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Introduction

How did Helen Keller become such an iconic figure in our cultural consciousness? How did Nelson Mandela emerge from a lengthy imprisonment without bitterness, anger and resentment? How did Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn grow up a free thinker in an oppressive culture? There is clearly some factor in the development of certain human beings that transcends culture, upbringing and genetics. Sometimes the influence of another person or persons plays a vital role. Helen Keller, for example, was fortunate to have as her teacher Annie Sullivan, whose part in her development was immense. And Nelson Mandela, in his book Long Walk to Freedom, speaks of many people, including writers and historical figures from the past, who strongly influenced who he became.

But there was another factor at work in each of these remarkable individuals— and others whose development has been shaped by more than just genetics and environment. This crucial “Third Factor” is the role individuals choose to play in their own development.

We will soon see that this concept of the Third Factor has very broad application in any arena where pressure and the need for excellence are equally present. For many this is the work world; for others, athletics, academics, or artistic endeavors.

Dr. Kazimierz Dabrowski, a distinguished psychiatrist and my mentor in the 1970s, studied the lives of numerous exceptional human beings and discovered that this Third Factor played a major role in the moral and emotional growth of such individuals.

In my case, working with Olympic athletes and coaches has led to an understanding of the profound power of the Third Factor. Olympic sport provides the ideal “performance laboratory” where the role of the Third Factor can be closely observed. In the world of international athletics, the truly great coaches have a strong developmental bias that is directed at the Third Factor in the performer. Coaches with a strong developmental bias are always concerned with encouraging their performers to engage their Third Factor, to get passionate about developing themselves. Through my 25 years of involvement with the Olympic movement, I have seen first-hand the remarkable outcomes that this produces—both at the Games and afterward, in life.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton, former players of legendary basketball coach John Wooden, wax eloquent about him. But it’s not about the basketball skills he taught them. It’s about the role Coach Wooden played in their development as human beings, encouraging them to be the best they could be and to take an active role in their own growth and development. John Wooden is not unique in this regard. I have worked with many coaches over the years and witnessed their developmental bias and their skill at igniting the Third Factor in their performers. Doug Leigh, one of the world’s top figure skating coaches, put it succinctly once when we were discussing a world-class skater late in his career. “In the end,” he said, “all you have left is the person.”

If you have purchased or are leafing through this book, you already have a fair dose of the Third Factor. People looking for ways to help others improve by getting better at something themselves are engaging their Third Factor in big ways. Similarly, the developmental bias already at work in you may have drawn you to the book’s title or contents page.

The Third Factor

The concept of the Third Factor, critical in developing performers, originated with Kazimierz Dabrowski, under whom I studied in 1977 and 1978. I want to make it clear that I am borrowing the concept— which he considered important in the development of moral and emotional growth—and employing it in a much more simplistic manner than he did. I use the term as a way of talking about self-direction and the development of self-awareness and self-responsibility in the people we coach and manage.

Dabrowski believed that developmental potential has three components:

Nature. These factors establish the physical and mental “road map” of the individual. They include genetic as well as other factors such as a mother’s alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Nurture. These are the social and physical (environmental) factors that contribute to the shaping of the individual, such as parents, friends, school, financial status, culture and nationality. “Nurture” modifies your “nature.” A good upbringing is obviously an asset, but as we will see, a less-than-ideal upbringing need not limit where you end up. The term ideal is also in need of some definition in that a conflict- and adversityfree upbringing sometimes can be limiting in terms of personal growth and development.

The Third Factor. This is the factor of choice. No matter what the genetic and environmental endowments bestowed on individuals, they have the potential to transcend these endowments through the action and power of the Third Factor. The individual can make a conscious choice to change and to become a higher-level individual. Simply put, the Third Factor is the important role that an individual plays in his or her own “becoming.”

This self-development often happens in times of conflict, when the person becomes dissatisfied in some way with themselves. Initially there may be an external conflict, a failure, loss or disappointment, but the person internalizes it, and the dissatisfaction between “what is” and “what ought to be” is the impetus for the emergence of the Third Factor. We will see that emotion is a critical factor in where performers end up developmentally.

