Robert Hargrove

Brooke White after Being Eliminated

This year my family and I have gotten into the American Idol show. I never realized it before but the show is basically all about coaching and mentoring people around an ambitious aspiration—becoming a Pop Star.

I enjoy getting to know both the performers like David Archuletta, David Cook, Brooke White, Jason Castro, Syesha Mercado, and so on as well as the judges, Simon Cowel, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.

If you define coaching as interacting with people in such a way that expands people’s capacity to perform with a view towards an Impossible Future, I think this show is a great example.

The performers, all beautiful, charming, and super talented people clearly see their participation on Idol as the ultimate self-development and growth experience.

If coaching is about observing and making assessments, the judges do just that after each song. Yet it’s only when America votes that it is decided on who stays and who is eliminated, and I think that’s part of what makes the show have real integrity.

Simon’s near brutal candor and constantly challenging people to “reach down” into themselves and go to the next level is balanced by Randy and Paula’s loving and supportive attitude. If Simon says that performance was “totally forgettable,” “old hat,” “a nightmare,” either Randy or Paula, are bound to jump in and come to the person’s defense: “No, No, No! It wasn’t a nightmare.”

I have really enjoyed the host of the show, Ryan Seacrest, who I think is a person of high emotional intelligence. If Simon gets too acerbic, Randy or Paula may appeal directly to Ryan to basically shut Simon up.

Seacrest’s way of being is described by his actions—a kind word after the judging, a pat on the back, or as he said to one to contestant, “We are not going to let you go away with tears streaming down your face,” as he invites her to sing her final song.

I have often asked myself, why is it that the executives who are coached often don’t take the coaching as seriously as the contestants on this show? I think there are several reasons.

 1) On the show the coaching is connected to a personal goals and aspiration that, if achieved, could totally change a person’s life, while many executive coaches just work with people on some remedial behaviors.

2) Idol takes place in the process of people making an all out effort to expand their capacity to perform at a world-class level, whereas most executive coaching takes place around taking a list of leadership competencies and trying to get them into people by merely talking about them.

3) On Idol, the factors of time and pressure have a big impact—perform at a higher level or you go home. With most executive coaching there is no consequence to whether the person learns the lesson or not.

The bottom line? There is a lot anyone interested in coaching and mentoring can learn from this show.