While vacationing in the charming town of Taormina in Sicily, Italy a week ago, I was struck by the stunning omnipresence of Mount Etna, known for being an active volcano for 2.5 million years.

It brought back memories of climbing the famous mountain Huashan while I was in college in Xi’an, China. It’s obvious how I view my relationship with mountains has turned upside down.

Back then, metaphorically I viewed the “top of the mountain” as where I wanted to get to – no matter how hard I had to work.

Right now, I feel that I AM the mountain, and the mountain is where I come from.

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My executive coaching clients want to become more strategic, more empathetic, etc. It’s a place they want to get to, due to a “lack” that they perceive.

What we discover in the coaching process is that they have already had many moments of being strategic or empathetic in their lives. What they seek isn’t a skill they lack categorically; it simply may be a skill they have not applied in a particular context often yet. But they have it within them.

This opposite perspective changes everything. Isn’t it much more inspiring to bring out something good already within us than to work on a weakness?

So, I often ask my client, “What if it’s not a place where you try hard to get to, but a place you come from?”

This shift in perspective often changes the entire game.

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What is one leadership or personal quality (I see them as the same) you have been trying hard to develop? How do you feel and how does your body react when you think of trying to fill that gap? How fast and effortlessly have you been able to make the desired progress?

If you are looking for a different way to get better, faster, and more sustainable results, I invite you to ask yourself this question:

“What if it’s not a place where I want to get to, but a place I come from?”

Please pause for a moment before you read on.

If you struggle with this new perspective, think of a moment when you demonstrated that quality in a different setting. Then think of another moment. Make them feel vivid and real. You can also ask those close to you to describe those moments – and make them vivid and real.

Here is the thing, leadership and personal development should be inspiring, not
perspiring. It will certainly be easier and more fun!

Inspire yourself with what’s already in you and what’s possible. You’ve got this!
Please feel free to share your thoughts with me or reach out to discuss how I can support you and those you care about. I believe in you!

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P.S.

During an interview with @Authority Magazine, I shared 5 Keys to Success in a short video - using the metaphor of climbing a mountain. # 5 is “BE the mountain.”

1. Choose the Right Mountain
 
Don’t just work hard with the head down. Look up and look around. Reflect and calibrate periodically. Make sure it’s (still) the right mountain that you are climbing.
 
2. Be the Best Climber
 
Once you choose the right mountain, be the best climber you can be. Do so with your style - authentically.  Dare to be you.
 
3. Create Your Community
 
It’s more fun to climb with a community. Lean on them for support. Lift others as you climb.
 
4. Take Care of Yourself
 
To be our best for others, we must first take care of ourselves.
  
5. BE the Mountain
 
Everything on the mountain IS the mountain. A flower is not trying to compete with other flowers, its purpose is to fully express its unique beauty, unapologetically. Our job is to honor the gift of life and fully express our potential in our most courageously authentic way. When we do that, we inspire others to do the same, and the mountain is full of blossoms.
 
Which of the above 5 resonates with you the most?