The Third Factor is the key to high performance because it requires engaging the will and becoming increasingly more self-responsible and aware. It’s not possible to go back and change or trade in our genetic gifts, or to select “better” parents to re-raise us. What is, is. We have to work with what we have. Nor can people be pushed to the highest level. They have to have their own desire to get better at what they’re doing. Others, however, most notably leaders, teachers and coaches with developmental bias, can take an active role in developing in others the self-sufficiency necessary to perform. And when the developmental bias of a good leader “plugs into” the Third Factor in a performer . . . WOW happens.

Over the past few decades much has been written on self-development, empowerment, personal power and other concepts that, at first blush, would appear to be synonymous with the Third Factor. But much of pop psychology is not about awareness and true self-development. It is more a denial or “riding over” of a person’s current reality through conditioning or reprogramming: “Listen to this CD series daily and you’ll begin to believe.” There are good programs out there, but most are about pushing the person to a new place. Igniting the Third Factor is all about pull. It is very much grounded in self-direction.

It is not about willpower, a forced changing and driving oneself forward, but more about developing an awareness of free will and our choices. It is about being pulled toward growth. It is not adding a layer of new “to dos,” but removing blind spots and seeing what is possible and, again, being pulled by that.

I sometimes think of the Third Factor as an uncovering of what we already possess and a realization of what is therefore possible. It is as if we own an amazing “computer” that has a powerful program of self-development installed, but that remains undiscovered and dormant until the user, often with the help of an exceptional coach, leader or parent, becomes aware of it. Then everything changes and new possibilities arise. In that instant, igniting has occurred, and the Third Factor begins to help the person evolve.

Our understanding of this concept will grow as we progress through the book.

A quick word on terminology. I will use the words coach, manager and leader interchangeably in what follows. The skills apply to anyone (parent or teacher or coach or manager) developing anyone anywhere. I tend to use the word coach more frequently because I believe that is the management style most needed in today’s workplace. I want leaders and managers to think of themselves as coaches.

Developmental Bias

Developmental bias is the underpinning for every truly successful coach. Coaches with a developmental bias recognize the importance of, and are passionate about, growing and developing people. Success for these coaches is not only about the results but also about building competence, commitment, capacity and passion in their performers. They take on a bigger role than simply supervising, directing or managing.

Coaches who have a strong developmental bias rarely, if ever, in any way damage those under their care. This is not true of those who serve their own interests from a top-down position. The exceptional coaches stand out because of the results their people are able to produce.

This book is about developing a developmental bias. It is written for anyone with an interest in learning how to help others grow and develop. Some people seem to be born with that urge, but for most of us, a developmental bias emerges gradually, becoming obvious only when we take on a leadership role, and continues to develop through our diligent efforts and under changing circumstances.

In the work world, and indeed also in the sporting world, it is essential to continually learn and get better at whatever it is you’re doing. There are many reasons for this, which we will go into later, the most obvious being that the bar is always being raised. We live in a world of endless change, where last year’s results will rarely do next year, and certainly not in the years to follow.

The Exceptional Coach as Gardener

My father, Anker Jensen, immigrated to Canada from Denmark in March of 1930, at the beginning of the Great Depression that followed the stock market crash of 1929—not an ideal time for a 20-year-old to try to forge a new life in North America. He came into Canada, as did all immigrants at that time, through Pier 21, the Canadian equivalent of Ellis Island, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. My father died in 1976, and I know very little of his past in Denmark, but a few years ago I spent a day at Pier 21 and managed to trace all his records from that time. In Canada, he worked in a mine in northern Quebec for 42 years and served for five years with the Canadian forces in the Second World War, but interestingly— and revealingly—the ship documents on his entry to this country had him listed as a farm laborer.

Despite the climate and the poor soil conditions in Noranda, where I was born and raised, my father always had an amazing garden. Some of the neighbors tried to follow his example, but their gardens were never quite as fruitful as his. There was a reason for this, of course. A natural gardener, my father knew how to create the right conditions to maximize the growth potential that lies dormant in every plant. He spent many hours tending the beds and enriching the clay soil in our backyard with compost from a bin he had built in the back corner. Similarly, good coaches, leaders and parents nourish their charges and thus get a lot more commitment out of them than poor coaches, leaders and parents ever could. And they do it the same way a gardener does: by creating an environment that stimulates growth.

In developing people, the challenge is not about physical growth but about igniting in them the desire to achieve their potential, whatever their focus. When we speak of commitment, it is about commitment to themselves and their own growth and development, rather than to anything outside the person, such as an organization. We want them to begin using all of their talents and skills to become the best they can be. We want them to activate their Third Factor.

