What is Always Lurking? Opportunities for Discovery!
I recently shared some perspective on the intersection between lifelong learning and personal satisfaction. It’s such an important theme on the leadership journey and one that I am passionate about, so I wanted to dedicate not just one but two blog posts to it!
To put it in its simplest terms: growth never stops. It’s easy to say that and to think that; it’s harder to implement.
When I talk to leaders and aspiring leaders – clients in my executive coaching practice, members of the Tipperary Sales, Inc., team when I was CEO, or casual conversations about leadership and careers – I lean on four strategies that can be implemented to become a true lifelong learner and leader, both in the moment and over the long term:
Try things on: Growth as a leader often involves trial and error. During trial periods, see how a concept or tactic fits and run with it for a while. You’ll figure out what is part of your calling and what is not, and you’ll quickly hit your stride.
Have something to fall back on: Make notes about every learning experience you have and every idea that comes into your mind. That notebook will become a guide and outlet for yourself and a way to learn as you go. You never know when you’ll need to fall back on those notes from months or even years past.
Review the big decisions: Analyze right away what worked and what didn’t. You may encounter a mess sometimes – it will happen – but the best way to learn from successes and failures is through an After Action Review (AAR) to reflect on a project during and after its completion.
Remain true to you: Never lose sight of what you bring to your role that will be beneficial to others, to you, and your organization as a whole. Within that lens, sharpen your leadership in a way that is true to you and who you are.
Push yourself to learn something new every day, because opportunities for discovery are always lurking. That was the case when you were in your first job out of college, and it’s the case now, even if you’re in the C-suite or you’ve risen to CEO. As I write in It’s On You:
“When you choose to talk yourself beyond your comfort zone, rather than off the ledge, that is where the invisible bridge shows up that takes you to the next peak … the one that leads you even closer to all that you want to be, do, and have. All of this can be made easier when you open yourself to being a curious lifelong learner and take the time to build a support system.”
Keep doing and keep learning. It’s a lifelong process, it never stops and it will move you to the heights of your success.
