With deep gratitude, I am celebrating the 6th anniversary of leading a boutique executive coaching business this month!
I am grateful to have found my calling, and I am grateful for the incredible support from people like you that has allowed my firm to co-create measurable results with amazing clients who are mid-sized gems and large icons such as Cisco, GE, Intel, Nike, and Porsche.
We learn from reflecting on our experiences. I first thought about reflecting on “6 lessons I learned in 6 years,” then I decided less is more.
The #1 lesson I have learned in the past 6 years is: speak what feels hard! Specifically, speak what feels hard in the following 3 ways. I’d love to invite to reflect together if that’s helpful.
1. Speak what may be hard for others to hear.
The higher up a leader goes in an organization, the more filtered their input gets. While I believe in my clients more than anyone else, I dare to say what no one else dares to say. They often tell me that those are the highest impact moments.
For you, (1) what has worked well in speaking truth to power (your clients, your bosses, your board, etc.)? (2) What’s an area that you can benefit from experimenting with it? (3) What would make it easier for you to do so?
2. Speak the hard truth about ourselves.
Despite the fear, I try to own my mistakes and ask for feedback in order to best serve the client. I’ve learned that when I show that I can discern what I know and what I don’t know, others trust me more. One relevant book I highly recommend is “Getting Naked” by Patrick Lencioni.
For you, (1) how comfortable are you in being vulnerable and speaking the truth about yourself? (3) How often do you solicit and receive feedback and do things differently? (3) What is possible if you pushed yourself out of your comfort zone a bit more?
3. Say no, don’t take on everything.
For passionate achievers, it’s normal to try to do too many things, but that can hold us back from making the highest impact. I choose to work with clients I believe in and who are ready to do the transformational work, and I walk away from all others. As a result, my firm upholds a 100% track record of positive and quantifiable results measured by client’s entire stakeholder groups.
For you, (1) which areas in life are you making a satisfying impact? (2) What is the most important area you want to make a much bigger impact? (3) What changes are you willing to commit to for achieving that focused impact?
We are on a shared journey of making an impact and finding fulfillment.
Speak what feels hard.
Less is more.
P.S.
Resources:
1. I have created a 1 page guide for you on giving and receiving feedback.
2. I recommended the book “Getting Naked” by Patrick Lencioni.
