Patti Cotton

In September 2013, 64-year-old endurance swimmer Diane Nyad conquered the 110-mile passage from Cuba to Florida that had hounded her for 35 years.  This was her fifth attempt.  Even though she failed four other times, she still believed in her goal and was determined to succeed.  And this is precisely why she did.

When Nyad emerged victorious, after 53 hours in the treacherous Florida Straits full of jellyfish, sharks, and dangerous weather, she paused to share the following:
“I have three messages.  One is we should never, ever give up.  Two is you never are too old to chase your dreams.  Three is it looks like a solitary sport, but it takes a team.”

Like so many other extraordinary women, Nyad’s success was built on her failures.  She first began her journey to conquer this particular passage when she was 28 years old.  Over the ensuing years and after each attempt, she would regroup, reassess, and apply her learning to improve the plan to conquer.  And in her learning, she realized that a large part of her impending success depended upon team.

The fact is, great professionals don’t get there all by themselves.  In my work with exceptional women, one thing has become clear:  you can have the talent, the plan, and the grit to succeed – but unless you realize the importance of surrounding yourself with the right kind of people in critical roles, your efforts will go to waste.

“It’s not just naïve, but also foolish to think that just one individual is capable of running a large organization on their own,” says Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, and chief influencer in the global marketplace.  When one examines Branson’s success, it’s fair to say that this philosophy works.  He selects not only for the right skills and experience, but also for the right mix of individuals as he fosters the right spirit.  And it pays off.  And the fact is, this approach frees Branson to be – well, the best Branson he can be!

Take stock of your own A-Team, and decide to close the gaps in order to accelerate your success.  What is working well?  What is not working well, or could work better?  What specific steps do you, as leader, need to take, in order to make your team a “10″?

To your success!

Patti

Mai Linn, CEO of a large company in San Francisco, had just informed Cheryl that she was grooming her to take her position.  “She left my office and I started crying,” Cheryl said to me.  “Not because I was overjoyed, but because I suddenly realized that I was living someone else’s life.  I didn’t want to be the next CEO, and I felt like I’d wasted the last 20 years.  That’s why I called you.”

Cheryl had been steadily promoted for almost 20 years, and excelled in all she was assigned.  Regularly asked to take on more responsibilities and special projects, she proved herself time and again, and was acknowledged through new titles and additional salary.  Many colleagues called her “Girl Impossible,” because she was known for reaching goals that challenged even the most seasoned executives.

I used to rush to get to the office and dive into my projects.  I loved the feeling of conquering challenges.  But now, it’s hard to face the office. I feel empty and sad.  Who am I, anyway?  What’s wrong with me?”

As we began to work together, it became clear that Cheryl had never really asked herself what she wanted from her career. Instead, she worked hard for almost two decades, and gratefully accepted the accolades and promotions as they came.  “I was excited to feel like I was climbing up.  Isn’t that supposed to be how it is?  But I forgot one thing – I never asked myself what I wanted – where I wanted to climb, and where I wanted to arrive.  And so I found myself one day where others thought I needed to be.”

Cheryl and I worked to define and design her next professional chapter, and then, over the next few months, we worked an action plan that helped her exit from her corporate position and into the arena of business ownership.  Today, she runs her own successful small company and, with her team of five employees, provides software for personal development.

Asking for what you want and getting it requires five steps.  And the first of those is knowing clearly what you want.  If you don’t define this, the world will decide your life for you.  Pretty scary thought?  You bet.  But no matter where you are in your career or life, you can begin to regroup and take control.  Take a few moments and answer the following questions for yourself:

Where are you, now?

Where do you want to be?

What needs to change in order to get there?

What’s one step you can take, today?

Play big!

Patti