coachability | Craig T. Owens

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The Craig And Greg Show: The Balance Of Control

June 26, 2025 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

Imagine your organization as a cruise ship you’re the captain of. It is your responsibility to man the helm, keeping the vessel away from danger and navigating to the correct destination. Along the way you decide that the guests’ towels need to be folded a particular way, so you step away from your post for hours to meticulously fold them to your exact specifications. You do a great job but in your absence the ship is listless, veering off course into dangerous waters.

Of course it’s very likely you won’t find yourself in this exact situation, but the same logic can be applied to our terrestrial pursuits as well. In today’s episode, Greg and I discuss why it’s important for leaders to remain in control, but also vital that we don’t become controlling.

[1:00] How could a leader self-assess to make sure they are properly balanced in the way they control their organization?
[3:38] Being organized is not a problem, but controlling the organization becomes the problem.
[4:50] I point out the differences between a productive river and a destructive flood.
[6:00] Controlling leaders stifle creativity and innovation.
[8:25] Tim Irwin’s book Derailed talks about how micro-managing has led to the collapse of many successful organizations.
[12:41] Over-controlling leaders are risk-adverse and untrusting of others on their team.
[14:13] The value of a coach is getting answers that others on your team aren’t giving you.
[17:12] Greg shares a quote about self-discipline as it relates to the proper balance of healthy control.
[18:20] Your teammates want your confidence, not your control.
[19:44] Leaders, it’s time for you to look in the mirror.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: assessment, balance, coachability, Craig And Greg Show, Greg Heeres, leadership, micomanagement, self-control, self-examination, video. 2 Comments »

The Craig And Greg Show: The Power Of A Coach

February 22, 2024 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Do you need to have a coach? If you answered “yes” then you’re already on the right track! If you said “no,” Greg and I would like to challenge you a little. Join us as they discuss how coaching isn’t just about correcting mistakes, it’s also about maximizing your existing skills to the highest level possible.

[0:52] Does everyone need a coach?
[2:10] Having a coach doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.
[3:48] There’s great fulfillment in helping someone reach greater success.
[5:13] Proactive coaching versus reactive coaching.
[7:19] A good coach won’t micro-manage, they will train you, and then “put you in” to play the game on your own.
[8:24] Coaches can deliver a 10,000-foot view to highlight your greatest areas of strength.
[10:14]] An outside coach approaches your situation with a fresh perspective.
[11:12] Greg discusses Michael Jordan’s best skill.
[12:38] Coaching isn’t about highlighting your negatives, it’s about maximizing your strengths.
[13:13] If a particular area makes you defensive you really need to be examining it further.
[13:55] Maximize can help coach you! Please reach out to us at Maximize Leadership.
[14:55] Greg discusses a psychology experiment.
[15:42] Not being coachable is a huge impediment for leaders.
[18:30] Good competition pushes everyone around you to be better.
[19:21] Greg shares advice from Rich Devos.
[21:45] Good coaching is proactive and reactive.
[23:13] A quote from Tom Landry on the job of a coach.
[24:17] Greg discusses the investments that were made in his life in his book Sage Advice.
[26:24] We don’t have all the answers, but we can help steer you in the right direction.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: coachability, coaching, Craig And Greg Show, Greg Heeres, leadership, lifelong learner, Michael Jordan, podcast, proactive, strength zone, video. Leave a Comment »

Links & Quotes

October 14, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

Leaders, you need to determine the coachability factor before you start trying to coach a teammate. Check out our full conversation on The Craig and Greg Show. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

Sextortion is when someone demands money or other favors in exchange for not sharing an explicit photo or video of the targeted victim. The sextortion of minor children runs into the thousands every month. Axis reported, “Most targets of sextortion are teen boys, who seem to be more likely than girls to send an explicit selfie to someone they aren’t having a romantic relationship with. Anonymous scammers will reach out to their target over social media, engaging in a flirtation and eventually asking for nudes.” Axis also shared these helpful resources, “Families can prepare by telling their teens about resources like TakeItDown, a free service which will remove nudes from the internet within two days, and the 24/7 Crisis Text Line, which connects teens with professional counselors via text at any time.”

“First, government is not God; instead, government is God’s servant for the good of those served. And second, the people are not God, and therefore must not be allowed the last word on what defines the terms of ‘good’ public policy. Only God can define what is good for people, for He alone is good (Mark 10:18; Psalm 119:68).” —T.M. Moore

“Since the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision more than 50 years ago, almost 40% of all abortions in America have been in the Black community, resulting in erasing the lives and destinies of an estimated 23 million Black babies.” The National Black Fellowship is aggressively working to change this.

Can New Testament Christians claim Old Testament promises? Yes! John Piper shares 8 “filters” to help us with this application.

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

J. Warner Wallace uses forensic evidence to demonstrate why we should believe the New Testament was written much closer to the time of the actual event than most skeptics believe. Check out this video.

Links & Quotes

October 7, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

God made you uniquely YOU! You have been made on purpose and for a purpose. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

This is an exciting archeological discovery: the first Koine Greek rendering of a psalm ever discovered inscribed on stone rather than on parchment or papyrus.

