Success: An ongoing journey of honing, enhancing, and elevating
In the realm of success, renowned leadership coach Marshall Goldsmith's insights shed light on a powerful phenomenon. Successful individuals often hold a mantra that resonates with self-assuredness: "I've succeeded. I have succeeded, I have succeeded." This conviction can lead to complacency, assuming current skills are sufficient to conquer challenges. Goldsmith's perspective, as elaborated in his book "What Got You Here Won't Keep You There," lays the foundation for what I call Elevated Leadership – an ongoing journey of honing, enhancing, and elevating our leadership capabilities.
In a recent dialogue with a gathering of creative entrepreneurs, the concept of success unveiled a diverse array of words and interpretations. As we delved into the definition of success, themes like time, money, freedom, opportunity, impact, peace, and fulfillment emerged as pivotal markers.
Indeed, the pursuit of success, irrespective of its individual definition, resonates universally.
My personal journey over the past few years has led me to a profound realization: success and growth thrive through the conduit of service. This has become my modern interpretation of success. Making a tangible impact on the lives of creative professional services firm owners while relishing the freedom to travel and immerse myself in time away from the conventional office space has brought me fulfillment. However, this notion struck a common chord among fellow entrepreneurs – the quest for more success is intrinsic, but the path requires conscientious prioritization and disciplined pursuits. We recognize that chasing fleeting trends or deviating from strategic objectives is an unwise approach.
The pivotal question emerges: how do we refine our focus, prioritize our efforts, and achieve success? My journey involved attempting to engineer success through avenues of buying, trying, or fixing. I invested in sales and marketing tools, improved my team's dynamics, enhanced client services, and explored diverse lead generation strategies. Yet, an epiphany transformed my perspective.
True success, I believe, emanates not from external interventions or hasty remedies. Instead, it hinges on prioritizing self-development. For owners of creative professional services firms, our most enduring and indispensable asset within our businesses is ourselves. Amid technological shifts, fluctuating team compositions, and dynamic positioning strategies, our self-leadership remains constant. Just as a baker meticulously tends to their vital oven, our leadership and well-being demand equivalent attention and investment.
Imagine embracing self-prioritization akin to nurturing our essential bakery equipment. Just as we safeguard, improve, and nurture our critical baking tools, the same fervor should extend to ourselves as leaders. This beckons us to place ourselves at the forefront.
Over the past six weeks, my exploration of the Thrive Method has unfurled through a series of blog posts, delineating six pivotal steps to thrive and elevate leadership for a prosperous journey. Yet, rather than revisiting these steps, I wish to hone in on the means to prioritize ourselves. How can we ensure that the central asset within our business – ourselves – receives the care, nurturing, and investment it merits?
In this pursuit, I've unearthed two potent tools, the first being powerful peer groups.
Powerful peer groups encapsulate a distinctive blend of diverse perspectives, unswerving accountability, candid feedback, collective learning, and motivational camaraderie. They create a nurturing environment not only for bolstering leadership skills but also for fostering profound connections with kindred professionals. I find myself enveloped by fellow creative firm owners who both inspire and challenge me. Initiating such a group can be as simple as inviting 5-7 other owners to engage in a thought-provoking lunch.
The second instrumental tool I've encountered is 1:1 executive coaching. This endeavor invests in your leadership legacy. It's a voyage that unearths your latent potential, hones your skills, and empowers you to lead authentically and impactfully. Tailored guidance, a true accountability partner, and expedited growth amalgamate into a transformative experience that elevates your leadership journey.
In essence, success lies not solely in the external, but within us. Prioritizing our own growth, fostering connections through peer groups, and embracing executive coaching paves the way to unparalleled leadership and enduring success.
