Sometimes my work involves helping leaders one on one to become more purpose-driven so that they can maximize their impact and leverage.
In one instance, the CEO I was working with I had never met.
The room we were working in was small, and he had a large presence. I found my palms sweating as I began to realize how important this was to him.
He was deeply committed to doing the work. For each exercise we did, he worked hard. Never once coming close to accepting the easy answer.
We got to the values section, and he was relentless. He wasn’t the type to have a laundry list of values that resembled a Hallmark card.
We persisted. Asking:
What values will you be willing to invest in over the next 12 months? What values will truly challenge you? How will you know when you are living by your values?
Discussions were raw and vulnerable. He chose three values.
He believed 100% that investing in these three values would allow him to have the impact he knew he could have.
What happened next?
He quit.
I didn’t expect that. When we talked it through, he said it was the values exercise.
His values were not aligned with the corporate values. He felt no sense of judgment – values are not right or wrong. They were simply not aligned, and without that alignment, he knew he could not achieve his own purpose.
Not one decision he made through the process was easy. He wasn’t going for easy.
And we especially love to write and tell good stories!
Strategic stories about brands that are passionate and want to make a difference and truly live their story.
The stories that make us think, wonder, and inspire.
So, if this is what we love to do, and maybe you do too, should we feel threatened by AI-driven content?
Hell, no.
Think of it as another tool. We all have tools. Accountants have Excel spreadsheets to help tell their story (which is definitely an excellent reason why I am not an accountant lol). Athletes and artisans want the best training and equipment to help them level up. So do writers!
If you are going to use AI content as a drag-and-drop, well, then your blog will simply be a blog written by a robot.
If you use AI for content, use it selectively.
There is something deeply human about writing your own story.
We are in an era of ever-increasing machine intelligence, which has only increased our appetite for high-touch interactions.
As well as nuanced, wise and thoughtful communication from people and companies we care about.
The one thing that can’t be automated is that business remains person to person.
Whether you become a fan of AI or not, be sure to never lose your own voice.
This is always your story. Never settle for anything less.
PS: this blog is written without the assistance of AI.
If New Year’s resolutions just aren’t your thing, a word for the year might just work! Choosing a word for the year is a great way to still bring focus and clarity to our lives without creating specific goals. Rather than crossing a goal off your list, your word of the year acts as a mantra to help guide your daily actions.
So, before picking a word… I like to visualize my perfect day! Take your time going through your ideal morning, afternoon, and evening… and ask yourself: “what does this day feel like?” Putting those feelings into words might just help you to figure out what this year’s focus might be.
Choose a word that you want to improve upon or learn more about. This word will act as your north star throughout the year – something you can turn to time and time again to help refocus your energy if you feel like you are off track.
If you aren’t too sure, we’ve compiled a list for you below to scan through. Read each word and write down which ones resonate most with you (pick a few from this list, you can narrow it down later)!
Abundance
Adventure
Align
Authentic
Aware
Balance
Become
Bold
Breathe
Bright
Calm
Celebrate
Centered
Challenge
Change
Daring
Dedicated
Delight
Discipline
Dream
Embrace
Emerge
Empower
Expand
Express
Focus
Forgiveness
Foster
Flourish
Grow
Giving
Gratitude
Grounded
Grace
Integrity
Intuition
Intentional
Imagination
Inviting
Joy
Journey
Jazz
Join
Jibe
Now, ensure you’ve picked out words that have jumped out at you! Maybe they made you feel excited, nervous, scared, uncomfortable, or at ease.
Let’s narrow them down!
The next question I like to ask myself is which words I am interested in versus committed to. The words that you’re only interested in likely won’t lead to any significant changes throughout the year. Whereas words you’re committed to – these ones will be easier to implement into your life!
So, which word are you 110% committed to!? Pick that one!
Once you’ve decided… have it show up everywhere so you won’t forget. Place a sticky note on your desktop or laptop, or write it on your bathroom mirror. Have it show up for you each day to help you remember!
Don’t wait for normal to return, it is not coming back.
Take chances now.
Playing it safe right now is too dangerous a strategy.
If you are trying to play it safe you are missing a significant opportunity to stand out. And you need to stand out!
I gave this advice at an event this spring at the dawn of Covid. And about a month later one of the participants messaged me to say that she took my advice. She said, “I quit my job and started the journey that I always wanted to take, but hadn’t really had the courage to do it.” Now was the time.
Now is the time to invest in yourself, relying on yourself as your most valuable asset.
Understanding who you are, being able to articulate your purpose, and how you can use your genius work to help others; this is your portable equity and it is worth gold!
It is easy to lose ourselves right now, and yet the opportunity to find ourselves is the one we need to say yes to.
If you are ready to invest in your portable equity and declare your purpose we can help!
I had a blast as the guest speaker at the WESK Uncorked event last month.
I loved the chatty chat line.
We might not have been able to see each other but we sure knew that each other were there. I soaked up all the vibes like a sponge.
The pandemic has asked us to make mindful, generous, and difficult decisions. There has been very clear language around what we cannot do. And it has worked! We listened.
But when we gather at Uncorked we are there to honour the art of the possible.
So it only seemed natural to flip the “can’t” talk on its head and think about what we “can” do.
I asked listeners to finish this sentence: Now is a great time to …………….
Below are the answers that came flying in faster than we could read them and I can’t resist sharing the main threads of the responses with you:
Business growth
Stretching what I can do and be in this world
Follow the opportunities
Own a business
Re-launch
Re-focus
Be bold
Tell your story
Pivot
Re-commit to what matters
Believe in myself
Be the leader you want to become
Mentor
Find my purpose
Re-invent myself
Lean in
Become who you really are
Personal growth and self-care
Be grounded in your why
Brand building
Hold on to calm
Get grounded
Get loud
Love myself
Can we keep this conversation going?
What resonates for you?
How will you finish the sentence? Now is a great time to…….
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