What do I mean by investment?
When was the last time you made a decision to invent in yourself, I mean… really invest in yourself? Today I want to talk to you about what I mean when I ask you that question and some of the ways you might consider making larger investments in yourself – investments that will propel you toward your biggest career goals. I’ll also give you some criteria to measure if the investment you are considering making in yourself will worth your time and or money.
One of the main keys to success I have noticed across the numerous successful leaders I have the opportunity to work with each day and with other very successful people, generally, in the world are that they are willing to invest in themselves. They are willing to spend money or time gaining leadership knowledge, self-awareness, soft skills or technical skills. They’re willing to spend time in the discomfort zone in order to build relationships and ultimately build powerful coalitions with whom You can work to solve challenging problems or to make incredible impacts in the world.
Depending on your desired career goals and your industry, this will look completely different from other people. Remember, I am here to help YOU rise in the way that will allow your superpowers to shine, in the industry or career-field in which you most desire to thrive!
The day I decided to change
There is a very specific day that I decided my life needed to change, and that it was time to begin investing in my own personal growth. I truly believe the decisions I made on that day, when I hit one of my low points, financially, is the day everything began to change for my daughter and me. I am in the process of writing a book, and this story is the introduction — because it was the day my entire life’s trajectory changed — for the good.
One normal Saturday morning, when I was a young enlisted Sailor, in the US Navy, and a single mom with a toddler, I decided to take a quick shower while my daughter was watching TV and eating her oatmeal. It was about a week until payday, and the night before we had gone grocery shopping and spent the last $137 I had to spare on food to get us to payday. While I was in the shower, my sweet daughter had decided to explore and she pulled out most of the new food on to the kitchen floor and was playing with it like finger paints. There was a pile of mashed potatoes from last night’s dinner and an entire gallon of milk was poured over everything on the floor.
I was simply exhausted.
I thought about all the people I could blame for how difficult my life had become — but it dawned on me that really, I could have made several different decisions and ended up in a better situation. I know sometimes people really are stuck or in a situation they did not choose, but that was not my story. I decided the only way to create a better life for us was to own my past mistakes, and fully own where I would go from that moment, forward.
That is the day I began to actively invest in myself and in our future.
That is the day everything started to change.
My first plan was to finish college, which would allow me to be commissioned as a Naval Officer. Once I became a Naval Officer, I successfully completed a journey to obtain a Graduate degree. I scheduled time with mentors — LOTS of mentors, and incorporated their feedback, guidance, and opportunities they opened up for me. I began to voraciously read every book I heard about, sometimes multiple books a month. These were books about productivity, mindset, and goal achievement concepts. I also read technical books about my career field and other complex topics I was interested in.
I started to create mind maps to connect all that I was learning and that enabled me to see how much I had grown, which caused me to start dreaming bigger. I embarked on new experiences, such as long distance running — including a marathon, constant activities to grow my technical knowledge, long-range precision rifle competitions, and learning the power of successful vision execution.
I have had so many coaches at this point, I can’t count them all…. executive, career, business, and productivity coaches. I learned so much from each of them. Once I realized the power of a coach, I decided to become a certified coach and now I have developed my own coaching program, learned how to produce podcasts, marketing, blogging, and so many other things – and I know I’ll never be finished learning, as long as I am on this earth.
Why is it a problem if you stop learning?
1. Career Stagnation: Without continuous growth and investment, You risk being overtaken by peers or younger professionals who are more in touch with recent developments.
2. Decreased Value Proposition: As an aspiring executive, You’re expected to bring a unique blend of experience, skills, and innovative thinking to the table. Without self-investment, this value diminishes.
3. Missed Opportunities: By not being at the forefront, You miss out on leading pioneering projects, heading teams, or influencing pivotal decisions.
4. Reduced Job Satisfaction: Stagnation can lead to feelings of inadequacy, reduced self-worth, and decreased motivation, which can spiral into reduced job performance.
5. Market Relevance: The business world, especially at the executive level, is dynamic. Being outdated or out of touch reduces their effectiveness and relevance in strategic roles.
