Why coaching lessons from Wendy Rhoades of ‘Billions’ are priceless
I’m back watching “Billions” after a break during the pandemic (I’m catching up; Season 7 is expected sometime later this year). A lot has happened: The leader of Axe Capital, Bobby Axelrod, is gone, and rival Mike Prince has taken the helm. But a leading character who remains consistent is Wendy Rhoades, the in-house performance coach.
Keeping in mind that Wendy is a fictional character, it is interesting to analyze what makes her such an effective contributor to the success of the firm. When you’re looking for a top-notch coach and advisor, I suggest you pay attention to these attributes Wendy demonstrates:
Superior intelligence. Business leadership is complicated. Simple answers won’t cut it. Your coach needs to be at least as smart as you are.
Good listener. Wendy listens hard and fast. She quickly grasps the essence of what her clients are saying. She makes them feel heard.
Intense focus. Wendy is very clear about what her clients need. She doesn’t waste time on irrelevancies.
Deep understanding of the business. Your coach has to understand your business, your industry, and the broad economic and cultural forces that affect your company. S/he needs to know the company culture, the key stakeholders, the competitive challenges, etc. Wendy’s intimate knowledge of Axe Capital makes her an irreplaceable asset to the company.
Background in psychology. Wendy is a psychiatrist, and although she is not serving as an MD in her current role, she has a deep grounding in psychological research and practice. I was delighted to hear her reference B.F. Skinner, the great behavioral psychologist, in a recent episode. I am a licensed clinical psychologist and, like Wendy, I’m not practicing as a therapist, but I utilize my knowledge of psychology to help my clients.
Clear, direct advice. Some schools of coaching teach that coaches should only listen and question, not offer advice. Maybe some clients appreciate that approach, but I would fire a coach like that. Performance coaching is about helping high performers get even better, and that often requires pushing them to do something different. Wendy is great at that.
Courageous. Wendy works in a world of bullies. Without becoming a bully herself, she is not intimidated by her tough clients and confronts them fiercely when the work requires it.
Creative. Wendy relies on a whole bucketful of learned coaching tactics, but she also knows how to improvise when necessary. Her tactics are sometimes pretty outrageous, such as staging a battle with a supposedly angry client. I admit that neither I nor any coach I know has tried this tactic, but the point is that a great coach doesn’t rely solely on a cookbook of coaching techniques.
Available. As an in-house coach, Wendy is readily available to her clients, but she also responds to crises outside of normal business hours. I encourage my clients to contact me whenever it will be useful to them — to prepare for a challenging encounter, to review a draft document, to process a complex interaction. It’s “just-in-time” coaching — and it works.
Flexible. Wendy sees each client as a unique individual and adapts her work style to meet her clients’ needs.
Impactful. In coaching, it’s the impact that counts. Does your coach help you grow, get better at your work, and achieve your objectives? Wendy proves her worth to Axe Capital over and over again.
As I have written before, Wendy is a flawed character who makes some serious errors in her work. But she also represents much of great performance coaching. If you’re looking for a coach like Wendy, get in touch with me at ggolden@gailgoldenconsulting.com.