Without stimulation and encouragement, a life-altering event, or a nurturing mentor/coach, the Third Factor can go unrealized, just as, in the gardening analogy above, a plant’s potential for growth may go unrealized until a gardener with the skill to stimulate it comes along.

Five Characteristics of Exceptional Coaches

My studies of exceptional coaches have revealed five characteristics that enable them to ignite the Third Factor.

• Self-awareness, which equips them to assist, not inhibit, the igniting of Third Factor

• Ability to build trust, so that the first steps toward gradually attaining self-direction can be taken in a relatively safe and secure environment

• Ability to use imagery to help the person “see” what is possible and thus to encourage the process of belief in the self

• Ability to identify blocks when they occur and to help the person take responsibility for dealing with these temporary barriers

• Recognizing the importance of adversity, which is critical at some point to determine the strength of the person’s commitment to themselves and their performance. Learning to embrace adversity and focus on what can be controlled is essential in developing the Third Factor in the performer—a preparation for moving out of the performance laboratory and into the bigger arena of life.

Over years of involvement in the corporate world and the world of Olympic and international sport, it has become obvious to me that a developmental bias is the foundation for effective coaching. The exceptional coaches I’ve had the good fortune to spend time with have all had an incredibly strong developmental bias. Without exception, they have also been very practical people. This book has the same focus. It’s a practical “playbook” that you can use to get much better at developing others.

This book, though written particularly for use in the workplace, is ultimately a practical guide to using coaching as a tool in any realm where the principles and techniques are applicable. You will hear a lot about what exceptional athletic coaches do, but as leaders in the business community you should know that when I talk to athletic coaches, I talk to them about what great business leaders do! When I’m training them, I routinely ask them to review a business leadership book and tell me what they learned from it that they can use on a daily basis. They never fail to discover valuable skills and techniques that help them become better athletic coaches. This book, in a way, turns those tables. You will find here lessons from these exceptional Olympic coaches that will be of value to you in your day-to-day responsibilities as a leader.

Leaders with a strong developmental bias spend a great deal of time playing out various scenarios and imagined consequences. They take leading and developing seriously and are open to new learning. As Coach Wooden puts it, “It’s what you learn after you know everything that matters.”

For those with a strong developmental bias, the line blurs between work and play, person and profession. Their impulse to develop is evident everywhere, with everyone. I never see Wally Kozak, former Canadian national team ice hockey coach and currently a scout for the women’s team, without walking away with something: an idea, an article, a question, a book, some reinforcement, a quote, something to reflect on. (On at least two occasions I’ve also walked away with a toasted tomato sandwich made from tomatoes that he had grown!) Marlene Rankel, an education-psychology professor who introduced me to Kazimierz Dabrowski, was the same—I always came away from encounters with her feeling somehow enriched. Leadership for these people truly is a mantle, a cloak they put on that transforms others. The very good ones can’t help themselves. They are people who make a difference.

Are You a Leader?

Is this something that interests you? Can you, or do you, get caught up in the puzzle that is another person—and how you might encourage that drive you see in them, or unlock that resistance, or deal with that lack of confidence, or curb that overconfidence without breaking the person?

Here’s a simple but practical way of beginning to see the challenges involved in developing others: a diagram that plots “confidence” (from low to high), on one axis, against “know-how” (also from low to high), on another, producing the following four quadrants:

How could you best lead and develop people in each of these quadrants? Which group would be the hardest to coach? You might ask me at this point: “What do you mean by ‘hardest’?” Good question. Some of you may relate very well to the low-confidence and high-know-how group because perhaps you were like that, or your best friend or one of your children is like that, so you have some affinity for these people and their issues. Other readers, those of you who came out of the womb confident, are probably thinking, “I can’t relate at all. If you’re afraid or fearful, so what—just do what I do: focus on what you have to do and don’t worry, because worry is a waste of time!” Clearly, the degree of difficulty will vary depending upon the leader’s background, experience and confidence level.

Do you like to ponder over the various people in your work world and the diversity of challenges they present? Do you think of yourself as a leader with a strong developmental bias? You may not even have considered this approach because the experiences that led you to become a manager or leader haven’t prepared you for the job.