How do you know if you have stopped growing?
If you’re focused on rising to senior leadership in a large organization, or even becoming the CEO of your own business, the realization that you’ve reached a point of stagnation or that you haven’t invested in new learning, including tools that would increase your own self-awareness might be subtle. Let’s delve deeper into how you might discover You have a problem and why it might be time to make some shifts in your thinking:
1. Plateauing Performance: Unlike earlier phases of their career where You experienced rapid progression, promotions, and achievements, You now find yourself in a phase of status quo. You haven’t acquired a new skill, expanded their network, or achieved a significant milestone in a while.
2. Feedback from Peers and Supervisors: Colleagues might make offhand remarks like, “You’ve been in this position for a while now” or “You always approach problems the same way”. A performance review might highlight a need for “diversified skill sets” or “expanded leadership qualities”.
3. Comparison with Peers: You might notice peers moving on to higher roles, getting selected for high-profile projects, or being invited as speakers in industry events, while You remain static.
4. Lack of New Challenges: A clear sign is when You no longer feel challenged in their current role. If You’re consistently feeling like their job is in a routine, with no new learning curves. This is a hint.
5. Decreased Engagement and Enthusiasm: You no longer feel the excitement or passion You once did for your role or the industry, overall. This can stem from not feeling aligned with current industry trends or advancements.
6. Feeling Out of Touch: Whether it’s the latest industry tech, methodologies, or trends, You feel like You’re always playing catch-up or are simply unaware.
What can you do about it?
When you realize that you’ve become stagnant, it’s critical to take intentional and proactive steps to course-correct and reinvigorate their professional journey. Here are several strategies you can employ to invest in future growth:
1. Executive Education:
- MBA Programs & Short Courses: Many top-tier universities offer executive MBA programs or specialized courses tailored for professionals.
- Online Learning Platforms: Websites like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, or Udemy offer courses on a plethora of topics, from technical skills to leadership training.
2. Hire an Executive Coach or get a new mentor
- Engaging with an executive coach or finding a mentor within the industry can offer fresh perspectives, tools, and strategies that can spur growth.
3. Attend Conferences & Workshops:
- These are great avenues to learn the latest industry trends, network with peers, and gain new insights.
4. Networking:
- Join Professional Associations: These often provide seminars, webinars, and networking events.
- Join a Mastermind Meeting with other executives to share challenges, solutions, and best practices can be enlightening.
5. Set Clear Goals:
- Identify areas of growth and set clear, measurable goals. This might include leading a new project, mastering a new skill, or expanding their network by a certain percentage.
6. Seek Stretch Assignments:
- Taking on projects outside their comfort zone can push them to acquire new skills and broaden their horizons.
7. Book and Podcast Consumption:
- Regularly reading industry-related books or listening to podcasts can offer new ideas, methodologies, and keep them updated.
8. Seek Feedback:
- Regularly solicit feedback from peers, subordinates, and superiors. An outside perspective can shed light on blind spots and areas of potential growth.
9. Personal Development:
- Beyond professional skills, investing in personal development (like emotional intelligence, stress management, or mindfulness) can have significant payoffs in leadership roles.
10. Diversify Experience:
- Consider roles in different industries, departments, or even geographic locations. A varied experience can offer a more comprehensive view of business.
11. Collaborate and Delegate:
- Instead of doing everything yourself, you should learn to delegate effectively. This frees up time for more strategic endeavors and also allows them to harness the strengths of their team.
12. Stay Tech-Savvy:
- The world is becoming increasingly digital. Engaging with the latest technologies relevant to their industry is crucial. This might mean taking courses in AI, data analytics, or other emerging tech trends.
13. Physical and Mental Well-being:
- Regular exercise, a diet that makes you feel mentally and physically at your best, meditation, and adequate sleep are foundational. A healthy body and mind enhance performance, decision-making, and resilience.
14. Philanthropy and Community Involvement:
- Engaging in charitable endeavors or community leadership can provide a different perspective, enhance soft skills, and expand networks.