“The wise recognize before the fight that adversity will come and therefore are not surprised by it. The wise recognize in the fight that adversity is a formidable foe and thus steel themselves for a long, hard struggle to the death. The wise recognize after winning a fight that the war is not over and so never let down their guard nor release their weapons.” —Dick Brogden, in Proverbs: Amplified and Applied

Astronomers have discovered planet-sized objects that are puzzling the best minds. In fact, they have had to create a new category for these objects: Jupiter Mass Binary Objects (JuMBOs). What is baffling the brightest minds is that these planets don’t orbit a star but appear to be gravitationally bound to other JuMBOs. My favorite line is this one: “The new phenomenon challenges current frameworks explaining how stars and planets form within nebula, with astrophysicists claiming such objects should not exist.” There is at least one who isn’t baffled: The One who created JuMBOs along with everything else in our universe.

T.M. Moore is in the midst of a series of posts about the Christian and the government. They are excellent! Here is just a short sample—“The Christian understands that government is a servant of God for good, and that God, therefore, must define the terms of goodness by which a government fulfills its appointed task. As Paul reminds us, the Law of God is holy and righteous and good (Romans 7:12). It is important, therefore, that Christians understand the Law of God and consider the best ways of bringing its influence to bear in the arena of public policy. … Public policy is not about what governments can do, but what they should do, that is, if they are to fulfill their callings as God’s servants for good. When it comes to applying the Law of God to public policy, Christians must make this first principle foundational in the logic with which they approach the work of influencing and shaping public policy.”

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.” —Mahatma Gandhi

Leaders are naturally wired to be either confident or humble. Both kinds of leaders need to remain coachable. Greg and I unpacked this idea on this episode of The Craig And Greg Show, and I also discuss it in greater depth in my book Shepherd Leadership.

The Craig And Greg Show: Neutral Criticism

October 5, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Criticism is baked into leadership. Any change you make, whether good or bad, will be met with some level of criticism either internally or externally. Other times, you’ll be in the position of having to express criticism of a decision someone on your team made.

Navigating criticism in a productive way can be tricky, but luckily Greg and I are here to help! In this episode, we discuss how the right kind of criticism can be empowering for your organization.

[0:27] Leaders will always be criticized, even for the good things they have done.
[1:30] Leaders need both humility and confidence to process criticism in a healthy way.
[4:18] Is criticism different than an assessment? It seems like the word “critic” has been hijacked in a negative way.
[6:00] Defensiveness doesn’t help leaders, but we do need to protect ourselves.
[8:27] How do we give constructive criticism without putting others on the defensive?
[10:22] Why is it hard for people to receive criticism?
[12:55] How should we give feedback to others so that it will be received well?
[16:15] Is there a correlation between criticism and coachability?
[19:57] Let’s remember that many of our teammates have had negative interactions with a critical
leader, so we have to change the climate.
[21:28] What happens if a teammate won’t receive any feedback at all?
[23:20] Greg shares an insightful quote from Winston Churchill.
[25:26] As always, leaders have to go first!

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: coachability, confidence, Craig And Greg Show, criticism, Greg Heeres, humility, leadership, personal development, podcast, video. 1 Comment »

The Craig And Greg Show: Coach Up

June 29, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

There seems to be a belief among some leaders that the louder they yell, the better they’re understood. No need to call anyone out, but we’re sure someone just came to mind. When you received that kind of coaching, did you receive it well? Of course not! Coaching should be focused on correcting and improving for the next time, not berating for things in the past. So tune in, and learn more about how you can coach up.

[0:18] Leadership ideas can come from all over the place.
[1:34] We need to focus on the “up” in our coaching, not just yelling at our teammates.
[3:15] We should coach up with questions instead of statements.
[4:55] The instructions we give before “the game” pay huge dividends in the heat of the moment.
[6:42] Treat mistakes as coaching opportunities.
[7:50] When leaders are coaching up their teammates, they need to focus on tone and timing.
[10:38] We share some additional thoughts about seeing the potential for coaching in our teammates’ mistakes.
[12:27] Every person learns differently so every teammate needs to be coached differently too.
[13:21] I share a memorable story from my time working with the Guys With Ties group.
[16:03] Greg shares an encouraging quote.
[18:03] Coaching takes place outside of the spotlight, so we need to learn the right timing for our coaching.
[22:08] Leaders can’t be the armchair quarterback, but they must trust their teammates who were closer to the action.
[23:59] Coaching up will eliminate most of our HR problems.
[24:44] Greg and I love coaching up, so please get in touch with us if we can help coach you up.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: coachability, coaching, Craig And Greg Show, Greg Heeres, leadership, podcast, teammates, timing, video, YouTube. 1 Comment »

The Craig And Greg Show: Motivated Leadership

September 20, 2022 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about:

[0:48] What does the dictionary say about motivation? What do we say about motivation?
[2:03] Motivation comes in “different packages”
[3:48] How can we individualize motivation?
[5:53] How does coachability mesh with motivation?
[7:20] Is 100% self-motivation possible?
[7:49] Greg’s story about a leader’s frustration with unmotivated people
[9:44] Does yelling ever motivate people?
[12:52] A teammate’s love language can give you insight into how to motivate them.
[13:56] How do leaders “call out” what’s in our team members?
[16:01] A leader’s self-assessment is key to how well we motivate others.
[18:23] Are company-wide benefits demotivating? How can we switch this up?
[20:30] Does the carrot-or-stick method of motivation actually work?
[21:10] Greg shares a quote about how dreams can help motivation.
[22:51] Great leaders don’t assume, but they ask important questions.
[23:53] Our coaching huddles can help you individualize your leadership motivational skills and practices.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.