Photo by Kristina Paukshtite

Originally Posted On: A Key Revelation about How to Get Ahead in Life and at Work (coachingforbetterlearning.com)

Most people want to get ahead in life but struggle to cut through the noise and escape competition. But what’s holding them back?

Sadly, many smart professionals overlook a vital secret. Therefore, they miss out on a critical strategy for developing a competitive advantage in their industry. They take classes, attend training, and move from one job to the next in vain.

Those good employees just can’t get a breakthrough. They are stuck in jobs they don’t like. And they get frustrated with their lack of progress.

You may ask, “What can they do to break free from career stagnation?”

This post has an answer for you. Let’s get to it.

The secret is, to master your work and develop superior skills that the job market desperately needs, you must work and learn from experts. To be specific, you should work with a coach that can show you the way instead of relying on personal experience and boring training.

A Chinese proverb says, “A single conversation with a wise man is better than ten years of study.”

“What does that mean?” you may ask.

Working with a coach saves time and resources. Having a coach helps to access much-needed insights and strategies that you can use immediately. And that’s the best way to fast-track your skill development process and stand out in the crowd.

The irony is, most parents know it’s essential to get their struggling student a tutor. But fail to work with a coach to fill their knowledge and skill gaps.

But champions do not make this kind of mistake. They leverage coaching. They spend their time, money, and energy on learning from a guide.

In my work at Coaching For Better Learning, I have observed that many talented professionals view working with coaches or seeking professional guidance as a sign of weakness or lack of intelligence.

Let’s face it. Do you know a champion who has no coach?

As a writer for the Chicago Tribune puts it, “Who, exactly, seeks out a coach? If you ask a coach the answer is usually the same: Winners who want even more out of life.”

Champions and CEOs work with coaches and mentors instead of spending time and energy on average training. For instance, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Lebron James, Mark Zukerberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Naomi Osaka could reach the pinnacle of success on their own. Instead, they work with coaches and mentors.

For example, getting a one-hour-writing coaching session once a month is more effective than taking a writing class.

In sum, getting your own career coach will give you an edge over most of your competitors. How so? Most employees, for example, don’t even know they need a coach. Keep this between us.

Like I said before, getting a good coach is one of the fastest and the best ways to develop expertise and mastery. Mastery?

Yes, indeed. You must master some skills—or something if you want to get ahead in life. Otherwise, you are a walking generality with nothing to separate yourself from the crowd.

What questions do you have questions? Feel free to send them the CBL Team. And don’t forget to share this post in your network.