The Advice Trap: Be Humble, Stay Curious & Change the Way You Lead Forever

Hi there, it's Michael, the author. You might know my previous book, The Coaching Habit. It was an unexpected bestseller: more than 700,000 copies sold so far, 1,000+ 5-star reviews on Amazon (my favourite: "I have plodded through many books that wish they could be this book"), a Wall Street Journal bestseller, and used by people and organizations around the world.

So I've been sweating on the follow-up. The pressure! The anticipation! But here it is, and I think you're going to like it. If The Coaching Habit says, “here are the seven essential questions to be more coach-like,” The Advice Trap is about getting to grips with how to actually change your behaviour so you stay curious a little bit longer.

It sounds like it should be easy, but it's not. You have to tame your Advice Monster, that part of you that jumps in to offer up ideas, opinions, suggestions and advice. And it's taming your Advice Monster that's at the heart of this book. But there are also some specific coaching strategies, particularly on how to focus on what matters most. There are tools to make your conversations, coaching and otherwise, irresistible. There are even resources beyond the book itself, including a one-year, free leadership program from a 52-person faculty of cool, diverse, and provocative thinkers.

In 2019, I was named the #1 Thought Leader in Coaching, and was short-listed for the coaching award by Thinkers50, the “Oscars of Management.” My work's been featured in journals such as