Being coachable is a talent, and most people don’t have it.

Taking correction without flinching is rarer than raw ability, and it compounds a lot faster. Most people hear feedback and start building a defense before the sentence is finished, so the note never really lands. The ones who improve quickly are often not the most gifted in the room, just the easiest to teach.

Next time someone corrects you, stay quiet for three seconds before you answer. Ask one question about the fix instead of explaining why it happened. Coaches, managers and teachers all notice who does this, and they start giving those people more.