Tom Brady is the GOAT. That's pretty much the unanimous opinion of most of the talking heads in the sports world. Tom Brady, by virtue of his winning record, his Super Bowl rings, his MVP Awards, and his astonishing longevity, is the most accomplished quarterback to ever play in the NFL – and has earned the title GOAT, Greatest Of All Time.

If you ask the experts what it is that has made Tom Brady, a late sixth round draft pick, with average running speed, average throwing arm, average college career stats, the GOAT? The experts agree it is a combination of two things: a great coach, and a total willingness on his part to be coached.

Yes, Tom has an above average IQ. Yes, being picked late in the sixth round gave Tom a chip on his shoulder and a burning desire to prove everyone wrong who passed on him. Yes, he is willing to work harder than anyone else before or since at his craft. Yes, he has been willing over and over again to accept contracts at less than his market value to give his team the resources to put the best players around him. And yes, he has arguably one of the greatest football coaches of all time in Bill Belichick. Before Tom, Bill's record as a coach was good, but not great. Before Bill, Tom's record as a quarterback was good, but not great.

What made this combination world class? Tom Brady is coachable. What does coachability have to do with success in real estate? The answer is, just about everything.

Coachability is the most consistently found attribute of top performers in any field where performance counts. Because coachability is one of life's most important characteristics, let's take a look at what it is, and how to develop it.

Being coachable begins with awareness. Even the most gifted, natural athletes who want to excel come to the realization that undeveloped raw talent will only take you so far. Talent needs to be nurtured, developed, encouraged, directed, corrected and refined. That same principle applies to musicians and bricklayers and to salespeople.

There is a caveat. Not everyone is coachable. Unrealized potential and undeveloped talent is commonplace. Sometimes ego gets in the way. Sometimes a know-it-all attitude gets in the way. And sometimes believing that good is good enough is what gets in the way of growing to greatness.

One of the definitions of a coach is "someone who gives feedback on performance." It follows that coachability is a willingness to receive feedback on performance. Being coachable means you are open to listening to feedback; that you are open to acting on feedback; that you're leaving room for the possibility that there is something you haven't learned yet that could make you even better.

That willingness to receive feedback is the result of a desire to improve, to grow, to refine, to excel, to realize full potential. Developing a growth mind-set is one of the best ways to improve coachability.

When you have developed the awareness of the value of being coachable; when you have developed the willingness to be coachable; and when you have the growth mind-set to be coachable, the final piece of the puzzle is to surround yourself with like-minded coachable people. That's right, teamwork makes the dream work.

For over ten years our R Squared coaching program has been proving Floyd's point about teamwork – that a group of people with a common purpose, working together as a team for a common goal, will always produce more than just a bunch of individuals.

If you would like to find out how 'coachable' you are, take our R Squared Coachability Index, and schedule a free coaching consultation with one of our extraordinary coaches. Just call 734-637-4030 or email [email protected].

The Floyd Wickman Team blog by Mike Pallin

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