Going to a prestigious college can make you more desirable in the job market.

Being highly skilled in an area can also enhance your value.

Having influential friends can help advance your career. So can hard work and dedication.

However, the most important trait any candidate can bring to the job market is “coachability.”

The desire to be better and the willingness to change will always trump contacts, friends in high places, pretty resumes and work ethic.

Coachability is the No. 1 trait we all need to lead, learn, and grow.

It’s easy to claim we are “coachable.” Maintaining coachability is the hard part.

As we grow older, get more comfortable and gain more knowledge, we reduce our willingness to accept coaching. We move from learner to knower.

When we make this slight shift, we don’t grow — we plateau our level of performance in every area of our life. We become complacent instead of committed.

Bill Campbell, from the book “The Trillion Dollar Coach,” once sat down with a young, highly successful entrepreneur, and asked: “Do you think you’re coachable?”

The response was, “depends on who the coach is.” Once hearing the answer, Campbell, without saying a word, walked out of the meeting. Campbell understood his ability to help this person was going to be a waste of time, because he wasn’t coachable, or understood what it meant to be coachable.

Everyone will claim they want help, they want a mentor, or someone to offer advice along the way. Yet, those are shallow words, as more often than not, saying you are coachable and being coachable are not related.

Coaching relationships evaporate because the person wanting to be coached decides he/she doesn’t need coaching. He has all the answers. And because he is not coachable, most of his answers are to the wrong test.

As leaders we must build a coachable culture. We cannot assume everyone wants to be coached — even though their words scream “make me better.” People might claim they are open to coaching — but unless they are actively seeking out coaching, they are ready to be coached.

When Campbell left the room without saying a word, the young entrepreneur was surprised and embarrassed, causing him to react with a strong scream, “Wait! Let’s talk. I’m ready.” He went from being open to the idea of being coached, to depending on a coach to help.

Once he shifted his mindset from depending on the who is the coach to actively wanting to be coached, he moved from hearing advice to listening to advice.

Being open to coaching is wonderful, but it doesn’t make you coachable. Only when you actively seek out coaching do you become coachable.

Once you make those you lead understand the difference, you will see an instantaneous result.