Leadership on Speed

moving into action

Congratulations!  By now you have spent some time thinking about what you want to create in 2009 and hopefully you didn't limit yourself regarding what that looked like.  You deserve to dream big and you deserve to live a big vision - together we'll discuss how you get there.

Taking poetic license from the NBA, this is the year you get to play big or go home.

That's what I'm holding you to.

Playing big doesn't necessarily mean becoming President of the US.  Playing big could mean getting a college degree.  It could mean changing careers.  It could mean getting out of the rat race and starting your own business (full- or part-time).  It could mean relocating for a dream position.  It means stepping into who you always knew you could be (which could also mean stepping beyond what others think you can accomplish).  By the way, don't worry about what others think.

This is your life.

Your next assignment:

Now that you have a vision, there are two things to consider:

1.  What are the actions that will move you in that direction?

2.  Who do you have to be to actually get there?

Today, I want to focus on the first question.  Next time we'll tackle the second.

So what are the big steps to create the life you want?  Here is where you really get to consider the tapestry of your vision.  Do you currently have all the resources you require?  If you have an entrepreneurial vision, do you have what you need to get the ball rolling?  Do you have the right team of people around you?  If you want to get some sizzle back in your career, what does the sizzle look like?  Does it mean taking on greater responsibility in your current environment?  Does it mean creating something completely fresh and new?  Does it mean getting promoted or moving into a different department?  What is your strategy to get there?  

The devil is in the details as the saying goes.  I'm not asking you to develop a 20-page action plan (necessarily) but you definitely want to approach your objectives from a strategic perspective.  One that allows you to continually move toward creating your desired reality with intentionality and consciousness.   To the extent that you work through the action plan up front, 2009 becomes all about just executing the plan. 

Planning is the thing that generates the best results and is where most of us spend the least amount of time.  Trust me when I say....

Just do it. (Is there a sports theme going on here?)

In the coming week, we'll take a look at who you get to be while creating this amazing vision.  Doing without being most often leaves us exactly where we began.

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!

Hello Mr Gremlin. Thank you for sharing.

We all have a voice in our head that speaks to us in certain situations.  That voice gives us confidence or instills us with fear.  It helps us to take action and it keeps us from taking action.

Meet your gremlin..

Your gremlin is the inner conversation or better yet, the inner critic that keeps you from doing something you really want to accomplish.  It is the voice that tells you you aren't good enough, pretty/handsome enough, smart enough, credentialed enough etc.  It is the voice that tells you not to even try.

It is the thing that keeps you from starting the diet, making prospecting calls, starting your business, going for a promotion or going for anything else you want to accomplish.

Once you have identified your gremlin, the question becomes, how do you defeat it?  Well, awareness is a big step because once you know what is holding you back you can then make a choice to do something different.  You can make a choice to be more powerful than the dream-killer called the gremlin.

"Hello Mr. Gremlin.  Thank you for sharing but I'm not choosing you today."

It doesn't matter what your gremlin is.  It doesn't require 15 years of psychotherapy for you to defeat it.  What it does require is that in each and every moment of your life, you make a choice to exercise your personal power and be more powerful than any inner conversation. 

Be more powerful than fear.

Be more powerful than doubt.

Be more powerful than your past.

Each day and each moment is a new opportunity to be the person you choose to be.

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!

personal coach - to hire or not to hire...

All the great players have great coaches! Andy Stanley, in the Next Generation Leader wrote, "It is impossible to maximize your potential in any area without coaching. You may be good. You may be even better than everyone else, but without outside input you will never be as good as you could be. Self-evaluation is helpful, but evaluation from someone else is essential." 

