Step Zero: Don't Join the Empire!
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there lived an angsty teenager named Luke Skywalker, who wanted nothing more than to attend the Imperial Academy and become a fighter pilot for the Empire.
Wait, what? That can’t be right…
And yet its true, before Luke received his true calling to join the resistance and become a Jedi Master, he dreamed of getting off the desert wasteland of Tatooine in any way possible. He knew what he wanted (to leave Tatooine and build a life full of adventure) but wasn’t fully in touch with how to get it in a way that expressed his values (because he was young and not fully in touch with his true core values yet).
Sound familiar? Part of the important work of building a life you love and avoiding Stress, Overwhelm and Burnout (those pesky S.O.B.’s we want to avoid at all cost!) is making the right decisions for the right reasons.
I call this Step Zero – Discover your Core.
Unfortunately, most coaching programs SKIP THIS STEP. They jump right ahead to building your vision and unleashing your potential. And while those are both important to your training as a true leader who doesn’t succumb to the nasty S.O.B. monster, you can’t reach your full potential without a strong, well-defined core.
We’re talking metaphorical abs that will turn heads on the beach and cause even the most conservative grandmas to wolf whistle. That’s the kind of core you need to bolster your vision into an unwavering reality.
A central element of step zero is giving yourself time. You cannot rush this discovery and, most importantly, you cannot fake a strong core. You only develop one from doing the work.
Spend time in self-reflection. Practice meditation or devote a daily half-hour to journaling. Train yourself to engage in tough topics of conversations with friends instead of shying away when things get uncomfortable. Wrestle with difficult dilemmas and ask yourself the question, “What do I really think about this?” Listen to alternative opinions and consider them as valid. Start to admit there are some things you don’t know and learn more about them.
Through this practice you will get to know yourself and learn to approach life with humility. And then, then my friends, you can begin to change your life.
If you’re ready to lead a remote team that trusts you and delivers results, while cutting costs and improving the speed of business, you can re-frame this current crisis as an opportunity to start fresh.
In my six-week training “Remote Leadership Survival”, I guide participants through how to build trust, using structured and tested methodology. Real leaders think beyond survival in a crisis -- using this time as an opportunity to THRIVE. This is how you create a community with a culture of trust, yes, even remotely. And that, my friends, is what leaders are paid for!
