GeekMBA360

A few years ago, right before I graduated from business school, I saw a job ad from a GMAT preparation company — it’s looking for GMAT instructors. One of the job requirements was that they only hire people who had scored in the 99th percentile on an actual GMAT test.

It’s one of their key selling points to both potential instructors and students — instructors will get paid more because of their credential. Students will get higher quality of coaching since the instructors have achieved such high scores themselves.

Does an accomplished GMAT test taker make a good instructor? I’m not so sure.

In professional sports, most of the great coaches are mediocre players. In fact, quite a few of them were bench warmers. I once heard Phil Jackson saying that because he spent so much time on the bench that he was able to observe how people played and developed his own coaching philosophy and system.

On the other hand, very few star players became good coaches. They were so skilled themselves that they didn’t have the patience to coach and help others to develop. Magic Johnson struggled when he tried to coach the LA Lakers. Michael Jordan had not-so-good track record as general manager.

Being a star player is different from being a good coach.

Being a star software developer is different from being a good manager.

Being a star sales person is different from being a good sales VP.

Be aware of the difference when you’re shopping for a coach.

Excellent resources:

• Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and Off the Court
• Leading with the Heart: Coach K’s Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life
• Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior
• Coaching : Evoking Excellence in Others