As a coach, I do a lot of networking in the business community and I get questions almost everyday regarding the nature of coaching and what distinguishes it from consulting. It is an important distinction in the business arena because it speaks to whether one is simply looking for answers or is open to discovering them.  All coaches are definitely not created equal and while many coaches are consultants, few consultants are coaches.  Here's the 50,000 foot view that distinguishes coaching, consulting and counseling:

• Consulting - Consultants are paid expressly for their expertise on a given matter.  They generally enter into an organization, evaluate processes and report back on the weaknesses, challenges or areas of opportunities.  They may or may not also be paid to resolve the issues.
• Counseling - Counseling assumes some type of psychopathology linked to dysfunctional behavior. From the standpoint of counseling, the client starts at a negative in terms of functioning and it is the role of counseling to bring them up to "even".
• Coaching  - Coaching assumes that individuals are whole, emotionally healthy and resourceful (both externally and internally).  Coaching utilizes various nonscientific approaches to have individuals tap into their resources to achieve goals and in the process clients often confront internal dialog that has impeded their progress. During this process, clients not only achieve/exceed their goals, they often arrive at them much faster than they would without coaching.  Coaching is not about clients being incapable.  In fact individuals who come to coaching are most often self-starting overachievers who simply want some subtle adjustments to support their continued success.

None of these disciplines are better or worse than another.  They all serve their purpose in the right circumstances. If you are considering coaching, most coaches offer a free, no obligation consult or discovery session that will give you the opportunity to experience coaching first hand.  In an upcoming post, I'll offer some tips on questions to ask when making your decision.  Good luck!

YES you can!

aim high. achieve high. don't settle!

"The greatest danger for most of us is not that we aim high and miss it, but rather that we aim low and reach it."

As I have evolved as a business coach, my business tag lines have also evolved.  Somewhere in my journey, I came across the Michelangelo quote that led me to the tag line above and I'm writing today because I want to share that although I primarily focus in the business arena, the main reason I love the quote is because it applies to any pursuit.  Whether your goal is about career or weight loss, don't settle for what you think someone else's ideal is.  Only you know what is true for you.  Regardless of what path you are on, I am a catalyst for possibility - a voice that chooses to say, "YES, you can!"  As that voice, I invite you to not sell yourself short because of that internal or external voice (or choir depending on circumstances!) that says your goal is too big.  I learned a long time ago that we can never dream outside the realm of our own possibility. It's impossible!  So whether you want to be a school teacher, a CEO, a mom/dad or President of the United States, craft your plan and follow your plan.  Your heart will speak and reveal the ultimate truth that only you can hear.

happy new year

As a new year begins, I want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all who have supported The Next Step and have allowed me to partner with you in the creation of amazing accomplishments.  Let's keep up the good work in 2008 for an even more amazing and abundant year.

coaching 101

The first question most coaches are asked is, "What is coaching?".  You are certainly welcome to visit my website for some detailed information but when most people think of a coach, they think sports. Right? Most definitely. In that context, a coach is a guide, a mentor, a consultant... They take their knowledge and expertise and pass it on. It is up to the athlete to incorporate that knowledge, practice and manifest on game day.  A business coach is similar and takes on a similar role as a sports coach but I ask you to also think of business coaching in the context of a stage coach. Hunh? Yep. A stage coach.  A stage coach takes you from one destination to another and THAT is the type of coaching we're talking about here.  Believe it or not, you already possess all the gifts, skills and talent you need to manifest anything you choose in your life.  A coach supports your journey by providing tools and context for you to clarify, implement, identify what's working and not working and move you step by step towards your goals. Coaches hold the context, clients take the action and together you move with greater speed, effectiveness, purpose and joy than you may have ever moved toward anything in life.  It isn't a journey that everyone is ready for but it is a journey that most should take at least once in their life...what a ride!

welcome!

While I have always considered myself a techy, I hadn't quite gotten enough energy (or nerve) to join the blogging crowd but I must admit I find it a fascinating way to share thoughts and stay connected with like-minded individuals. So having said that, WELCOME! I look forward to creating a forum for the creation of career dreams and life fulfillment and I look forward to many fascinating discussions with all who are looking for something greater and have the courage to step into , "What's next."   I ask for your patience and support as I take this journey into the unknown for me but I take it with excitement and joy!