Don’t Go It Alone
Give yourself the gift of leadership training.
As a leader in an organization, have you ever felt like you were in a boat, all alone, paddling upstream? I sure have.
I remember working my first job, in my early 20s, and being promoted to general manager. My secretary had been working for the company for at least twenty years. My operations manager was a middle-aged man whose father had sold the company — pointedly, not to him. I had been working there for all of six months when I received the promotion. To say my team didn’t automatically follow me is an understatement.
The corporation had, no doubt, identified leadership qualities in me. But I didn’t have the training nor the day-in and day-out experience. I was intimidated by the whole situation. At the same time, I was thrilled with the challenge: I was thirsty for knowledge, reading books, listening to audio tapes, on the lookout for leadership development opportunities. And one showed up.
I will always remember going to my first Women’s Network event. A national speaker was video-conferenced in. It was tremendous. I walked away from that event feeling inspired.
Early in my career, I was fortunate to have great opportunities. I enjoyed success and wanted more of it. Being a big fan of Tony Robbins, I read his books and watched the videos. I recall going to a Robbins’ franchised leadership event and learning a strategy that I have carried with me throughout my career: “The surest way to achieve success is to model someone who is already successful. If you don’t have good models, find someone who is the best in your chosen field and emulate them. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel – simply learn from the best.” It was great advice.
I think most of us walk away from events like these with at least one thing we can apply to our lives. I also believe we often overlook another benefit of being present in these events: the benefit of the people who show up. These are folks who are on their growth edge and are open to improvement. They want more out of life. These are the people I like to hang out with. Their vibration is higher. They tend to be more positive.
There is so much static in the world. Having the opportunity to choose to be around a higher vibration is such a great act of self-care. I will opt to hang out with wisdom, knowledge, and inspiration any day of the week.
What we think about grows, and the opportunities for leadership development have been fertile ground for my personal growth process. My most recent growth experience was the general Leadercast event held in Columbia earlier this year. Participating in this event was like sitting in a big living room listening to thought leaders share their secrets for success. These are the kinds of investments I like making.
When was the last time you gave yourself the gift of support, training, or new knowledge? There’s no need to go solo. We are all in this together. I invite you to set aside time to recharge and recommit to yourself; attend Leadercast Women. Investing in yourself will pay dividends.
Conference Details:
Leadercast Women
Monday, November 6
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Kimball Ballroom
Ticket price: $99.00