude, then we wonder how we got there. We become 16 again. Instead, opt to redouble your efforts and sharpen your filters to allow you to recognize the difference between poisonous comments that lead to toxic thoughts and valuable feedback that helps you grow and become better. Even people that care about you can provide either of these. Remain vigilant.