This is Your Launch Point
I have a question for you: What are you doing today to become a better CEO? The answer to the question is not as straightforward as it might seem on the surface.
One vital observation I’ve made through my leadership journey, and that I continue to realize is true for the many leaders and aspiring leaders I collaborate with as an executive coach, is that becoming an authentic leader is never about going from Point A to Point B… and then C, D, E and beyond. Nor should it be. It’s not a straight, clear and easy path forward. Instead, it’s about having a launch point and then using each day as an opportunity to get from “here” to “there.”
In the forward to my forthcoming book (wow, just three weeks until my book’s launch point!), It’s On You, I talk about the nonlinear path that is often a hallmark of the journey toward success as a leader. On a given day, you may take one step forward but three steps back. Those sorts of days (hopefully rare) can cause self-doubt and lead you to question your leadership potential. But every evolving success story begins with a strategic launch point. Think about where you want to be, and what you plan to do about it. What is your launch point? What is your next step?
The truth is, you are given permission to not know all the answers, but you also need to have the courage to realize there is more that you are capable of becoming. The way I’ve always looked at it – a guide that works for me and that I’m confident will work for you – is that the journey toward success and satisfaction as a leader flows through three phases:
Showing Up: have awareness of yourself, your differences, your “State of Being,” and how you are being received.
Stepping into Your Potential: do the required work to define the unique behaviors that will help you step into your power.
Shaping a Road Map for Continued Success: there will be unexpected challenges and indirect paths, but when you learn to navigate the journey with grace, you’ll move ever closer to the realization of your ultimate potential.
Remember, there is no simple plan to follow for how to run your company. There’s no manual to show you exactly how to find success as a leader. As I say in the book’s forward, “the fulfillment of your potential requires a stair-step journey of building self-awareness.”
I’ll leave you with this today: regardless of where you are in your leadership right now, think about your launch point. Spend a few moments every day conceptualizing what success looks like for you. Dedicate yourself to the journey from “here” to “there.” I know it will be a fulfilling ride.
