It’s been a rough four years. No matter where you stand with the events of today’s world, we have experienced unprecedented challenges.
And it has taken its toll.
More business leaders are leaving their roles than at any other time in our lifetime (McKinsey, Forbes). And that echoes the sentiment I am hearing from so many of you. It’s no longer enough for you to weather the proverbial storms in order to reach organizational goals. It’s not enough to persevere in hiring and retaining the right talent to do the job. It’s not enough to feel as though you averted another crisis, completed another long day, and made it through yet another challenge.
On a scale of 1-5, how fulfilled are you as a leader? In your work? Your life?
Perhaps it is time to redefine success.
In the past, success has often been defined by career achievements. But over the last four years, as we have faced unmatched crises and a new and seemingly foreign business landscape, this definition has fallen short. Business leaders are asking for more…not more money, not more opportunities, but for more personal fulfillment. They seek more ease in leading – and more of a personal reward for filling those big shoes.
The fact is, personal fulfillment doesn’t come from occasional exotic trips or long weekends to regroup and re-energize. True fulfillment encompasses both professional and personal aspects of life.
It doesn’t have to be this hard.
And lest you think that this is soft stuff, allow me to make a business case for your personal fulfillment.
Some outcomes from leaders who embrace this include positive energy and motivation, role modeling, improved communication, better decision-making, increased resilience, more empathy and understanding, positive culture, and higher employee retention. The list is significant.
James, CEO and founder of a tech company, had lost his motivation and energy despite his company’s growth and success.
“There’s no excitement in leading anymore,” he shared. “We reach goals, or we don’t – and the alarming thing is, I’m beginning not to care.”
James claimed an overwhelming workload and a constant pressure to perform. But after exploring this in depth with him, the real issue became apparent: there was a lack of alignment between his professional achievements and his personal values.
Digging deeper, I discovered that James’ definition of success was narrowly focused on business metrics, without having defined first his vision of personal fulfillment.
Further, after conducting a comprehensive assessment, it was clear that James did not know how to tap into his top strengths for energy, and his approach conflicted with his top values – a recipe for burnout.
This called for a coaching intervention to help James develop a new definition of success incorporating personal happiness and wellbeing alongside professional achievements.
The Jumpstart
As so many of my clients appreciate, we met for an initial two-day jumpstart away from the office to fast-track the process. This was helpful in elevating James’ sense of hope, energy, clarity, and direction. It was necessary to define James’ values, personal mission and vision before moving on to the business.
This is a key factor that is often missed and, if not done well, can create chronic conflict in the leadership experience. We redefined James’ strengths, as he had taken multiple assessments over time, some of which were not reliable and others which were limited in scope (note to the reader: assessments are not apples and apples – beware!) During that initial two days, we also created a strategic plan to align his daily activities and long-term goals with his newly defined success criteria. This plan addressed both his business leadership and life.
The Deep Dive
With this as our GPS, we then coached over the next year. This is deep and transformational work, including shifting habits and approaches formed over years of time, reshaping the stories that James told himself to open up more potential, and removing roadblocks and triggers that had previously held him in place.
The Result
James’ enthusiasm and joy of leading was re-energized. This had a cascade effect on his executive team and on the company, since a leader’s influence is significant on culture and outcomes. Some of the results for his company included increased productivity, better work-life balance, improved team morale, and overall business growth.
What about you? What is your personal definition of success?
Does it include both career achievements and personal fulfillment? Are you aligned in your values and tapping into your top strengths daily as you lead?
© Patti Cotton and patticotton.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from the author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that attribution is made to Patti Cotton and patticotton.com, with links thereto.
Patti Cotton reenergizes talented leaders and their teams to achieve fulfillment and extraordinary results. For more information on how Patti Cotton can help you and your organization, click here.
