Matthew Thompson

Everyone has ideas, but ideas are cheap and easy. Knowing the real problem is rare and precious and strategic. If you’re in an organizational setting, if you want to be seen as different and valuable, be the person who’s going, “What’s the problem? What are we really trying to solve here?”

I think “And what else?” is the best coaching question in the world. It does two things: It extends the period of curiosity, and it tames your advice monster.

Happiness is not about getting all you want. It's about enjoying all you have. You are rich when you are content and happy with what you have.

Actually, what’s really powerful is to give people responsibility for their own freedom. There’s this paradoxical way of showing love.

You have to bet on yourself and how you're different to make it work," he said.

I had to bet on myself being different. Everybody showed up in blue suits and white shirts and red ties, business dress of the early 1990s. I was wearing a tie-dyed, pink tie, I had long blonde hair and earrings in. I thought I’m either going to come in a distant last or I’m going to come in first. That’s it. I don’t want to come in the middle.

The way I define coaching is behavioral. Can you stay curious a little bit longer? Can you rush to action and advice-giving a little bit more slowly?

(The first) question is “What’s your mind?” The last question is “What was most useful and most valuable?” The other one is “What’s the real challenge here for you?” It’s almost an identity element. It helps people figure out the real challenge rather than be the person who has the ideas. That’s actually a much rarer, more useful skill in most

They aren’t scared of confrontation; they are willing to be brutally honest and are always genuine. They are always willing to do the right thing when the right thing isn’t popular. They are strong in their convictions. There is no gray area — nothing is left to interpretation, as leaders have a distinctive plan and are willing to always evaluate