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This Week's Leading Idea

Are You Laying the Groundwork for Mediocrity?

Recently I started working with a firm who 5 years ago was at the top of their game, but is now struggling. They got beaten up in the market and haven't been able to regain their footing. To their credit, they realize that market forces aren't the only thing that has led to their trouble. As one VP put it, "I think we started to lose touch with each other and clients a number of years ago. Internally we had competing agendas and externally we weren't innovating. The net effect has been a growing mediocrity."Consider this: Posted Wed Jun 9, 2010 .. Read More

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Weekly Success Tips

2009-06-29 | The Responsibility to Trust Your Head and Heart

"If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself. Also you will have betrayed our community in failing to make your contribution to the whole."
-- Rollo May (1909-1994), American psychologist, from The Courage to Create

Over dinner with colleagues last week, I found myself discussing the topic of spiritual energy - i.e. where/how people find meaning in life. Two familiar themes emerged. You find meaning when you (1) align your life to what inspires/motivates you & (2) serve/contribute to others. These ideas, while powerful, weren't novel to me. As a coach I've helped many people do both through the years. However, a new insight dawned on me in the conversation. The two really can't be separated - they're opposite sides of the same coin. Put simply, inspiration doesn't hang around if you're not contributing to others AND the most profound contributions you make in the world are when you're inspired.

Consider This:

Rollo May sums up the implications of this insight in the quote above. Listening to your own being, getting clear on your passions, expressing your own ideas are not merely "nice to have" - they're actually responsibilities - and not only to yourself, but also to the communities in which you live - and ultimately the world. On one hand this can sound like a burden, but on the other it's quite the opposite. It's the clearest path to creating a deep sense of satisfaction in work and life.

Try This:

  1. Answer this question 10 times: I feel like I'm at my best when _____________
  2. For each, give yourself a grade: A = I find the opportunity to do this often, F = I rarely find the opportunity to do this
  3. Decide which ones matter the most
  4. For the ones that have low grades proactively plan to reintroduce them into your life
  5. For all items that matter most, ask yourself if/how you're contributing to others
  6. Continue to find opportunities to bring your best self to others



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