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Where is your “here” and what “there” are you striving to reach?

IMG_0165Several months ago, I participated in a Mastermind Group / Book Club exercise with some people from an organization I belong to called Outside Counsel. The books was What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith. I loved it!

Goldsmith describes 20 behaviors that cause people to get stuck in their careers (although work life is really the focus on the book, Goldsmith acknowledges these behaviors permeate all aspects of a person’s life), even though the behaviors may have actually served the person well at an earlier point in his/her life.

This made a lot of sense to me, as I have lived it. I grew up in circumstances that drove me to become a very self-sufficient, independent, over achiever. I did everything myself, not expecting or accepting help from others, because I had learned — from experience — that you couldn’t necessarily count on others to be there when you needed them. The behaviors I built around these beliefs served me well for a long time in my younger years, and even for a while when I entered the working world after college.

I reached a point, however, when those behaviors no longer served me and, in fact, became destructive. You see, it’s not possible for one person to be completely self-sufficient, to be all things to all people, to be an expert in everything. And, frankly, it was exhausting!

I eventually went through some painful experiences that caused me to become more self-aware and to effect some significant changes in my life. I changed my thinking about needing other people, inviting them into my life and my work, asking for help, and understanding that the end result of working with others is much more than I can accomplish solo.

This is the foundation for a keynote presentation I gave today at the Mid-Ohio Valley Chamber of Commerce’s second annual Women in Leadership Luncheon. I used my story and intertwined it with the concepts Marshall Goldsmith so eloquently outlined in his book, and offered it to the ~160 attendees as a learning opportunity. It was truly the highlight of my week, so far. I have to admit, I’ve been looking forward to this day for some months now, as I felt so lucky when the Chamber’s Executive Director accepted my suggestion for using it as the theme for the luncheon.

I had a great time working with the luncheon’s planning committee; a diverse group of talented, creative, focused women who planned and presented a great day of learning and connecting opportunities for the business women of this area.

My intent was for each person to have at least one aha! moment, one new insight, a new perspective, and that when they left the conference center today, they could say without a doubt, “Attending this event was truly worth the six hours of my life that I spent on it today.” You see, I do strive to entertain people when I have the opportunity to speak, but more than that, I want to make people to think, to learn, to grow. I want to share something that will have changed someone’s life, even if in just a small way.

I hope I didn’t disappoint!

I encourage you to take a few minutes right now to think about your current “Here”…not your physical location, but where you are in your work, your learning, your relationships, your growth, your career. Then give some thought to the next “There” you long to get to. What will it take to get you there? What skills will you need to develop? What behaviors will you need to stop demonstrating? What behaviors will you need to cultivate?

Click here to see the newspaper coverage.

Please, share your stories!

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Intentional Leadership — D1, W4, M4 — Focus

As we begin week four of our month on Focus, let’s consider the fruits of being focused.

Focus allows you to see through all the other stuff, the every day events that some might consider distractions, but what we really know to be simple, every day life, and continue to forge ahead toward your goal.

Focus allows you to keep going, even when things get hard and you want to quit, because you know the feeling of satisfaction that awaits you at the other end…when you have accomplished your goal.

Think back to what you may have read about the 1936 Olympics. Most of the world was focused on race issues, pitting white athletes against black athletes. Jessie Owens did not allow himself to get caught up in the rhetoric; he focused on running his race.

As he entered the Munich Stadium, Swastikas were everywhere; the stadium was filled with white spectators…including Adolf Hitler. As we know Hitler and his contemporaries viewed blacks as less than human, inferior to whites in every way.

If this was not a moment fraught with distraction and stress, I can’t imagine what would be.

What did Owens do? To be sure, he felt the weight of the moment. Win or lose, he knew there was risk regardless of the outcome.

While we can’t know what he was thinking, we need only to read the stories to know what he did. Jesse Owens rocketed out of his starting stance and flew past the competition to take the Gold in the 100-yard dash. He did the same in the 200-yard event. He also won the long jump and ran the lead leg for the 4 x 100 relay.

Clearly, Owens retained his focus on what he had set in front of himself, rather than allowing himself to become distracted by the loud and very obvious controversy. He achieved his goals; he earned respect; he brought hope to others.

While our situations are certainly less dire, we are still often surrounded by a wide variety of other issues, people, and situations attempting to grab out attention and divert our focus.

Effective leaders block out the noise, fear, and anxiety, choosing instead to retain their focus and move confidently in the direction of their visions, goals, and dreams. When you do this, when you display this kind of focus and courage in the face of adversity, you earn respect, give others hope, and build momentum.

What do you need to do this week to focus on your “100-yard dash”?

What benefits will you reap when you remain focused in the face of distraction and move confidently in the direction of your vision?

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Intentional Leadership — Month Four — Focus

Focus: A state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding. A point at which rays (as of light, heat, or sound) converge or from which they diverge or appear to diverge;specifically: the point where the geometrical lines or their prolongations conforming to the rays diverging from or converging toward another point intersect and give rise to an image after reflection by a mirror or refraction by a lens or optical system.

Thank you, Merriam-Webster online!

Without focus, our efforts are haphazard, expending energy without clear direction. With focus, we can channel our energies and efforts toward clear objectives. We can set and stick to priorities. We filter the information we are drowning in — more than 3000 messages per day according to some sources — able to determine what is truly relevant to you and your mission and ignore the rest. Focus allows us to make decisions in line with our values, beliefs, priorities, and goals. We are able to clearly articulate our vision and guide others. We operate effectively, efficiently, productively; working smarter not harder.

Think of the difference between the light channeled by an incandescent bulb and that of the light channeled through a laser. The first gives you diffused, gentle illumination; the latter gives you a single, super-concentrated beam, intense enough to cut through steel. The difference between the two is simple: Focus.

What you accomplish will be determined by your ability to focus your thoughts, your energy, your efforts. When you have focus, making decisions and taking action is easy. Without it, you will drift through your life, randomly moving with the flow of whatever current you are caught up in. The choice is yours.

Before we begin this fourth month of our Intentional Leadership journey, take some time to consider these questions:

What goals are you currently focused on?

Who best understands your career focus?

How do you maintain your focus in light of the myriad daily distractions you encounter?

When has your clarity of focus inspired someone else to take action?

I’m excited to move into this next stage of our journey. Are you ready? “See” you tomorrow!

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