I often get asked by people I come into contact, exactly what I do as a Speaker and Executive Coach. I’ll be honest with you, that question isn’t all that easy to answer. Usually this type of work is confused as motivational speaker or motivator which I challenge since most of the people I get to work with are highly motivated and don’t need more of the same.
Others think that an Executive Coach is supposed tell people how to do their jobs, which again is a completely false assumption. The people I’m fortunate enough to work with are leaders in their respective fields, many times they work in industries that I have no prior knowledge and wouldn’t have the slightest clue how to run if I were thrust into the daily activities of the organization.
So now that we’ve taken motivation and job instructions out of the mix- what exactly is left for a speaker and executive coach to do for their clients? Well that’s easy. My job is to help smart and motivated people figure out how to get to the next level.
What is the next level? Well frankly, the answer is completely different depending on who you are talking to. Everyone has a next level. For some it’s learning and growing in the position they currently hold in their company. For others it’s gaining confidence that they actually belong in their current job and have the ability to achieve. Some want a clear strategy to leverage their talent and abilities to have the biggest impact. For others it truly is the next level or promotion in the organization.
Many people I work with want to get to the next level outside of the workplace and in their own life. So you see the next level is extremely personal and specific to the individual. The hard part for most is actually defining what that next level actually is.
Let me ask you. What is your next level? What does it look like? Are you currently on the path to getting there? If not, why not? Would you know it if you actually attained it? Clarity you see is the biggest challenge with regards to this next level. And clarity is one of the hardest things for people to obtain.
Even when you finally achieve this next level of clarity often times our actions and behaviors are the exact obstacle that keep us all from actually getting to this next level.
I’ll prove it. Think about your own actions or behaviors over the past few weeks or month. Was there a time when you did something or said something and you know you shouldn’t do that, you know that’s the wrong way to behave, but guess what – you went ahead and did it anyway? I’ll bet your answer was a resounding YES.
Isn’t that interesting? Smart, intelligent, high performing individuals, that know exactly where they want to go, acting and behaving in a manner that will most definitely keep them from achieving this elusive next level.
To me that’s fascinating. This is what I believe is my mission to help these types of people navigate the waters from where they are to exactly where they want to go. This is the journey I embark upon with those that choose to work with me.
But make no mistake my friend, this journey can be extremely uncomfortable. It’s wrought with conflict and uncomfortable conversations. Obstacles we’ve dealt with for years get explored and eventually worn down. And probably the most challenging obstacle is that we must look into the mirror and be honest with ourselves because maybe that person in the mirror is the real reason we haven’t achieved at this higher level.
This is a journey, and a process. It doesn’t happen overnight, and with those that aren’t fully committed it may never happen, but for those that put in the work, it’s one of the most valuable roads they can ever choose to go down.
So I’ll ask you again.
What is your next level?
Can you describe it with clarity and purpose?
How are you moving a bit closer to it every day?
What obstacles have you encountered along the way?
How are you mastering those obstacles?
Who have you enlisted to help you achieve everything you want in your business and in your life?
Everybody could use a coach- who is yours?
Cheers your success
One Quarter Turn at a Time
Thoughts for the week:
Get comfortable getting being uncomfortable, that’s how you break the plateau and reach the next level. – Chalene Johnson
The next level, by definition, is something you can’t see and you can’t understand. – Eben Pagan
Amen is not the end of the prayer, it just gets us ready to go to the next level. – Gary Busey
You were created to excel. There’s no limit to how high you can go in life. Keep stretching to the next level. -Joel Osteen
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