As a child, Jakub Grzadzielski sang as a chorister in the world-famous Stuligrosz Choir, with which he toured throughout Europe. Later, he moved from music to sports, playing center for a major Polish regional basketball team. However, a serious knee injury curtailed his basketball career. He shifted to amateur boxing while pursuing his education, eventually graduating from the University of Technology in Poznan in the field of Electrical Engineering. Originally, he intended to get a PhD. However, family life intervened. “I’ll finish my doctoral studies,” he says with a laugh, “when my daughters leave home for college.”
In his 17 years leading various teams in the automotive industry, Jakub discovered his real passion: working with and for people. “When I help people,” he states, “their achievements feel like my achievements.”
What led Jakub to Stakeholder Centered Coaching? “After reading Marshall Goldsmith’s book, ‘What Got You Here Won’t Get You There’, I felt that the concepts in this book were the absolute foundation for any successful transformation.” He extolls “the incredible practicality and effectiveness of SCC methodology. From experience, I know that this approach guarantees measurable progress.”
Jakub finds most rewarding the experience when the person he’s coaching changes behavior in a way that what was perceived as a weakness is now perceived as a strength. “These are the moments that show how much our profession is needed,” he says.
For all coaches, and especially those who are just starting their careers, Jakub has one piece of advice: “Believe in people. People are amazing and they can move mountains if they WANT to.” One of his favorite questions to ask people he’s coaching: “What must be done to achieve the goal?”
When coaching others, Jakub observes that “too many of us do not see greatness in ourselves. Too often, we assume that a person is unique or extraordinary only when they appear on the covers of the magazines.” Yet he’s convinced that each of us knows someone not famous yet incredibly inspiring. “No matter what stage you are at in life, there are many benefits to giving to and inspiring others.”