In essence, the key lies in recognizing the areas of stagnation and taking a multi-pronged approach to personal and professional growth. Continuous learning, expanding networks, seeking new experiences, and maintaining a holistic approach to well-being are integral to an executive’s sustained success.
Activity
Let’s design a simple yet effective activity to help your executive client initiate a plan toward new growth. This activity will be called the “Growth Map.”
Growth Map Activity
Objective: To assess current professional standing, identify areas for growth, and set actionable steps to achieve desired milestones.
Materials Needed: A large piece of paper or a digital mind-mapping tool, colored pens/markers or digital equivalent, sticky notes or digital note-taking capability.
Steps:
1. Self-assessment:
- Current State: Write or type down your current role, skills, achievements, strengths, and challenges in the center of the paper.
- Future State: On one side, envision your desired future state. What role or position do You aspire to? What skills or achievements would You like to acquire?
2. Gap Analysis:
- Identify Gaps: Ask your client to draw lines connecting their current state to their future state. Along these lines, write down the gaps or what’s missing to bridge the two states.
- Prioritize: From the identified gaps, ask them to prioritize based on urgency, feasibility, and impact.
3. Setting SMART Goals:
- Using the gaps identified, guide your client to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals. For instance, if a gap identified is “lack of industry network,” a SMART goal could be “Attend at least two industry conferences and connect with a minimum of 20 industry professionals in the next six months.”
4. Action Steps:
- Brainstorm: For each SMART goal, brainstorm actionable steps required to achieve that goal. Using the above example, action steps could be:
- Research upcoming industry conferences.
- Register and book tickets.
- Plan networking strategies (like preparing an elevator pitch, having business cards ready, etc.).
- Schedule: Have them integrate these action steps into their daily or weekly schedule.
5. Accountability System:
- Trackers: Create a simple tracking system, perhaps a monthly check-in sheet, where You can tick off achieved action steps.
- Feedback: Encourage them to share their goals and progress with a trusted colleague, mentor, or with you as their coach. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions will ensure You remain accountable.
6. Reflect and Adjust:
- Every month, have a reflection session with your client. What worked? What didn’t? What challenges did You face? Based on this reflection, adjust the plan accordingly.
Closing Note: Growth is not linear, and it’s okay to face setbacks. The objective of this activity is not just to achieve all goals but to instill a continuous growth mindset. By regularly revisiting and updating the Growth Map, You will not only see tangible progress but also feel more aligned with their professional journey.
This activity is straightforward and can be initiated today, giving your client a clear path to start their growth journey.
Conclusion
Success, especially at the executive level, is not about reaching a destination, but embarking on a continuous journey of growth. The modern world is dynamic, and to thrive in it requires self-awareness, proactivity, and an undying commitment to personal and professional evolution. Whether you’re just starting out or deep into your executive career, remember that the investment you make in yourself today lays the foundation for the opportunities of tomorrow.
If today’s discussion resonated with you, and you believe you are ready for an executive coach to help meet all your career goals, keep you motivated, accountable, and to encourage you to push past your limiting beliefs, joint the waitlist for my Executive Coaching program, “Looking for a Place to SHINE: From Underestimated to Executive”. You’ll be the first to know when I open the doors for a new cohort.
I have created a powerful step-by-step process to guide you to greater clarity about your dream position, you know – what you want and WHY. You’ll learn how to knock down all the barriers in your path and you’ll create a clear, customized road-map for your success. The magic happens when I show you the key to execute your plan in a way that makes your success inevitable.
I can’t wait to work together toward making your biggest career dreams your everyday reality!
SHOW NOTES:
When was the last time you decided to invest in yourself? I mean REALLY invest in yourself? Today, I want to talk to you about what I mean when I ask you that question and some of the ways you might consider making more significant investments in yourself that will propel you to your desired version of success.
If you want to be alerted when my executive coaching opens to take in new clients again, subscribe to the “Rise and Shine” Newsletter, where you will also get weekly accountability, activities, tips, and tricks to continue to rise in your organization. If you have any questions or want to connect, email me at [email protected].
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