I spend a lot of time working with leaders and managers in the oil industry, most of whom are engineers or geologists. A few years ago I was working with a major company in the industry in the middle of its third downsizing. I asked the engineers in the room how many articles they had read during the past year on engineering or issues related to it. Their answers ranged from a low of 15 to a high of more than 100. I then asked them how many articles they had read on managing people through difficult change and transition. Not a hand went up in the room, and yet this was the very leadership issue they were tasked with. This was now their job. They were no longer solely engineers; they also had the responsibility, as leaders, to help their people through this difficult time.

A novice’s view of leadership can be very restricted and based primarily on what they see on the organizational chart. When I was a young coach, I thought coaching was all about the Xs and the Os. I focused on creating the best strategy and designing the best plays. It took me a few years to discover that when you put a name on every X and O, things change dramatically, and suddenly the need for developmental skills becomes obvious.

Here is a diagram of the perfect executive team from Corporation B.

As the leader of this executive team, what will be your biggest challenge? That depends a great deal on who will be representing each of these functions. If it’s Sally from sales, it’s a breeze—she brings terrific team and communication skills to every team on which she is placed. Shawn, on the other hand, who also works in sales, is outspoken and at times too domineering in group situations. The point here is that the executive team works perfectly—on paper—until we start bringing the people into the equation. Then everything changes for the leader.

It’s All About the People

Early on in the two-day corporate coaching workshops that my company, Performance Coaching, offers, we emphasize that there are three things that make coaching unique as a management style: a strong developmental bias, personal contact and caring. I then ask, “Why coaching? Why now?” In other words, why would a leadership style that emphasizes developing people through personal contact and caring be right for your organization, given what it is going through? In every single workshop, the first response on the flip-charts is some variation on “People are our primary resource.” In the end, it’s all about the people—and the relationship between the leader and his or her people.

What I’m suggesting is that the very best relationship you can establish with your people is a developmental one—one where, through your own drive and desire, you’re igniting their Third Factor. You’re inspiring them to want to be the best they can be (salesperson, accountant, cus- todian, CFO . . .), and also to continue to grow and develop as a person. There are many good organizational reasons for doing this, as well as moral and ethical ones. We cannot always guarantee people employment, but we ought to be able to guarantee that they are employable.

So let’s talk about igniting your Third Factor and becoming a leader with a strong developmental bias who is very effective at growing and developing others. If this interests you, what’s blocking you? What do you need help with? Is your biggest block around what to do and how to do it? Then you’re in the right place; showing you how is the primary purpose of this book.

Caring is at the heart of really good leadership. To quote the message I once saw on a billboard in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, “. . . people want to know how much you care, before they care how much you know.”

Any journey is difficult without accurate maps. This book provides you with the maps you will need to begin the process of becoming a leader who not only is very good at developing others but derives personal satisfaction from doing so. It’s an endeavor of the highest order.

Editor: A rousing start, but there must be more to the concept of the Third Factor than you’re disclosing here.

Author: Yes, a lot more in terms of Dabrowski’s theory of moral and emotional growth, which he called the Theory of Positive Disintegration. He believed that if people had certain, what he called “over-excitabilities”— intellectual, emotional, sensual, psycho-motor, imaginative—they had the inner capacity to transcend their upbringing and culture and move to higher levels of development. The disintegration is positive: although the person temporarily disintegrates, questions what they are going through, and experiences what Carl Jung called “the long, dark night of the soul,” they reintegrate at a higher level as a result of those over-excitabilities.

Editor: That’s out there. How did he arrive at such a theory?

Author: Oh, that’s a very long story. The short version is that he looked at the lives of those who most would agree had evolved to very high levels morally and emotionally, and saw that they had all gone through this process of temporary disintegration and then a higher level of integration. He wrote numerous psychological developmental biographies on such people as Kierkegaard, Christ, Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

Editor: That’s interesting. Tell me more about the over-excitabilities.

Author: Dabrowski had another term for over-excitabilities. He called them “tragic gifts.”

Editor: Why so?

Author: He called them gifts because, for example in the case of emotional over-excitability, these people really feel the world. They are in touch with all the joy and the suffering; they experience at an emotional level all that they and others are going through. He called them tragic because the world was not yet ready for people who felt at such a deep level.

Editor: When I was younger I read a book called There Are Men Too Gentle to Live Among Wolves.

Author: I know the book, and it’s a beautiful example of what we are talking about. Now tell me: how do you feel about what we have covered so far?

Editor: There is hope.

Author: On that ringing endorsement, let’s move on.